A Magnificent and Extremely Rare Emerald and Diamond Tiara A ...

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10 million [lot 443]); the price it fetched also represented an auction record for a piece of emerald jewellery. The total for the entire sale of Magnificent and Noble Jewels was CHF 78,944,900/$89,121,687 (est. CHF 41.9 - 69 million / $ 47.3 – 77.9 million). Commenting on this evening’s sale, David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Department for Europe and the Middle East, said: “Sotheby’s was honoured to be able to offer perhaps the grandest piece of jewellery to come to sale in over 30 years and the market responded with enthusiasm. This evening’s results, across the board -- in Noble Jewels, diamonds, coloured gemstones, and pieces signed by the world’s greatest jewelers – show the extraordinary appetite among connoisseurs for rarity, quality and provenance.” NOBLE JEWELS International jewellers Leviev outbid four underbidders to purchase a superb fancy intense pink diamond, weighing 10.99 carats, for CHF 9,602,500/$10,840,358, the third highest price for a pink diamond (the ninth highest price for a diamond at auction). Pink diamonds have been prized for their rarity and spectacular beauty ever since they were first discovered in the mines of India centuries ago. This superb stone, mounted as a ring, has been graded “fancy intense pink”, natural colour and VS1 clarity by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). It has been further assessed to be part of a very rare subgroup of diamonds known as type IIa and comprising less than 2% of all of the world’s gem diamonds. Estimated at CHF 8.3- 14.8 million ($9-16 million [lot 491]), this stone was offered for sale from a private collection and has not appeared on the market for more than 30 years. The total Sotheby’s achieved for Noble Jewels, including the tiara, was CHF 19,618,300/$ 22,147,295 (against presale estimates of CHF 7,282,000-13,203,500/$8,220,723 - 14,905,563). Among other highlights of the Noble Jewels section were jewels from the Collection of the Excelentísima Sra. Condesa vda. de Romanones, a Grande de España who was recruited to become an OSS agent in Madrid during World War II before marrying Don Luis de Figueroa y Perez de Guzmán el Bueno, Count of Quintanilla in 1947. From the Countess of Romanones collection was an emerald and diamond demi-parure from the 1960s, which was competed for by six bidders and sold for CHF 362,500/$409,230 (lot 407, est. CHF 100,000- 150,000/$103,000-147,000), a ruby and diamond necklace/brooch combination from the 1970s, which sold for CHF 170,500/$192,479 (lot 409, est. CHF 80,000-150,000/ $81,500-147,000) and a pair of ruby and diamond pendent earrings, 1950s, which sold for CHF 17,500/$19,756 (lot 410, est. CHF 14,000–18,000/ $15,000-20,000). Testament to the Countess’ close relationship to the Duke and the Duchess of Windsor was an important “Cadenas” diamond bracelet/watch, gifted to the Countess by the Duchess herself. Dating circa 1936, this exquisite piece signed Van Cleef & Arpels, which sold for five times the high estimate to fetch CHF 362,500/$409,230 (lot 411, est. CHF 46,000-63,000/ $49,900-68,500). White diamonds Among a group of exceptional white diamonds which are D colour were signed pieces, including an attractive diamond ring by GRAFF, set with a cushion-shaped brilliant-cut internally flawless diamond weighing 16.53 carats, which sold for CHF 2,546,500/$2,874,769 (lot 490, est. CHF 1,380,000-2,300,000/ $1,500,000- 2,500,000) and a diamond ring by M. Gerard, featuring a marquise-shaped diamond weighing 15.76 carats, which was competed for by five bidders and sold for CHF 1,314,500/$1,483,952 (lot 471, est. CHF 830,000- 1,500,000/ $900,000-1,600,000). 2
Coloured Gemstones The offering of coloured stones was led by an exceptionally large assortment of Kashmir sapphires, the finest sapphires in the world, including a sapphire and diamond ring, set with an octagonal step-cut sapphire weighing 8.74 carats and dating from circa 1930, which sold for CHF 410,500/$463,418 (lot 464, est. CHF 230,000- 315,000/$250,000-340,000); an attractive sapphire and diamond brooch designed as stylised floral spray, competed for by five bidders and sold for more than three times the estimate to bring CHF 1,426,500/$1,610,390 (lot 488, est. CHF 185,000-370,000/ $200,000-400,000), and a pair of sapphire and diamond pendent ear clips, suspending a cushion-sapphire weighing 7.30 and 7.07 carats respectively, which sold for CHF 1,082,500/$1,222,045 (lot 489, CHF 185,000-370,000/$200,000-400,000. Completing this selection of coloured gemstones were two impressive Burmese rubies: The first - a spectacular 30.20 carat cushion-shaped ruby, mounted as a ring - sold for CHF 3,778,500/$4,265,586 (lot 484, est. CHF 1,850,000 – 3,650,000 / $2,000,000–4,000,000); the second – a 29.40 carat oval ruby mounted as a ring by Cartier - sold for CHF 1,314,500/$1,483,952 (lot 469, est. CHF 920,000-1,850,000 / $1,000,000- 2,000,000). A superb emerald and diamond ring, set with an octagonal step-cut Colombian emerald weighing 12.03 carats, which has been described by the SSEF laboratory as “a very exceptional treasure”, sold for CHF 554,500/$625,981 (lot 468, est. CHF 460,000-735,000/ $500,000-800,000). Fine period and signed jewels Among the period jewels was a masterpiece of Art Deco jewellery, a fine diamond bracelet created by Boucheron circa 1925, which sold for CHF 554,500/$625,981 (lot 485, est. CHF 110,000–165,000/ $120,000- 180,000). Among the other great signatures in the sale was a stunning pair of gem-set and diamond ear clips by JAR, which sold for CHF 338,500/$382,136 (lot 447, est. 95,000-185,000/ $100,000-200,000). Notes to editors: Previous Records TIARA # # # Previous auction record for a Tiara: The tiara mounting the Shizuka Diamond (101.27 carats), which was sold by Christie’s Hong Kong for $6,211,249 (HK$48,487,500) in May 2008. Previous auction record for a piece emerald jewellery: The Jahangir Shah Emerald, which was sold by Christie’s London for $3.4 million in 2004. Previous auction record for a suite of emeralds: An Emerald and Diamond Necklace, Cartier, London, 1937, which was sold by Sotheby’s New York for $3,080,000 in October 1989. The two most expensive pink diamonds sold at auction The Graff Pink, a round cornered rectangular step-cut Fancy Intense Pink diamond weighing 24.78 carats, VVS2, Potentially Flawless, Type IIa, which was sold for $46,158,674 (CHF 45,442,500) by Sotheby’s Geneva in November 2010. WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A DIAMOND AND ANY JEWEL WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR ANY COLORED DIAMOND WORLD RECORD PRICE FOR A PINK DIAMOND 2nd HIGHEST PRICE PER CARAT FOR ANY DIAMOND JEWEL The Perfect Pink, a Rectangular-cut Fancy Intense Pink diamond weighing 14.23 carats, VVS2, Type IIa, which was sold for $23,165,968 (HK$ 179,860,000) by Christie’s Hong Kong in November 2010 3
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