This 5.72-carat fancy intense blue, cushion brilliant-cut diamond was the star lot at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale on Dec. 10. It is a Type IIb diamond with VVS1 clarity.
New York—At Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale last week, a blue diamond sold for more than $8 million.
The auction, which took place in New York on Dec. 10, was 97 percent sold by lot, achieving a total of $49.2 million.
The top lot was a 5.72-carat fancy intense blue diamond, pictured at the top of the article, that outshone its high-end pre-sale estimate, selling for $8.8 million.
Christie’s said the sale marked the second highest price achieved for a jewel at auction globally this year.
The second highest-grossing lot was a pair of spinel and diamond earrings by Harry Winston, which sold for $2.2 million against an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000, followed by a pair of diamond cluster earrings from the jeweler that sold for $1.9 million, outshining their high-end estimate of $1.5 million.
A pair of Harry Winston earrings featuring two oval mixed-cut reddish pink spinel gemstones, one weighing 22.42 carats and the other, 21.87 carats
The auction also featured the sale of other colored gemstones, as well as several private collections and pieces by jewelers including Suzanne Belperron, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, and more.
A collection of jewelry from tastemaker and philanthropist Mica Ertegun, who died last December, garnered $2.6 million, nearly six times the grouping’s low-end estimate of $461,000.
Each of the 16 lots sold.
Born Ioana Maria “Mica” Banu in 1926 to a prominent Romanian family, she settled in New York around the ‘60s. With her friend and former Vogue editor Chessy Rayner, she founded the successful interior design business, MAC II.
Her clients included Keith Richards, Henry Kissinger, Bill Blass, and Saks Fifth Avenue.
“Mica Ertegun’s taste in jewelry was the most refined, supremely cultivated, expertly chosen, and worn with exquisite restraint,” Stellene Volandes, editor in chief of Town & Country magazine, told the New York Times.
Ertegun’s Cartier Art Deco multi-gem and diamond brooch, circa 1914, featuring a natural pearl drop briolette-cut pink tourmaline, carved ruby, carved and calibré-cut onyx plaques, old and single-cut diamonds, and platinum
The second-highest grossing lot of Mica Ertegun’s collection was a rare JAR ruby and diamond torsade necklace, which sold for $378,000 against an estimate of $80,000 to $120,000.
Prospective buyers were excited about the offering, the auction house said, noting lively and enthusiastic bidding coming globally from clients in the room, on the phones, and online.
The star of Ertegun’s collection, a Cartier Art Deco multi-gem and diamond brooch, pictured above, sold for $1.4 million following “a fierce bidding battle,” according to the auction house.
It was estimated to achieve $100,000 to $150,000.
Christie’s will continue with a series of auctions throughout December featuring Ertegun’s jewelry, design items, art, and more.
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The auction also featured “Jewels as Art: Magnificent Jewels from a Private Collection,” a grouping of jewelry as wearable art curated by a collector with an eye for art and design, Christie’s said.
It achieved $9.2 million.
The highlight of this collection was one of the 15 Suzanne Belperron pieces on offer—the diamond “Tube” bracelet, which sold for $945,000 against an estimate of $400,000 to $600,000.
A Suzanne Belperron diamond “Tube” bracelet, circa 1948
A Bulgari “Kilim” bracelet featuring sugarloaf emerald cabochons, sapphires, rubies, cultured pearls, and diamonds in 18-karat yellow gold
Another standout was a Bulgari multi-gem and diamond “Kilim” bracelet, which was estimated to achieve up to $150,000 and sold for $567,000.
The sale concluded with lots from the offering “Treasures of Love: Exceptional Jewels from a Private Collection,” which totaled $6.7 million.
Throughout its history, Van Cleef & Arpels has created “Ruban” (French for “ribbon”) jewels, such as this “Ruban Mysterieux” diamond set collar necklace.
The top lot of the group was a Van Cleef & Arpels “Ruban Mysterieux” necklace, which garnered $1.4 million.
It was estimated to sell for up to $800,000.
"Today's sale in New York was a testament to the vibrant market for jewelry of the highest caliber with singular provenance. We were particularly pleased with the result of the top lot - a fantastic fancy intense blue diamond ring that sold for $8.8 million,” said Rahul Kadakia, Christie's international head of jewelry.
“We also were deeply honored to sell jewels from several of the world's most esteemed private collectors, including Mica Ertegun. Offering this selection of jewelry hailing from the collection [of] Mica Ertegun was a tribute to her brilliant eye, and we are thrilled by the exceptional outcome."
