Events & AwardsOct 27, 2025
Hill Management Group Hired to Help Atlanta Jewelry ShowHill Management Group will oversee, market, and produce next year’s spring show.
AuctionsFeb 03, 2021
Buyers Went Crazy for Hester Diamond’s Mineral Collection
Every lot was sold at the Sotheby’s auction, with 98 percent topping their highest pre-sale estimates.
This Colombian emerald specimen shattered its pre-sale estimate high of $5,000, selling for $81,900 at Sotheby’s auction of Hester Diamond’s mineral collection.
London—The late Hester Diamond’s eye for collecting works of art was obvious at the recent auction of her mineral specimens, where almost all lots sold for well above what was expected.
Diamond was a prominent New York interior designer and philanthropist (and mother of Beastie Boy “Mike D”).
She got her start at an antiques gallery before she and her first husband, Harold, became enmeshed in the fine art world and built up quite a collection of their own.
After Harold’s death, Hester began to sell of much of the modern art she had collected to focus on the Old Masters, a passion that blossomed with her second husband, Ralph Kaminsky.
She was also interested in minerals, collecting specimens with aesthetics that appealed to her, and interior design.
Her passion for interior design was reflected in the way she displayed everything in her home, contrasting Old Masters with contemporary furniture and displaying her minerals on colorful, custom-made shelves.
Diamond died in January 2020 at the age of 91.
Diamond was a prominent New York interior designer and philanthropist (and mother of Beastie Boy “Mike D”).
She got her start at an antiques gallery before she and her first husband, Harold, became enmeshed in the fine art world and built up quite a collection of their own.
After Harold’s death, Hester began to sell of much of the modern art she had collected to focus on the Old Masters, a passion that blossomed with her second husband, Ralph Kaminsky.
She was also interested in minerals, collecting specimens with aesthetics that appealed to her, and interior design.
Her passion for interior design was reflected in the way she displayed everything in her home, contrasting Old Masters with contemporary furniture and displaying her minerals on colorful, custom-made shelves.
Diamond died in January 2020 at the age of 91.
Hester Diamond showcased her minerals in a way that balanced function and aesthetic.
Last week, her art collection and her mineral collection went up for sale in a single-owner auction at Sotheby’s.
The auction house confirmed to National Jeweler that all 126 minerals featured in “Fearless: The Collection of Hester Diamond Part II” sold.
The mineral collection totaled $1.5 million, more than tripling its highest estimate of $358,450. Sotheby’s said 98 percent of the auction’s lots sold for more than expected.
The top lot was a Colombian emerald specimen from the Coscuez mine in Boyacá (seen at the top of the article).
It was estimated to sell for between $3000 and $5,000, but ended up garnering $81,900 at the auction.
An azurite with malachite from the Bisbee Mine in Arizona, sold for $52,920, compared with a pre-sale high of $12,000; an anhydrite from Mexico garnered $50,400, compared with a $600-$800 pre-sale range; and a rhodochrosite from the storied Sweet Home Mine in Colorado estimated to sell for $8,000-$12,000 ended up going for $44,100.
The anhydrite from Mexico ($50,400)
The azurite with malachite from Arizona ($52,920)
A kyanite specimen from Bahia, Brazil; estimated to sell for $400-$600, it garnered $37,800 at auction.
A complete slice from the Seymchan meteorite in Russia, with olivine. It went for $35,280 (estimate $4,000-$6,000) at auction.
Rhodochrosite from Colorado ($44,100)
This rhodochrosite stalactite slice from the Capillitas Mine in Argentina was predicted to sell for between $4,000 and $6,000. Its final sale price was $40,320.
This tourmaline from Nagar, Afghanistan went for $35,280, topping a pre-sale high estimate of $8,000.
According to a Sotheby’s spokesperson, there was also a “great depth of bidding” throughout the sale, with many lots pursued by multiple bidders.
A pyrite specimen from Spain, for example, had 16 bidders going after it, and 16 were also going for a hemimorphite specimen from China, while 15 chased after quartz from Arkansas.
Visit Sothebys.com to see all results.
A pyrite specimen from Spain, for example, had 16 bidders going after it, and 16 were also going for a hemimorphite specimen from China, while 15 chased after quartz from Arkansas.
Visit Sothebys.com to see all results.
Part 1 of the Hester Diamond auction, which featured a selection of Old Master paintings and sculpture as well as modernist works of art, totaled $26.8 million.
The top lot was a rare sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his father, called “Autumn,” which sold for $8.9 million.
The top lot was a rare sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and his father, called “Autumn,” which sold for $8.9 million.
More on Auctions
The Latest
CrimeOct 27, 2025
Arrests Made in Louvre Jewel Heist One of the individuals was apprehended at the airport as he was trying to flee the country.
MajorsOct 27, 2025
Target to Cut 1,800 Corporate JobsThe retailer, which has faced struggling sales in recent quarters, is looking to streamline its operations.
