Colour diamonds dominated the Christie’s New York ‘Magnificent Jewels’ auction last week, led by the 8.8-carat pink diamond dubbed ‘The Fuchsia Rose’ which was sold for $US6.7 million ($AU9.1 million).
The stone – a potentially internally flawless fancy intense purple-pink diamond – is a pear-shaped diamond set on a platinum ring flanked by two 6.1-carat colourless diamonds.
The tender resulted in 68 of the 71 lots being sold at an estimated value of $US25.1 million ($AU34.1 million).
Among the other standouts of colour diamond pieces were a 2.44-carat fancy intense pink diamond sold for $US1.6 million ($AU2.17 million) and a 15.31-carat vivid yellow diamond ring that fetched around $US1.3 million ($AU1.77 million).
White diamonds also showed strong results, highlighted by a 51.28-carat brilliant-cut round diamond ring sold for more than $US1.6 million ($AU2.17 million) and a 9.56-carat Bulgari diamond ring that fetched $US630,000 ($AU855,858).
Another standout piece was an 1850 antique; a 10.47-carat cabochon-cut pyramid-shaped Kashmir sapphire pendant surrounded by pear-shaped rose-cut diamonds which sold for $591,200 ($AU803,148).
Among the signed lots, Cartier sold all 11 lots led by a 1925 antique art deco platinum bracelet set of single-cut diamonds and cushion and calibre-cut rubies that sold for $US $529,200 ($AU718,921).
Christie’s defines signed jewellery as pieces that bore the engraved markings or brand of the maker – a practise believed to have started by jewellers around 1860.
‘Signing’ was made popular during the 20th century across the trade and generally increases the value of item – as a stamp of authenticity – compared with non-signed pieces.
Several of the signed and antique jewellery auctioned at last week’s event belonged to the famed Rockefeller family.
Next month, Christie’s will auction a 228.31-carat pear-shaped white diamond, dubbed ‘The Rock’, which is expected to fetch around $US30 million ($AU40.50 million) during the Luxury Week tender in Geneva.
‘The Rock’ is considered to be the largest polished white diamond to be auctioned and is expected to break the record for the largest auctioned white diamond, currently held by a 163.41-carat stone sold by Christie’s Geneva in 2017.
NOTABLE LOTS
‘The Rock’
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Colour diamonds dominate Christie’s $75 million auction
‘The Rock’ expected to fetch $30 million
