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Maggi Simpkins creative by nature

Published on March 17, 2024

Auricolari Bose Ultra Open con oro 14 carati e diamanti

Her ring was the top lot at Brilliant & Black, the Sotheby’s auction dedicated exclusively to black designers, although in truth Maggi Simpkins has physical traits that could make her mistake for a Mediterranean woman. But that’s not her distinctive trait. The Portland, Oregon-born designer has followed a different path than most of her colleagues in the jewelry world. In fact, she has no traditional training in fine arts or jewelry. In short, no classic diploma from the Gia, but a lot of inspiration. Also thanks to the atmosphere breathed in the family, with creative parents by profession.

Anello con un diamante rosa di 2,43 carati circondato da rubini — Ring with a 2.43 carat pink diamond surrounded by rubies

In short, Maggi Simpkins has refined her creative process over time for her jewels, but which the designer also transfers to clothing or interior design. She lives and creates her jewelry, made to order, one-of-a-kind pieces, from her studio in Los Angeles. Although she didn’t go to design school, when she was 20 and had just dropped out of college, she designed a fashion jewelry line for a private label. The designs were purchased from BCBG and Nordstrom. Experiences in the world of jewelry that have continued with other collaborations for companies in the sector. Until she started getting enough inquiries from private individuals and in 2015 she started her own business.

Anello Peakock con un diamante taglio smeraldo, zaffiri e smeraldi — Peakock ring with an emerald-cut diamond, sapphires and emeralds

She mainly creates unconventional rings with large stones surrounded by other colored gems, with an original style. Naturally, you choose materials according to the ethical and sustainable principle. One of the latest creations is a pair of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds customized with 14k gold and diamonds for emerging artist Kenzie Ziegler.

Anello con diamante fancy yellow di 5,12 carati, assieme a diamanti bianchi e zaffiri — Ring with a 5.12 carat fancy yellow diamond, together with white diamonds and sapphires

Anello per matrimonio, pezzo unico, con diamante e turchese — Wedding ring, unique piece, with diamond and turquoise

Anello con diamante taglio pera e zaffiri — Ring with pear-cut diamond and sapphires

All about garnet

Published on January 6, 2024

Campus

Garnet is one of the most used stones in jewelry. But can you distinguish it? Here’s what you need to know about the garnet, stone of the month of January, which actually brings together many different types ♦

It’s easy to say garnet. Actually this stone is classified in different ways and confused with other with the same color. It’s an old habit: in the past the only criteria to describe a stone was, in a generic way, the color. So all the red gems were recognized as rubies, from the Latin meaning of rubeus: red, in fact. No wonder, then, that for 700 years the central stone of the crown of England, 170 carats, has been called “the Black Prince’s Ruby,” despite being a magnificent spinel, which is not a garnet stone but it’s looks like. Even some varieties of garnet in the past have been mistakenly categorized as rubies. The matter is further complicated, however, because not only it has many colors such as purple, brown, orange, yellow and green, but it is often sold under the trade name and not the scientific one. So, nature abounds colored gemstones and yet it was not always easy to catalog them. How to distinguish and choose them? Here you have a little guide.

Pendente in oro giallo, con granati mandarino, diamanti e smalto — Yellow gold pendant, with mandarin garnets, diamonds and enamel

Rhodolite

It is a variety of garnet. From the geological point of view, the stone is made 55% of pyrope and 37% of the almandine. The garnet differs from ruby not only for its composition, but also how it behaves under the light: from a natural ruby emerge a double rainbow with various shades of red and blue, while the rhodolite is even more brilliant and alive, and will show only a rainbow with green and yellow. Caution: rhodolite can be synthesized in the laboratory, but it is one of the few stones to never be treated artificially. Its name derives from the greek rhodo (pink) and lithos (stone) and was coined by George Frederick Kunz for its resemblance to the flower color of the rhododendron mountain.

Color: compared to the other red garnets is slightly lighter and that’s why is confused with ruby, but has some hues of purple and purpura. No coincidence that the most popular colors are red-purple and raspberry discovery in 1987, the hue of the fruit.

Sources : was discovered in North Carolina, but the major deposits are in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, where in the Kangala region was identified the Raspberry variety and in the one pale purple in Umba valley, Zimbabwe and Brazil. From the Orissa Indian region and only from there comes the grape garnet with the same colour of a good amethyst.

Anello con rodolite e zaffiri blu — Ring with rhodolite and blue sapphires

Almandine garnet

The presence of metals such as manganese and calcium gives the garnet many colors, but when the component is predominant almandine, appearance is dark red, sometimes brownish. And this is the best known variety, with the name of the Mozambique garnet, named by the East African country of origin. Cited in Greek mythology, praised in the Jewish and Muslim tradition and used by the Vikings for the funeral ornaments, is rather hard and with a high refractive index. Sometimes is called Oriental Garnet.

Sources: Mozambique, India and Brazil.

Naomi Sarna, anello con granato almandino intagliato — Naomi Sarna, carved almandine garnet ring

Spessartite

The name comes from Spessart, Bavarian village where it was discovered the mid-nineteenth century. Initially little used in jewelry because it is very rare, after the discovery of another field in Namibia, its spread has grown tremendously, because it is the variety of garnet that has the highest refractive index after diamond. Feature that makes it one of the most versatile gems.

Colour: from manganese derives its characteristic orange primary color while the presence of iron gives the red shades and turns it to orange red, golden orange, orange yellow or dark red. The Mandarin Garnet is the most valuable variety of Spessartine, discovered in Kunene, Namibia.

Vhernier, spessartite al centro del collier Orange Velvet — Vhernier, Spessartite in the center of the Orange Velvet necklace

Sources: if the Spessart mine is now exhausted, Namibia continues to be the reference point along with Nigeria, while other deposits are in Australia, Brazil, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Zambia.

