Auctions

Another Colorless Diamond Necklace Comes Out on Top at Auction

AuctionsJun 10, 2021

Another Colorless Diamond Necklace Comes Out on Top at Auction

An Andrew Clunn creation set with 28 oval-shaped diamonds fetched $4.1 million at Sotheby’s jewelry auction Wednesday.

20210610_Andrew Clunn necklace.jpg
This Andrew Clunn necklace features 28 oval-shaped diamonds weighing more than 168 carats. With a $4.1 million sale price, it was the top lot at Sotheby’s jewelry auction Wednesday.
New York—Another incredible white diamond necklace exceeded expectations at auction this week, with Sotheby’s selling an Andrew Clunn creation for $4.1 million.
 
The necklace is set with 28 graduated oval-shaped diamonds totaling more than 168 carats. 
 
Its $4 million sale topped the pre-sale estimate of $2 million-$3 million and set a new record for a Clunn piece at auction. 
 
The necklace also beat out a natural color diamond—the fancy vivid yellow “Sienna Star”—to become the sale’s top lot, mirroring the results Christie’s saw at its jewelry auction Tuesday. 

The Sienna Star, a 73-carat cut-cornered, square step-cut yellow diamond, was set in a pavé diamond ring with a flexible shank designed by Glenn Spiro.
 
Sotheby’s estimated it would sell for about $3 million. The ring topped that estimate by a slight margin, fetching $3.4 million and setting a new record for a Spiro jewel at auction.  

SEE: The Top Lots of ‘Magnificent Jewels’ 

The Clunn necklace was the centerpiece of a six-piece private collection sold to benefit an unnamed charity. 
 
Sotheby’s said all six lots found buyers, totaling $15.4 million and beating the pre-sale estimate of $13.6 million.
 
In addition to the Clunn necklace there was: a 23.59-carat D-color, internally flawless emerald-cut diamond ring, which sold for $3 million; a Harry Winston emerald and diamond necklace, which went for $2.8 million; and a 13.02-carat Burmese ruby ring by Carvin French (pictured below) that sold for $2.5 million.
 
 
Both the emerald-cut diamond ring and the Harry Winston emerald necklace topped their pre-sale estimates.
 
Overall, 93 percent of the lots in Sotheby’s “Magnificent Jewels” auction sold, with more than half (65 percent) topping pre-sale estimates. 
 
Sotheby’s used a hybrid format for the sale, allowing bidding online before the live auction in New York on Wednesday. The auction house said 84 percent of the lots received advanced bids, and three-quarters of bidders participated online.
 
SEE: This Editor’s Picks
The jewelry auction was part of Sotheby’s New York Luxury Week, which continues with a  mix of online and in-person auctions that include “Important Watches,” “Fine Watches” and “Fine Jewels.” 
 
Visit the Sotheby’s website for full results of the Magnificent Jewels auction, and click through the slideshow above to see our editor’s favorites from the sale.  

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