Saffronart’s Online Auction of Fine Jewels and Silver witnesses high interest

Saffronart’s Online Auction of Fine Jewels and Silver which took place between October 28-29, 2015, won much participation and interest. The 24-hour sale over the two days offered 84 lots of jewellery and silverware, and earned revenues worth over Rs. 5.8 crores. It signalled a strong interest in collecting high quality gem stones, in particular, emeralds. The lots included ornaments set with natural pearls, jewels set with Mozambique and Burmese rubies, emeralds, spinels, tourmaline, and sapphires, and several period pieces with important provenances, embodying crafting and enamelling techniques that have either been lost or are rare to come by.

The top lot in the sale was an Important Diamond Necklace weighing over 300 carats which went down the hammer for just under Rs. 3 crores. An Important Pair of Diamond and Emerald Ear Clips sold as the second highest lot with the buyer buying it at Rs. 36.5 lakhs.

The much sought after pair of Natural Ruby Earrings worn by Hollywood actress Mila Kunis at a Burberry event at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles earlier this April, sold at Rs. 18 lakhs. The rubies in the earrings are natural, untreated, and ethically mined from Montepuez, Mozambique. The earrings have been designed as a series of gently graduating cushion-shaped rubies, with a total ruby weight just under 22 carats. The rubies are flanked by full-cut diamonds on either side, creating a dramatic look that carries a Hollywood halo with it. An important period polka diamond and ruby enamelled kada, featuring the now diminishing art of Benarasi meenakari, was also part of the auction. Formerly from the collection of the Royal Family of Murshidabad, the kada sold for over 9 lakhs, tipping it over the higher estimate. It showcases the famous Benarasi pink enamel, seen in subtle gradations of rose pink, of which very few known examples in good condition now survive.

MinalVazirani, co-founder, Saffronart said: Our sale indicates a strong interest in Indian history and tradition, as well as contemporary design and skill, and we see these as growing trends in the Indian jewellery auction market.” He further noted that, “Several lots that sold in this auction, such as the diamond and ruby enamel kada, the borla, the polki ear pendants, and even the vintage silverware, had a distinctly Indian sensibility, which emphasized old aesthetic and cultural traditions that were once the hallmark of royal patronage. Several pieces were formerly part of the collections of prominent royal families of India. These pieces underscore crafting techniques that reflect the convergence of aesthetic traditions in India, spanning several centuries.”