Tsavorite

It is the trade name of Garnet Grossularia Green, coined in 1974 by British geologist Campbell R. Bridges and Henry B. Platt, two consultants of Tiffany, in honor of the Tsavo National Park in Kenya, the place of discovery.

Selim Mouzannar, orecchini con tsavoriti, avorio, smalto, diamanti — Selim Mouzannar, earrings with tsavorite garnets, ivory, enamel, diamonds

Colour: owes its color to the presence of vanadium and chromium in small part, the same elements that give the emerald its colors. If a larger amount of vanadium accentuates the green Tsavorite, a yellowish tinge instead indicates the presence of iron. The green runs from vivid and clear to deep and velvety and, like all garnets, has a beautiful sheen, thanks to the high refractive index. Compared to emerald but has fewer inclusions and can also be flawless to the naked eye.

Sources: more rare emerald it has two major mining sites, the Scorpion mine near the Tsavo National Park in Kenya and the Merelani hills in Arusha region in Tanziana. And a small field in the province of Tulear in Madagascar.

Demantoid Garnet

A variety of Andradite Garnet, discovered in the Urals in 1849, has an exceptional brightness and its name was borrowed from German Demant because as diamond-like sparkle. Passion jeweler Carl Faberge, who just could it inserted in its creation and contributed to his legendary reputation, was coveted by many even by the head of Tiffany gemologist, George Frederick Kunz, who went to Russia with the aim to buy all specimens on the market. The Soviet revolution it blocked the mire and marketing, but many years later, in 1991, thanks to the filming of the activities mineriarie in the Urals and the discovery of other deposits in Namibia, came to the fore.

Una varietà verde della andradite, minerale che è uno delle più preziose varietà del granato Demantoide — A green variety of andradite, a mineral which is one of the most precious types of Demantoid garnet

Colour: depending on the amount of chromium and iron, varies from deep green to yellowish green to yellow or olive green. In practice, the greater the presence of iron is more yellow the stone. And although green forest is the reference tone, in the case of the Demantoid what really counts is the fire, that the variety and intensity of the play of colors when it reflects the light.

Sources: the Urals come specimens of intense green color with a peculiarity, the inclusions ponytail, that make them special, while the stones of Namibia are clearer and without inclusions.

Valuation: garnet is a type II gem, which may contain a few minor inclusions visible to the naked eye, which are tolerable if they compromise the beauty of the stone. However, there are examples impeccable in darker shades, whatever the color and smaller.

Anello con granato mandarino e zaffiri rosa — Ring with mandarin garnet and pink sapphires

Bracciale in oro bianco, diamanti e granato — Bracelet in white gold, diamonds and garnet

Pendente Demeter con granato mandarino e diamanti — Demeter pendant with mandarin garnet and diamonds

Anello in oro giallo con granato mandarino e smalto nero — Yellow gold ring with mandarin garnet and black enamel

Anello con tsavorite al centro, opale di fuoco, ametista, apatite, zaffiro — Ring with tsavorite in the center, fire opal, amethyst, apatite, sapphire

Anello con spessartite abochon di 32 carati, diamanti, zaffiri rosa, topazio imperiale, acquamarina, labradorite, andalusite — Ring with 32-carat cabochon famartite, diamonds, pink sapphires, imperial topaz, aquamarine, labradorite, andalusite

A 2.5 million Rolex sets the record at Sotheby’s

Published on May 15, 2023

Orologi

Rolex Daytona John Player Special del 1969 in oro giallo

An almost $2.5 million Rolex. That’s how much an anonymous collector spent on a Rolex Daytona. The watch was auctioned off by Sotheby’s in Geneva during the Important Watches Sale auction. The record timepiece, lot 119, is a JPS (John Player Special, 1969) model, reference 6241 whose initial estimate was around half of the final price, starting from a base of 400,000 Swiss francs. To win it, the buyer beat out six other bidders in a long battle. The sales figure represents a new world record for any Daytona JPS model, the third most valuable gold Paul Newman Daytona across all references, the fourth most valuable Paul Newman in any reference and metal, and the fifth most valuable manual-winding Daytona never sold at auction.

Of this watch model, Rolex has produced (it is estimated) approximately 3000 reference 6241 and only 300 with 18K yellow gold cases. Of these, only a small fraction were fitted with the rare John Player Special dial. These watches mostly came with black dials with gold branches or gold dials with black branches. The Rolex being sold has no inscription on the case back and is believed to have remained untouched for the past fifty years, it is now being offered for sale for the first time by the original owner’s family.

Rolex Daytona John Player Special venduto per 2,238,000 di franchi svizzeri — Rolex Daytona John Player Special sold for 2,238,000 Swiss francs

Pedro Reiser batte il Rolex Daytona a Ginevra — Pedro Reiser beats the Rolex Daytona at the Geneva auction

Bulgari Laguna Blu, record diamond at Sotheby’s

Published on April 29, 2023

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Il Bulgari Laguna Blu, diamante di 11,16 carati

The Blue Lagoon is the title of a 1980 film which marked the debut of Brooke Shields. About forty years later the same name returns to the fore: but this time Laguna Blu is the name of the largest blue diamond in a Bulgari jewel, 11.16 carats, auctioned by Sotheby’s. According to the auction house, it will have its world premiere at the Met Gala in New York on May 1, before being displayed and sold at Sotheby’s Geneva Luxury Week from May 12. Estimated price: more than 25 million dollars. The gemstone was created in 1970 and has remained in the same collection ever since, in Europe. It is the first time it has been offered for sale.

