Sotheby’s April 19 Magnificent Jewels auctiongenerated US$29,886,875, with diamonds and jewels from private collections topping the sales.
The top lot was a platinum ring set with a cushion brilliant-cut fancy purplish pink diamond weighing 12.45 carats, which fetched US$4.56 million. The piece was earlier valued at US$3 million to US$5 million.
Another top-performing lot was a platinum ring with a 19.25-carat emerald-cut diamond centre stone, flanked by two modified calf’s head-shaped diamonds, which sold for US$2.29 million against a pre-sale estimate of US$1.8 million to US$2.2 million.
Other highlights of the sale were a 5.06-carat, pear-shaped fancy light blue diamond ring, which was snapped up for US$1.45 million, beating pre-auction estimates of US$300,000 to US$500,000; and a platinum ring adorned with a 9.57-carat cushion-cut sapphire, flanked by two kite-shaped diamonds, which sold for US$1.09 million against a pre-sale valuation of US$500,000 to US$700,000. The latter piece was mounted by famed Philadelphia jeweller JE Caldwell, according to Sotheby’s.