A Season of Dazzle!-Auction Round-up

The 100ct Spectacle Diamond
The Spectacle, a 100.94ct, D-colour Internally Flawless, Type Ila diamond, estimated at $12,000,000-18,000,000, was the highlight of the Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction, selling for $14.1 million. The diamond was cut from a rare 207.29ct rough stone. The incredible size and impeccable quality made the rough diamond extremely unusual and valuable. It was unearthed in 2016 at Zarnitsa kimberlite pipe in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in northeast Russia, the first-ever diamond deposit discovered in Soviet Russia in 1954.

The Chrysler Diamond
Estimated to fetch between $3.5 million and $4.5 million, the pear-shaped, D-colour, Internally Flawless 54.03ct Chrysler Diamond sold for nearly $5.1 million. In 1958, Harry Winston purchased what was then known as The Louis XIV Diamond from the estate of Thelma Chrysler Foy. Although the provenance cannot be verified, it was believed that this diamond was possibly mined in India and could have been brought to France by the famed gem merchant Jean- Baptiste Tavernier. Winston recut the diamond from its original 62.00cts to 58.60cts to achieve a D colour and Flawless clarity grade.

The diamond, now mounted in a tiara, was exhibited at the Musée du Louvre in 1962 in the Ten Centuries of French Jewelry exhibition. In 1963, Winston sold the diamond, along with a 61.80ct diamond, to Eleanor Loder. Her estate sold the pair of diamonds at an auction in Geneva in 1980. The current owner acquired the pair in 1983 from the buyer at a Swiss auction. This time, the diamonds had again been recut to weigh 54.03cts and 61.02cts, respectively and were included in Notable Diamonds of the World. They are now referred to as The Geminis.

Andrew Clunn Necklace
A diamond necklace by designer Andrew Clunn surpassed its estimate at Sotheby’s, selling for $4.1 million at the auction house’s New York edition. The piece, set with 28 graduated, oval-shaped diamonds, weighing more than 168cts, went under the hammer well above its $3 million estimate at the Magnificent Jewels sale. The necklace was part of a private collection of six jewels of an anonymous seller. The diamonds, set in platinum, are approximately of E-F colour and VVS-VS clarity.

The Dancing Sun
The Dancing Sun, a fancy intense yellow diamond of 204.36cts with VVS2 clarity, was sold for $4.95 million at Chrisitie’s. The largest polished diamond mined in North America, it was cut from a 552.74ct rough, unearthed at the Diavik mine in Canada. It is a cushion-modified brilliant-cut, VVS2- clarity stone. Christie’s featured six diamonds, ranging from 14.52cts to 1.06 cts, including the Dancing Sun, which trumps the previous record for the largest gem quality rough ever discovered in North America. With its enormous weight of 204.36 carats, the Dancing Sun is also the largest polished diamond mined in North America till date.

The Sienna Star
The Sienna Star is a 73.11ct fancy vivid yellow, cut-cornered square step-cut diamond, was sold for $3.4 million. Glenn Spiro’s unrelenting quest for superlative stones—and his unwillingness to settle for less than the best—started early. The Sienna Star represents a culmination of Spiro’s oeuvre, embodying the relentless pursuit of the world’s finest gemstones with an artistically daring and innovative design. Spiro’s setting features round pavé diamonds and a flexible shank. At over 73cts, the diamond represents one of the largest Fancy Vivid Yellow diamonds to ever come to auction, and it is, in the GIA’s words, “a standout item in the extraordinary world of gemstones.” The ring itself adds a masterful aesthetic.

Jar Diamond ‘Branch Under Snow’ Bangle Bracelet
The auction, The Jewels by JAR: Property from an Important West Coast Collection, featured 19 pieces, including this sculptural branch cuff that envelops the wrist and is decorated with faceted diamond beads that appear like glistening snowflakes. The bracelet, set in silver and platinum, is crafted with briolette and round diamonds. The piece was sold for $ 1,890,000, well above its estimate between $400,000 and $600,000. Irresistibly drawn to his jewellery, JAR’s clientele is an assemblage of timeless style icons, and fine art collectors, including Jacqueline Delubac, Ellen Barkin, Elizabeth Taylor and Lily Safra – incredible collections that Christie’s is proud to have also represented.

The Perfect Palette
Three rings featuring diamonds with fancy vivid colours were showstoppers at the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction, fetching more than $8 million. The trio of jewels, named the Perfect Palette, netted a total of $8.4 million at the New York sale. A 2.17ct, fancy-vivid-purplish-pink diamond ring, brought in $3.5 million, beating its $2.5 million high estimate, while a 2.13ct, fancyvivid- blue diamond ring sold for $2.7 million, toward the upper end of its valuation. The third — a 2.34ct, fancy-vivid-orange diamond ring — went for $2.2 million.

An Exceptional 10.59ct Ring
A square emerald-cut diamond, 10.59cts set in platinum, went for $968,039, well above its estimate, at the Phillips auction in Hong Kong in June. The square emerald cut ring, which was a D-colour, flawless diamond, was sold with a suite of other pieces from Harry Winston, Cartier, Graff and Van Cleef & Arpels.

A Flawless Heart-Shaped Diamond
A flawless, colourless Type IIa heart-shaped 3.55ct diamond became the object of one buyer’s affection, selling for $112,500 to top Heritage Auctions’ Spring Fine Jewelry Auction. It was among a number of rarities to shine during a sale with enough sparkle to attract nearly 900 bidders worldwide to finish past the $2.9-million-mark.

Art Deco Cartier Brooch
An Art Deco Cartier diamond and rock crystal brooch sold 10 times higher than its estimate, at GBP 150,000, becoming one of the top-five lots ever sold at Chiswick Auctions. Set throughout with old brilliant and single-cut diamonds, sporting finely worked Indian-themed detailing, and connected by a carved rectangular rock crystal frame, the brooch has diamonds totalling 9.40cts. It is a wonderful example of the early influence Indian art had on jewellery created by Cartier. Dating to circa 1925, the finely pierced setting shows Indian themes, while embracing a highly monochrome colour palate, typical of early Art Deco jewellery. This, combined with Cartier’s pioneering use of rock crystal, makes this a striking example of what is, arguably, the firm’s most important period of output.

Sakura Diamond
At Christie’s spring auction week in Hong Kong, the spotlight was on a dazzling array of jewels, among which was the largest purple-pink diamond ever offered at any auction — The Sakura Diamond -- which fetched a record-breaking $29.1 million. This magnificent gem is graded Fancy Vivid for its perfect display of strong saturation and remarkable pink hue with a secondary colour of purple, resembling the fascinating colour of cherry blossoms — appropriately coinciding with spring. ‘Sakura’ is the Japanese word for the beautiful cherry blossoms that bloom for a very short period, and which mark the beginning of spring. Fewer than 10% of pink diamonds weigh more than a fifth of a carat, making the present one — that is almost eight times that size — the largest fancy vivid purple pink one to be offered at any auction.