Laguna Blu è il nome del più grande diamante blu in un gioiello Bulgari

The Bulgari Laguna Blu is an extraordinary jewel in every respect. At 11.16 carats, this unmodified pear-shaped blue diamond received the highest grade for a blue diamond from the Gemological Institute of America, recognizing its mesmerizing color and hue. This true marvel of nature was selected by Bulgari, the prestigious Roman jewelery Maison, over fifty years ago, to create a ring for a demanding private collector, who has kept it ever since. The Bulgari Laguna Blu diamond is destined to become every collector’s dream object and we are delighted that it will be presented for the first time on the ever-anticipated red carpet of the Met Gala.
Olivier Wagner, Head of Jewellery, Sotheby’s Geneva

With the blue diamond Sotheby’s completes a trilogy of announcements for the sale of unique and extraordinary colored gemstones following the recent presentation of the Eternal Pink (estimate over 35 million), the most valuable purplish-pink diamond ever to appear at auction, and the Estrella de Fura 55.22 (estimate over 30 million), the largest ruby ever to hit the market, which will be the protagonists of the Magnificent Jewels auction at Sotheby’s in New York on June 8th.

One of the gem’s pluses is its weight of 11.16 carats, exceptional given that blue diamonds are among the rarest. The blue color is the result of the presence of the trace element boron within the carbon structure of the diamond during its formation deep in the earth’s core. Blue diamonds over 5 carats are rare, those over 10 carats even rarer. Any blue diamond qualified as Fancy Vivid, the most brilliant hue a diamond can display, over 10 carats is indeed extremely rare: Fewer than ten Fancy Vivid Blue diamonds over 10 carats have been auctioned anywhere in the world in the last few decades. , four of the sold by Sotheby’s.

Bulgari has mounted the Bulgari Laguna Blu in an elegant and essential ring, exposing all facets of the stone to their best vantage point, demonstrating the jeweler’s ability to maximize the intrinsic beauty of an exceptional diamond. The jewel has remained in the same family since its acquisition in the seventies. It has been seen by few. In the fifty years since the Blue Lagoon was faceted, diamond-cutting technology has advanced to further enhance colored diamonds by faceting them as modified brilliant cuts to increase the perceived saturation of the color. So this 1970 diamond could be even more brilliant.

La gemma è stata creata nel 1970 e da allora è rimasta nella stessa collezione, in Europa

In addition to the Bulgari Laguna Blu, the same client is offering for sale two other white diamonds signed Bulgari, from the same period in the early 1970s: a pear-shaped diamond weighing 12.08 carats (estimate 600,000-700,000 dollars), and a diamond step cut weighing 18.78 carats (estimate 900,000-1,400,000). Also on sale is a fourth stone signed Pederzani, a pear-shaped white diamond weighing 8.33 carats (estimate 350,000-500,000).

Sotheby’s currently sells the record price for a blue diamond for the De Beers Blue, a 15.10 step cut Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, the largest of its kind ever to appear at auction, sold in April 2022, Sotheby’s of Hong Kong for 57.5 million dollars.

The rarest ruby in the world up for auction at Sotheby’s

Published on April 11, 2023

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One of the rarest and most valuable rubies ever is about to be auctioned by Sotheby’s. This is the gem extracted in September 2022 from the Fura Gems ruby mine in Montepeuz (Mozambique). The ruby received the name of Estrela de Fura (star of Fura in Portuguese) and weighed 101 carats when mined. It is a record ruby: not only extremely rare in terms of quality and colour, but also the largest, gem quality, ever discovered and the most precious ever auctioned off. It will be offered for sale by Sotheby’s during the Magnificent Jewels auction in New York on June 8th.

Il rubino Estrela de Fura di 55,22 carati

The ruby has an estimate in excess of $30 million. The rough stone was transformed by a group of craftsmen into a magnificent cushion cut stone weighing 55.22 carats, is preparing to rewrite history by surpassing the Sunrise Ruby, a 25.59 carat ruby of Burmese origin, sold for 30, $3 million (over $1,185,000 per carat) at Sotheby’s in Geneva in 2015 and which still holds the world auction record for a ruby. The world tour of Estrela de Fura, which departed from Hong Kong on April 5, will tour the world in recent weeks to arrive in Geneva (the only European stop) in May, before becoming the undisputed star of the New York auction.

Sunrise Ruby, rubino montato su anello con diamanti firmato Cartier. Venduto per oltre 30 milioni di euro

At Sotheby’s a collection with jewels by Andrew Grima

Published on February 4, 2023

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A new online jewelry auction is scheduled for February 9 at Sotheby’s. The auction includes 276 pieces, mostly made by famous Maisons, such as Cartier, Van cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Tiffany. But the sale also presents an unprecedented opportunity for those who love Sixties and Seventies design. In the catalog, in fact, there are also about ten jewels by Andrew Grima. It is a single owner collection which is now being offered for sale and which features jewelery by the Italian-British designer.

Rhodonite ear clips 1971 — Orecchini in oro e rodonite, 1971

Grima, born in Rome, developed his business in London and is considered a jewelery revolutionary. Probably also because his training was far from gold and diamonds: Grima studied mechanical engineering in London and was part of the Royal Engineers during the Second World War. A strange coincidence then led him to deal with accounting in the jewelery company of his wife’s father and, from there, to the design department. The imagination and innovative solutions in the creation of jewels made him famous and appreciated by the royal family, as well as by celebrities of the time. He has been considered the progenitor of modern jewelry, no longer anchored to the traditional style. A path that is testified by the jewels on sale, pieces that remain extraordinarily avant-garde even after half a century.

Orecchini in oro con perle e diamanti, 1997

Spilla in oro con diamanti e perla, 1986

Kim Kardashian buys the cross worn by Diana

Published on January 19, 2023

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It seems like news made to warm the hearts of those who follow social media: the Atallah Cross, worn by Princess Diana, was sold for $197,453 to Kim Kardashian. The American celebrity, through a representative of hers, outbid four other buyers during Sotheby’s Royal and Noble sale. The jewel’s price represents more than double its pre-auction estimate. The cross, as we have already told here, was owned by the former CEO of the Asprey & Garrard group, Naim Attallah.

