You know I love a good auction. Historical items are the best. Then art. But coming in hard at third are the jewelry sales. Some are just giant diamonds, but some come with stories too good to be true.
The highs and lows in this year’s auction season were extreme. All-time records were set while other high-profile gems and jewels failed to sell. As in the past few years, blue and pink diamonds pulled in the highest bids. A rare green diamond also made the cut among the biggest sellers this year.
A 7.32-carat pear-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond sold for more than $17.1 million at Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels Sale in May.
A 9.14-carat fancy vivid pink pear-shaped diamond sold for more than $18.2 million at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale in November.
A 17.07-carat fancy intense pink diamond with a step-cut sold for more than $20.7 million at Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in November.
Miroir de l’Amour (Mirror of Love), a pair of 52.55- and 50.47-carat pear-shaped D color, flawless type IIa diamond earrings, by Boehmer et Bassenge sold for nearly $17.7 million at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale in November. They are the world’s largest perfect pear-shaped diamond drops ever to be offered at auction.
The Aurora Green diamond, a 5.03-carat rectangular-cut fancy vivid green diamond, within a circular-cut pink diamond surround, sold for more than $16.8 million at Christie’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels sale in May.
The De Beers Millennium Blue, a 10.10-carat fancy vivid blue diamond sold for more than $32 million at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite sale in April.
The Cullinan Dream, a 24.18-carat mixed-cut fancy intense blue diamond, sold for more than $25.3 million. It is the largest fancy intense blue diamond ever to be offered at auction. It was sold at Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels & the Cullinan Dream sale in May.
The Oppenheimer Blue, a 14.62-carat fancy vivid blue rectangular-cat diamond fetched a world record for any jewel sold at auction, more than $58 million, at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale in May.
The Sky Blue Diamond, an 8.01-carat fancy vivid blue diamond mounted on a diamond ring designed by Cartier, sold for more than $17 million at Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels in November.
The Unique Pink, a 15.38-carat pear-shaped fancy vivid pink diamond sold for a world auction record price for any fancy vivid pink diamond, fetching more than $31.5 million at Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in May.