EditorsJan 16, 2026
Remembering Pete Yantzer for His Contributions and His Kindness Pete’s boundless curiosity extended beyond diamond cut and he was always eager to share his knowledge with others, no matter the topic.
AuctionsDec 11, 2020
43-Carat Kashmir Sapphire Tops Auction at $6 Million
Harry Winston bought the jewel at a Christie’s sale that saw numerous sapphires perform well.
This 43.10-carat Kashmir sapphire and diamond platinum bracelet became the top lot of the Christie’s NY Magnificent Jewels sale when Harry Winston purchased it for $6 million Tuesday.
New York—An extraordinary Kashmir sapphire came out on top in a recent jewelry auction.
The top lot of the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction held Dec. 8 in New York was a platinum bracelet featuring a 43.10-carat sapphire surrounded by 67.90 carats of D color, internally flawless diamonds. Purchased by none other than Harry Winston, the piece sold for $6 million.
There were a number of other notable sapphires sold in the jewelry auction.
This included a 21.73-carat cabochon Kashmir sapphire ring by Van Cleef & Arpels from 1917 that garnered $1.7 million, an Art Deco Cartier brooch featuring a 12.64-carat Kashmir sapphire and diamonds that went for $1.5 million, and a Burmese sapphire necklace weighing 80.86 carats that sold for $1.1 million.
These follow another sapphire that topped a jewelry auction at Bonhams this week—during the house’s New York Jewels sale on Dec. 7, a 17.21-carat Kashmir sapphire and diamond brooch from the collection of a prominent American family went for $1.1 million. It was estimated to sell for between $500,000 and $800,000.
Meanwhile, at Christie’s, there also was a pair of earrings featuring a 2.61-carat fancy intense purplish-pink pear modified brilliant-cut diamond and a 2.34-carat fancy intense pink pear modified brilliant-cut diamond with colorless diamond accents in platinum and rose gold that went for $2.1 million.
See: Additional Lots in Christie’s NY Magnificent Jewels Auction
This Belle Époque ring from Van Cleef & Arpels circa 1917, featuring a 21.73-carat sapphire and diamond accents in platinum, sold for $1.7 million at Christie’s New York’s recent Magnificent Jewels sale.
An Art Deco Cartier bracelet featuring a 12.64-carat sapphire and diamonds that garnered $1.5 million
The Du Pont padparadscha sapphire was acquired by the current owner’s great-grandmother while on holiday in Ceylon in 1937, according to Christie’s. The 24.58-carat cushion modified mixed-cut orangey-pink sapphire, set in a gold and platinum ring with diamonds, sold for $930,000 at Christie’s Tuesday.
The sale also saw a 102.61-carat cushion modified brilliant-cut unmounted diamond in the Y to Z color range sell for above its pre-sale estimate when it garnered $1.7 million, a pair of diamond drop earrings from Moussaieff fetch $942,000, and the Du Pont padparadscha—a 24.58-carat cushion modified mixed-cut sapphire—set in a ring with diamond accents, top its pre-sale high to garner $930,000 on Tuesday.
Magnificent Jewels totaled $44.6 million, selling 95 percent by value and 91 percent by volume after 10 hours of bidding.
For the full results, visit Christies.com.
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