The Atallah cross features floral details and was created in the 1920s by the court jewelers Garrard. The cross was purchased in the 1980s by Naim Atallah and thanks to his friendship with Princess Diana, he was able to lend it to her several times over the course of several years. Princess Diana wore the jewel several times, as evidenced by the October 1987 photo, on the occasion of a charity gala in support of Birthright, a charity that works to protect human rights during pregnancy and childbirth. After her death the jewel was never seen in public again.

The cross pendant is a bold and colorful piece featuring square cut amethysts and accented with round cut diamonds. The cross has a total diamond weight of approximately 5.25 carats and measures approximately 136mm x 95mm. Princess Diana had a long-standing relationship with Garrard, having chosen her engagement ring from them in 1981.

La croce, oltre alle ametiste, ha circa 5,25 carati di diamanti

The cross of Diana for sale at Sotheby’s

Published on December 22, 2022

For sale is a piece of jewelery owned and worn by Princess Diana. Sotheby’s is putting it up for auction. The jewel will be auctioned off at the auction house’s annual Royal and Noble auction (January 6-18), which features an eclectic collection of exceptional objects and heirlooms of aristocratic provenance. Not just jewellery, furniture, ceramics, decorative objects and more are on sale. But the jewel that belonged to the princess will be guided to attract attention. This is the Atallah cross, owned by the former group managing director of Asprey & Garrard, the late Naim Attallah.

La croce indossata da Diana. Courtesy of Sotheby’s

According to Ramsay Atallah, son of Naim and current owner of the cross, Princess Diana was a friend of the family: King Charles’ ex-wife often visited him in the historic Garrard shop in Regent Street, where his office was located, and asked borrowed the pendant on several occasions. The cross, which has a Renaissance design, is made of gold, silver, amethyst and diamonds and was worn by Diana on several occasions, as evidenced by the photographs that portray her. For example, at a benefit ball for Birthright, the women’s health organization of which she became patron in 1984, where the cross was attached to a long pearl necklace.

La croce, che ha un disegno rinascimentale, è realizzata in oro, argento, ametista e diamanti. Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Jewelry owned or worn by the late Princess Diana very rarely makes it to market, especially a piece like the Atallah Cross, which is so colourful, bold and distinctive. To some extent, this unusual pendant is symbolic of the Princess’s growing self-confidence in her sartorial and jewelery choices at that particular time in her life. We are confident that this unique 1920s piece of jewelery from Garrard, with such exceptional provenance and worn only by the Princess herself, will attract the attention of a wide variety of bidders including collectors of royal and noble jewelery as well as fans of the princess eager to share part of her story.
Kristian Spofforth, Head of Jewellery, Sotheby’s London

How to participate in an online auction

Published on November 20, 2022

Campus

Do you know how to participate in an online jewelry auction? Here’s what you need to know to shop at an online auction ♦

There are diamonds sold at auction at stratospheric figures. But they are exceptions: in reality, at jewelry auctions there are also relatively affordable pieces, excellent jewels, even of major brands in the order of a few thousand euros or dollars. Of course, most of the big auctions take place in London, Geneva or New York, not to mention Hong Kong. But for this very reason many auction houses now also offer online auctions, as they do, for example Christie’s or Sotheby’s, with very interesting pieces. The images relate to a selection of the highest estimates. For example, you can find Art Deco jewels for sale, modern and vintage pieces, but also from large Maison as David Webb, Bulgari, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels … And often the prices are interesting.

L'asta Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence organizzata da Christie’s a New York — L’asta Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence organizzata da Christie’s a New York

But how do you participate in an auction? Here are the rules

First of all, you need to register on the site where the auction takes place. You will get a username and password. All simple, just fill out the form on the site. After obtaining an account, you must register for the auction.

Before making an offer from your computer or tablet, read well the conditions of sale, to avoid surprises. In fact, every offer that is made has the value of a binding contract for the purchase at the predetermined sales conditions.

Attention: it is not possible to cancel the offer once it has been presented. However, you can change the maximum bid.

Rossella Novarini, direttrice de Il Ponte Casa d'Aste, durante la battitura del top dell'asta di Gioielli del 26 e 27 maggio 2022, il diamante a goccia di 16,44 carati venduto a 12 milioni di euro. Courtesy Il Ponte Casa d'Aste — Rossella Novarini, direttrice de Il Ponte Casa d’Aste, durante la battitura del top dell’asta di Gioielli del 26 e 27 maggio 2022,
il diamante a goccia di 16,44 carati venduto a 12 milioni di euro. Courtesy Il Ponte Casa d’Aste

On the auction site you will find the images, descriptions and estimated value of the pieces for sale. There is a minimum and a maximum, but it can be exceeded if many potential buyers raise their offer. You can submit an initial offer or a maximum bid. If two equivalent maximum bids have been submitted, the first one will prevail in chronological order.

You can decide in which currency to participate: just click on a small curtain corresponding to the symbol or symbol of the coin and choose, usually euros or dollars, but if it takes place in Geneva or China, even Swiss francs or Hong Kong dollars.

Offers can be submitted at any time during the online auction: therefore, it is not necessary to follow the times of an auctioneer.
When the auction has ended, an email will be sent to inform you if your bid has been successful.

Price: in an auction, even online ones, you need to take into account many factors besides the auction price. For example, you must also add the premium to the buyer (it is an additional percentage cost on the hammer price). In addition, taxes must be added (VAT or equivalent, import tax, customs duties and any local customs clearance fees applicable for your country), shipping costs, insurance coverage for any damage or loss (1% of the purchase price ). The buyer’s premium is usually 25% of the auction price of each lot up to $ 100,000. Payment must be made online by credit card and will be in the currency of the place of sale.
Now you are ready, good auction.

