Auctions

30-Carat Yellow Diamond Fails to Sell in Online Auction

AuctionsMay 22, 2020

30-Carat Yellow Diamond Fails to Sell in Online Auction

The top lot of Freeman’s Jewelry & Watches sale turned out to be a 10.07-carat old European-cut diamond ring, sold for $75,000.

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This 29.84-carat radiant-cut fancy-light yellow diamond had a pre-sale high estimate of $450,000. There were no takers at Freeman’s online jewelry auction Thursday.

Philadelphia—Though clients and collectors have been gobbling up jewelry in online auctions of late, one big natural colored diamond failed to find a buyer Thursday.

A 29.84-carat radiant-cut fancy-light yellow diamond set in an 18-karat gold ring and flanked by triangular-cut diamonds weighing 1.45 and 1.43 carats led the online Jewelry & Watches auction at Freeman’s in Philadelphia.

The auction house estimated the stone would garner between $350,000 and $450,000, but the stone ended up going unsold.

Freeman’s watch and jewelry auction featured 125 lots comprised of large diamonds, colored stones, vintage and antique jewels, and signed pieces from makers like Cartier, Tiffany, Rolex, Van Cleef & Arpels and David Webb.

The top lot turned out to be an N color, VS2 clarity 10.07-carat old European-cut diamond solitaire flanked by old European-cut diamonds and mounted in platinum.

It sold for $75,000 (buyer’s premium included), falling short of its pre-sale estimate of $80,000 to $100,000.

This was followed by another diamond solitaire ring that was half the size but better color. The ring featured an E color, SI2 clarity 4.79-carat cushion-cut diamond accented by single-cut diamonds and mounted in platinum (pictured below). 




It sold for $71,875, higher than its pre-sale estimate of between $30,000 and $50,000.

Other notable lots that sold included a diamond and platinum Cartier London bracelet weighing a total of 25.50 carats that went for $53,125, compared with a pre-sale estimate of between $20,000 and $30,000.

There were also two bracelets from Webb’s Animal Kingdom collection—an enamel, diamond, emerald and 18-karat gold elephant bangle that sold for $37,500, and an enamel, diamond, ruby and 18-karat gold zebra bangle that garnered $30,000.

Brecken Branstratoris the senior editor, gemstones at National Jeweler, covering sourcing, pricing and other developments in the colored stone sector.

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