Brought to you by
DESERT DIAMONDS: The Newest Trend in Natural Diamond JewelryFrom sunlit whites to smoky whiskeys, introduce your clients to extraordinary diamonds in colors as unique as their love.
GradingOct 24, 2025
DMIA to Hold Diamond Testing Instrument DemoThe workshop will give attendees the chance to try out and ask questions about three different diamond verification instruments.
Weekly QuizOct 16, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CrimeOct 24, 2025
Video Emerges of Louvre Jewelry Robbers Fleeing the Scene The footage shows two of the jewelry heist suspects descending from the second floor of the museum and then escaping via scooter.
CollectionsOct 24, 2025
Piece of the Week: Wyld Box Jewelry’s ‘Ray of Light’ EarringsFounder and designer Rosanna Fiedler looked to a vintage Cartier clutch when designing the sunlight-inspired drop earrings.
Brought to you by
Are Earrings an Overlooked Category? What Retailers Need to Know NowAs the holiday season quickly approaches, consider stocking one category that sometimes gets overlooked: earrings.
FinancialsOct 23, 2025
Jewelry Sales Resilient Despite Struggles at LVMH, KeringThe luxury conglomerates faced a challenging Q3 amid geopolitical and economic tensions.
SourcingOct 23, 2025
Petra Diamonds Turns to Shareholders to Raise Capital The struggling diamond mining company, which owns the historic Cullinan mine, has launched a rights issue to raise about $25 million.
WatchesOct 23, 2025
‘Million Dollar Hip Hop Watches’ Recounts Watch HistoryThe book details the journey of watches as symbols of hard-earned success in hip-hop for artists like 2Pac, Jay-Z, and more.
AuctionsOct 23, 2025
Freeman’s | Hindman Names New VP, Senior Specialist for Jewelry & WatchesAlexis Vourvoulis, who most recently worked at Tiffany & Co., brings more than two decades of jewelry experience to her new role.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
The Taylor Swift Effect: Antique Diamonds EditionThe superstar’s August engagement put the stamp of approval on an already hot engagement ring trend.
TrendsOct 22, 2025
Don’t Forget These Diamond Jewelry Trends When Stocking for the HolidaysRetailers should offer classic styles with a twist that are a perfect fit for layered looks, experts say.
AuctionsOct 22, 2025
Pink Diamond, Vanderbilt Jewels to Headline Phillips’ Geneva AuctionThe nearly 7-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond could sell for around $9 million.
SourcingOct 22, 2025
In ‘Storied Diamond,’ Jared Jewelers Is Emphasizing the Journey The retailer’s new collection of engagement rings and fashion jewelry is set with natural diamonds that are traceable via blockchain.
CollectionsOct 22, 2025
Tiffany & Co.’s ‘Bird on a Rock’ Finds New PerchChief Artistic Officer Nathalie Verdeille has reimagined the iconic design in both figurative and abstract creations.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
JFC Kicks Off Halloween Costume ChallengeFive dollars buys one vote toward an industry professional you want to see dressed up as a hero, or a villain, this Halloween.
Events & AwardsOct 22, 2025
Hillsborough Antique Show Gets New OwnerRecently acquired by KIL Promotions, the November edition of the public show in San Mateo, California, will be held Nov. 7-9.
GradingOct 21, 2025
GIA Examines Rare Bicolor Pink DiamondThe stone’s two zones, one pink and one colorless, may have formed at two different times, the lab said.
MajorsOct 21, 2025
Pomellato Brings ‘Global Attitude’ to Rodeo Drive FlagshipHollywood glamour meets Milanese sophistication in the design of Pomellato’s new store in Beverly Hills, California.
Lab-GrownOct 21, 2025
Grown Brilliance Opens First FlagshipThe New York City store showcases a chandelier with 1,500 carats of lab-grown diamonds designed by an FIT student.
Events & AwardsOct 21, 2025
‘Douriean Fletcher: Jewelry of the Afrofuture’ Opens at MADThe Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.
AuctionsOct 20, 2025
Sotheby's To Auction 10-Carat Vivid Pink DiamondMaking its auction debut, "The Glowing Rose" is expected to fetch $20 million at the November jewelry sale in Geneva.
SourcingOct 20, 2025
2 Mozambique Police Officers Killed at Gemfields’ Ruby MineThey were attacked on Oct. 15, as approximately 40 miners without licenses marched on the mine’s gate.
CrimeOct 20, 2025
See the ‘Priceless’ Jewels Stolen During Daytime Heist at the Louvre It took the masked thieves less than 10 minutes to steal eight irreplaceable jewels from two display cases in the museum’s Apollo Gallery.
SourcingOct 20, 2025
Pristine Gems Names New Director of European SalesGemologist Lauren Gayda has previously worked at The Clear Cut, Taylor & Hart, and Effy Jewelry.