Collier con ametiste e turchesi messo all'asta — Collier con ametiste e turchesi messo all’asta

L'asta di Sotheby's a Hong Kong — Asta di Sotheby’s a Hong Kong

Sotheby’s sells a record sapphire to Moussaief

Published on November 12, 2022

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The sale of Magnificent Jewels was included in Sotheby’s Luxury Week, a series of auction sales that began in November 2020, between Geneva, Hong-Kong and New York. Result: 98.4% of all lots sold above the minimum estimates, and over 56% above the maximum estimates. The overall number of bidders increased by more than 80% from the same sale last year and by more than 126% from the same sale last year, but phone and room deals were also stronger than in the previous year. last year. Additionally, the number of new entrants more than doubled from last year for the equivalent sale. Another interesting fact: strong increase in participants under the age of 40, more than double the number of those who took part in the equivalent sale in 2021.

Zaffiro rosa con taglio cuscino di 20,58 carati

That said, the jewelry auction in Geneva also marks the record price per carat for a cushion-cut Burmese pink sapphire (90,622 per carat) weighing 20.58 carats. It was sold to Alisa Moussaieff, the mind and driving force of the jewelry house of the same name, for 1.8 million dollars, tripling the maximum estimate. Record price per carat also for a blue sapphire of Burmese origin ($ 137,525 per carat) set on a diamond ring weighing 20.16 carats, among the shoulders of Cartier diamonds sold for 2.8 million to Assil, a trading company gems of New York.

Zaffiro di 20,16 carati e diamanti su anello firmato Cartier

Another highly appreciated jewel, a record for Jean Schlumberger’s pieces, was a pink sapphire of Ceylon origin on a diamond brooch from the collection of Fiona Thyssen Bornemisza. The cushion gem weighing 92.01 carats has a frame of intertwined branches surrounded by small pear-shaped blue sapphires and diamonds. Made by Schlumberger in the 1950s, the brooch sold for $ 1.7 million.

Spilla di Jean Schlumberger con uno zaffiro rosa di 92 carati, diamanti e zaffiri blu

Overall, Sotheby’s fifth series of Geneva Luxury Week auctions reached $ 69.3 million, including a $ 14.2 million watch auction. A curiosity: sales also included the chassis of Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari F2003-GA, one of the most important sports cars of all time, sold for 14.8 million dollars, making it the Formula 1 car of ‘ it was the most valuable modern ever sold.

Anello con diamante vivid yellow di 37,50 carati, The Mouwad Empress

Anello con zaffiro di 12,73 carati e diamanti

Coppia di diamanti ovali di 20.03 e 20.19 carati venduti per 4,2 milioni di dollari

Anello di Cartier con diamante di 33,13 carati D Colour, VVS1 Clarity, potential Type IIA, venduto per 2,8 milioni di dollari

Sotheby’s record for the auction in Milan

Published on October 20, 2022

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Anello con diamanti e zaffiro birmano non trattato

The online auction organized by Sotheby’s has reached 5.5 million euros, the highest total ever for an online sale of jewelry in Milan (estimate 2.2-3.4 million euros). A very positive result, achieved also thanks to the quality of the lots in the catalog. The result was 91% of the offers it found buyers, with nearly three-quarters of the lots reaching prices above their estimates.

In particular, the top lot was a sapphire and diamond ring sold for 352,800 euros against an estimate of 50-80,000. A 1938 rivière diamond necklace fetched 302,400, about four times the estimate. A ring with emerald and diamonds reached 252,000 euros, halfway through the offer fork, a brooch with rubies and diamonds from the historic Maison Illario di Valenza reached over 163,000 euros, as well as a Jacques Timey bracelet embellished with rare rubies and diamonds from Burma.

Anello con smeraldo colombiano e diamanti

Bracciale di Jacques Timey con diamanti e rubini birmani

A 303-carat golden canary

Published on October 18, 2022

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Sotheby’s has put the turbo. The great auction house continues to present exceptional stones. This time the news comes from Dubai, where Sotheby’s showed one of the largest diamonds, called The Golden Canary. It is a 303.10 carat “monster”, and is the largest flawless or internally flawless diamond ever graded by the Gia. In short, an exceptional stone even if the price will probably remain lower than those of pink or blue diamonds. Estimates for The Golden Canary point to around $ 15 million. The stone will be auctioned at Sotheby’s New York in December. Curiously, it will be offered without reserve with bids starting at just one dollar.

The Golden Canary, diamante di 303.10 carati Fancy Deep Brownish Yellow, Courtesy: Sotheby's — The Golden Canary, diamante di 303.10 carati Fancy Deep Brownish Yellow, Courtesy: Sotheby’s

We have had a bumper year in which we have featured stunning colored diamonds at our global jewelry auctions, as the demand and appetite for these rarities continues to grow. Just two weeks after the record sale of the Williamson Pink Star for $ 57.7 million, we are honored to offer the largest polished diamond in existence to appear at auction. Steeped in history, The Golden Canary is one of the most exquisite diamonds ever discovered, not only for its size and intensity of color, but for its extraordinary beauty that is sure to fascinate collectors around the world. Sotheby’s has the privilege of helping write the next chapter of this incomparable and reborn gem.
Quig Bruning, Head of Jewelry for Sotheby’s America’s

Quig Bruning, Head of Jewelry per Sotheby's America's — Quig Bruning, Head of Jewelry per Sotheby’s America’s

However, The Golden Canary remains an exceptional stone: it has been classified as a Fancy Deep Brownish-Yellow Diamond. The gem also has a story to tell. It was cut from a giant 407-carat rough diamond with a shield shape. The Golden Canary was consequently cut into a pear shape. The diamond will be presented on a world tour. After Dubail, I will be in Taipei, Geneva and Hong Kong.

Il diamante è staro ricavato da una pietra grezza di 407 carati. Courtesy: Sotheby’s

Online jewelry at Sotheby’s Milan

Published on October 16, 2022

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Online fine jewelry at Sotheby’s, at the same time as Milan Jewelery Week. The Sotheby’s auction, for the pleasure of collectors, is centered on high-end jewels. For example, the catalog includes a Colombian emerald and diamond ring (estimate € 200,000-300,000). Also in emeralds and diamonds is a Piccini necklace with pendant (estimate 30,000-50,000 euros).

Among the lots on sale there is also a Jacques Timey bracelet embellished with rare rubies and diamonds from Burma (estimate: 50,000-80,000 euros). Also noteworthy are two rings with untreated diamonds and sapphires from Burma and Ceylon in a very rare shade of blue, a ring with diamond and Burmese sapphire (60,000-100,000 euros) and a ring with diamond and Celyon sapphire (30,000-50,000 euros) . The auction closes on Wednesday 19th October. Exhibition at Soheby’s, in Milan, from 10.00 to 13.00 and from 14.00 to 18.00.

The challenge of blue diamonds

Published on October 16, 2022

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The De Beers Exceptional Blue Collection

Color challenges for diamond enthusiasts (and investors). After the record-breaking pink diamonds, a new auction is expected but centered on a different shade, blue. This time it is Sotheby’s to present a group of eight fancy blue diamonds, which have been valued in total over 70 million dollars. Diamonds will be the protagonists of several Magnificent Jewels auctions, this winter and next spring. The name given to these gems, The De Beers Exceptional Blue Collection, indicates their origin: the company specializing in “women-friendly” stones.

Benoit Repellin, responsabile dell'asta Magnificent Jewels di Sotheby's a Ginevra — Benoit Repellin, responsabile dell’asta Magnificent Jewels di Sotheby’s a Ginevra

The eight diamonds have different shapes and weights: they include an oval brilliant cut diamond of 1.22 carats, one step cut of 11.29 carats, for a total weight of 32.09 carats between them. Three diamonds will be offered this year: a 5.53-carat fancy blue at auction scheduled in Geneva on November 9, a 3.24-carat diamond and a 2.08-carat diamond in New York on December 7th. De Beers and Diacore paid a total of $ 40.36 million for five rough blue diamonds from the Cullinan mine weighing 85.62 carats in November 2020. In nearly two years, Diacore has cut and polished the five rough stones to create the eight blue diamonds from the collection that Sotheby’s now presents.
The valuation of diamonds of this type is quite difficult. Suffice it to say that the 11.29 has an estimate of between 28 and 50 million dollars.

The pink diamond challenge: Williamson Pink Star sold for 57 million

Published on October 11, 2022

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Williamson Pink Star è montato su un anello diamanti taglio trapezio e rosa taglio brillante

A pink diamond breaks all records. The sample is the Williamson Pink Star, an 11.15 carat vivid fancy pink diamond. The stone was sold in Hong Kong by Sotheby’s for over 57 million, exceeding the presale estimates, which had prudently stopped at 21 million dollars. However, it was not a Chinese tycoon who bought the precious diamond, but a billionaire from Florida. As is tradition, the new owner has changed the name of the gem, which is now called The Rosenberg Williamson Pink Star.

The diamond was extracted from the Williamson mine in Tanzania and then cut by Diacore. It was also the second largest vivid pink diamond ever to appear at auction, later, the CTF Pink Star, which weighs 59.6 carats and was bought in 2017 by Hong Kong group Chow Tai Fook for 71.2 million: it is the most expensive gem ever sold at auction. Soon after, however, is the Williamson Pink Star, with a price per carat of around 5.2 million, double the previous record of 2.7 million per carat of the 18.96-carat Winston Pink sold by Christie’s in 2018. .

Il diamante grezzo di 32 carati da cui è stato ricavato The Williamson Pink Star

How long will the new record last? On November 8th, in Geneva, Christie’s will sell another 18.18-carat pear-shaped fancy diamond, called The Fortune Pink: pre-sale estimates indicate a value between 25 million and 35 million dollars. The race is underway.

Il diamante The Fortune Pink, 18,18 carati

Jennifer Lopez’s extremely rare green diamond

Published on October 1, 2022

Campus/Diamanti

L'anello con diamante verde ricevuto da Jennifer Lopez

Green diamonds are very rare and very expensive. Because they have a secret ♦ ︎

Colored diamonds have inflamed Sotheby’s and Christie’s auctions for many years. While colorless diamonds, commonly called white, were once the most expensive gems, now it is the colors that are paid the most. The most popular colors are yellow, pink and blue. Rarer are red diamonds. But there are also diamonds of another color, even rarer: they are the green ones. Extremely rare. One of the few women to have a green diamond in the drawer (but perhaps in the safe) is Jennifer Lopez, who received it as a gift, mounted on a ring.

L'anello con diamante verde di Jennifer Lopez — L’anello con diamante verde di Jennifer Lopez

Because they are green. The green color is extremely rare in diamonds also because it is also believed to be due to the exposure of the stone to radioactive materials. But do not worry: you can wear them without problems. Green diamonds were near, millennia ago, small amounts of material such as uranium or thorium. But over time, radioactivity has declined, that is, it has ceased. In any case, these radiations penetrated the nearby diamond crystal and changed its color.

Anello con un raro diamante verde e diamanti bianchi — Anello in platino con un raro diamante verde e diamanti bianchi

Artificial green. Since green diamonds are the result of radiation, why not repeat the process in the laboratory? It is, in fact, what some laboratories do to produce a green color in diamonds. The stones are polished and then hit with a low-energy electron beam. With this same system, yellow diamonds are produced. Another method is to apply a thin layer of silica on the surface of the diamonds. But, beware: the coating is very thin and can be lost with normal wear.

Aurora Green, venduto da Christie's per 16,8 milioni di dollari, record d'asta mondiale — Aurora Green, venduto da Christie’s per 16,8 milioni di dollari, record d’asta mondiale

The biggest. The diamond called Green Dresden is the largest in the world (40.72 carats) with this shade. It is kept inside the Dresden castle. The ring you see in these images, however, was sold for $ 1.8 million in the spring of 2014. Its assessment is also due to the fact that the jewel is signed by the legendary designer Jar. The colored limestone diamond mounted on the ring weighs 2.49 carats and is set on platinum, surrounded by colorless diamonds. Also interesting to remember the story of this stone: once belonged to Countess Eliza Branicka Krasińska and was mounted on her engagement ring with the romantic poet Count Zygmunt Krasinski, in Poland. The two married in 1843 and remained together until the count’s death in 1859.

Il Verde di Dresda, custodito nel castello della città

Un raro diamante verde contornato da bianchi e fancy pink

Diamante verde montato su anello firmato Jar. Venduto per 1,8 milioni di dollari nel 2014

La scala delle tonalità dei diamanti verdi

High jewelry by 25 black designers at Sotheby’s

Published on September 17, 2022

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Immagine della mostra Brilliant & Black: The Age of Enlightenment

Darker-skinned jewelers and designers than others. Sotheby’s offers them a new appointment: Brilliant & Black: The Age of Enlightenment. The sale organized in London (22 September 2 October) follows the one organized in New York last year. The curator of the exhibition is the same, Melanie Grant: she has selected jewels by black designers from the 1950s to today. In all 70 pieces from 25 different creators. Already present in New York were Melanie Eddy, Lola Fenhirst, Harwell Godfrey, Sheryl Jones, Vania Leles, Angie Marei, Satta Matturi, Johnny Nelson, Jariet Oloye-Oduto, Jacqueline Rabun, Catherine Sarr, Maggi Simpkins, Karen Smith, Ten thousand things, Lorraine West, Thelma West and Castro, who died suddenly last July.

Vanleles, anello con rubellite taglio pera, con rubini e diamanti

They are joined by Disa Allsopp, Latoya Boyd, Shola Branson, Ndidi Eubia, Gina Love, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Roxanne Rajcommar-Hadden and Sewit Sium. The exhibition coincides with Black History Month in the UK. Everyone created at least one new piece of jewelery for the exhibition. The jewels are top of the range. And even though designers like Satta Matturi use motifs and icons of African origin, most of the jewels on offer are completely indistinguishable from those of other non-black designers. They are simply beautiful.

Angie Marei, anello con perla di Tahiti e tsavoriti

Maggi Simpkins, anello Peacock con diamante taglio smeraldo, circondato da zaffiri, smeraldi e diamanti verdazzurri

Mateo, orecchini con perle e diamanti — Mateo, orecchini in oro con perle coltivate e diamanti

Matturi, orecchini con sei diamanti taglio triangolare e 150 taglio brillante, onice

Sheryl Jones, collana con 34 peridoti taglio Asscher, zaffiri rosa, rubini, tormaline, kunzite e diamanti

A record pink diamond is on sale at Sotheby’s

Published on September 5, 2022

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Williamson Pink Star, diamante rosa di 11 carati

An 11-carat pink diamond is a very rare gem. For this reason, the auction by Sotheby’s to be held in Hong Kong on 5 October is a special event also in terms of price: the diamond, which has been called Williamson Pink Star, is valued at over 20 million dollars. It will be sold at a single lot auction. Williamson Pink Star is the result, after cutting, of a diamond that was originally a 32-carat rough stone found in the Williamson mine in Mwadui, Tanzania. It is a mine that has already supplied diamonds with this rare color.

Diacore purchased the diamond for $ 13.8 million, approximately 427,000 per carat, from the mining company Petra Diamonds in December 2021. The diamond was subsequently cushion-cut and mounted on an 18-karat gold ring, flanked by trapezoid cut diamonds and brilliant cut rose. The gemstone is of impeccable quality and, according to Sotheby’s, is the second largest fancy vivid pink diamond ever to appear at auction, after the 59.60-carat CTF Pink Star, purchased by Chow Tai Fook of China for 71.2 million. dollars in April 2017.

How much are colored diamonds worth?

Published on August 27, 2022

Campus

Nel 2013 Pink Star è stato venduto per 83 milioni di dollari

Fancy diamonds, the colored ones, are increasingly in demand. But how much are colored diamonds really worth? ♦

Once the most important aspect was purity. The diamonds had to be absolutely transparent and colorless, as well as free from impurities. It is no coincidence that the value of diamonds was, and still is, determined by the “four Cs” (Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat). If you don’t know what we are talking about, read here. In short, weight and cut, but above all the absence of inclusions or colors. In a few years everything has changed. Now most of the top diamonds sold at auctions are colored, or fancy, as they are called by experts. Many years ago many of these diamonds would have been defined as impure, because the only diamonds considered truly precious were the colorless ones.

Today, however, colored diamonds are skyrocketed, even if not all of them have the same value. Some time ago a 14.82-carat orange diamond was auctioned for over 26 million and Sotheby’s sold the Pink Star, a 59.60-carat pink diamond, for $ 83 million. In addition to the exploit of the auctions, an avalanche of brown, black, gray diamonds and so on have also appeared in jewelry. But the latter have a much lower value than the blue, pink, yellow or red ones (the rarest of all). In a nutshell: not all colored diamonds have the same value. The yellow, pink, blue and red ones are worth more than the brown, black or gray ones.

Diamante tulipano fancy yellow — Vak, diamante tulipano fancy yellow

The color of diamonds is determined by minerals, for example iron, which oxidize and give an unusual hue to the diamond. In short, they are less pure than the colorless ones. But they are rarer. With no other substances in between, the diamond is perfectly transparent. Determining the value of a colored diamond is very complex. As Dominique Dufermont, trader and teacher at the school of Van Cleef & Arpels explained some time ago to the French newspaper Les Echos, to evaluate a colored diamond, several criteria must be taken into account, including obviously the weight and intensity of its color, as well as when cut, which must be perfect. “A pink diamond can be valued even 50 times more than a white one”. The expert gives the example of a bright yellow diamond that went from a valuation of 30,000 euros to 70,000 within two years. Even the brown diamond, which until a few years ago was worth little, today is often ennobled as a cognac color and can reach 2,000 euros per carat if of good quality.

Anello in bronzo, oro bianco e diamante brown by Hemmerle

Unlike colorless diamonds, which must be as transparent as possible, fancy ones acquire more value if their color is intense. In short, the nuance of a white diamond, which for example tends to gray or pale yellow, decreases its price. A fancy diamond, on the other hand, the more colorful it is, the more it has a high price. Although there are exceptions: as in colorless diamonds, the fancy diamond is also valued for its purity and transparency.

Diamante blu da 12,11 carati, taglio marquise, montato su anello

In fact, however, pure diamonds with bold colors are rare: they come, in fact, mostly from the Argyle mine, in Australia. Even a red diamond was found here, considered a miracle: it is 1.56 carats and has been sold for over 2 million dollars, a figure which is equivalent to 6 million per 1 gram (1 carat is equivalent to 0.2 grams). Large colored diamonds are used by top jewelers: blue, like a Harry Winston ring, yellow like those mounted by Dior, or pink used by Bulgari and De Beers. Tiffany has also focused on colored diamonds. The fancy boom is also due to the increasing demand from emerging countries, from India to China. For now, the charm of these stones shows no signs of diminishing. And it will last a long time.

DiamantiBrownnaturali — Diamanti naturali nelle sfumature champagne e cognac

Anello con un diamante fancy vivid purple da 5 carati, taglio radiant, composto da 70 faccette

Juno Diamond becomes Claire G for $ 13 million

Published on June 17, 2022

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Il diamante forma di pera di colore D da 101,41 carati internamente impeccabile.

Juno Diamond, a 101.41 carat D-color pear-shaped stone, internally flawless, was sold in New York at Sotheby’s for 13 million dollars. The result places the stone among the highest prices ever achieved for a D, Flawless or Internally Flawless color diamond of over 100 carats at auction. The diamond was bought by telephone from a private collector in Asia. As often happens, the buyer changed the name of the gem, which is now called Claire G Diamond, as he dedicates to his wife, probably arousing no small amount of envy.

Il Juno Diamond, ora ribattezzato Claire G Diamond. Courtesy Sotheby’s

The Claire G Diamond was the star lot in the Magnificent Jewels sale, which totaled $ 52 million. Along with this week’s Fine Jewels sale, Sotheby’s World Jewelery auctions exceeded $ 230 million, a 14% increase over the same period in 2021.

We are thrilled to see this exceptional diamond achieve such a strong result, confirming that there is continued demand from collectors at the highest levels of the market. This diamond has captivated customers around the world on our long travels this spring, but it has been a special privilege to offer it at our global headquarters, where it now ranks among the top five jewels sold in Sotheby’s New York sales room. . Including today’s result, only five pear-shaped perfect diamonds weighing over 100 carats were sold at auction, including four at Sotheby’s.
Quig Bruning, Head of Jewels, Sotheby’s Americas

The Claire G Diamond has obtained superlative gradations both in color (D Color – the highest grade for a white diamond) and in purity (Internally Flawless). As with the famous Cullinan I and Koh-i-noor diamonds, which are part of the British crown jewels, the stone is part of the rare subgroup comprising less than 2% of all gem diamonds, known as type IIa. Diamonds in this category are the purest chemically, giving them exceptional optical transparency.

Un Fancy Grey-Violet da 3,46 carati e Fancy Intense Pink da 4,08 carati. Courtesy Sotheby’s

When curating our Magnificent Jewels sales, we’re continually on the hunt for not only extraordinary, timeless designs but also for of-the-moment jewels and gemstones that signal growth areas in the market. In particular, it’s been thrilling to witness the increase in our clients’ appetite for stones beyond the standard canon of diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds, and to see the evolution in their appreciation for specimen stones, such as the Paraiba Tourmaline and Diamond Pendant Necklace, which sold for an incredible $1.2 million. We also saw exceptional results for signed jewels by the iconic maisons, including a Mystery-Set Ruby Holly Leaf brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels that sold for nearly $1 million.
Catharine Becket, sales manager of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels in New York

Anello con rubino birmano da 8,80 carati e diamanti. Courtesy Sotheby’s

The sale included colorful diamonds and beautiful sapphires owned by George C. Thomas Jr., which totaled 7 million. The group was led by two exquisite old-cut colored diamonds: a 4.08-carat Fancy Intense Pink, sold for 3.8 million (estimate 1.2-1.8 million), and a 3.46-carat Fancy Gray-Violet. carat, which reached 2 million (estimate 500-700,000).
A magnificent ring with emerald-cut Type IIA diamonds, color D, weighing 26.06 carats by Kwiat, yielded 2.3 million (estimate $ 2/3 million). Three bidders pushed a major Burmese ruby and diamond ring from 8.80 carats to 1.6 million (estimate 1.3-2 million). An exceptionally rare Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline and diamond pendant necklace, weighing 10.31 carats, has risen to 1.2 million (estimate 500-700,000). Collectors vied for a Van Cleef & Arpels Boreal diamond necklace, which sold for 1.2 million (estimate 1-1.5 million) and a Harry Winston sapphire and diamond necklace, which made 1 million (estimate 800,000). -1.2 million).

Collana con ciondolo in tormalina Paraiba brasiliana eccezionalmente rara Courtesy Sotheby’s

Collana Boreal con diamanti di Van Cleef & Arpels. Courtesy SOtheby's — Collana Boreal con diamanti di Van Cleef & Arpels. Courtesy Sotheby’s