Bonhams Sells Every Jewel on Offer at New York Auction

Bonhams brought in $8.1 million at its Perfect Jewelry Box auction in New York as all 119 items found a buyer — in what the trade terms a “white-glove sale.”

The top piece was a 35-carat diamond ring by Leviev, which sold for $2.7 million at the March 8 event, beating its $2.5 million high estimate, the auction house said Wednesday.

“It was a privilege to present this collection, which had such a diverse mix of period jewels, rare gemstones and exceptional white diamonds,” said Caroline Morrissey, head of jewelry for Bonhams in New York. “Leading the sale were three type IIa, D-color diamonds, all over 10 carats, which is extremely rare. [The] results reflected the quality of the pieces offered.”

Here are the top five pieces:

This emerald-cut, 35-carat, D-color, VVS1-clarity diamond ring by Leviev is accented by round-brilliant cut diamonds weighing a total of 1.90 carats. The piece fetched $2.7 million, above its $2.5 million presale estimate.

A ring bearing an oval-shaped, 22.10-carat, D-color, VVS2-clarity diamond center stone, flanked by bullet-shaped diamonds, brought in $1.6 million, exceeding its $1.5 million upper price tag.

This ring contains a square emerald-cut, 11.37-carat, D-color, VVS2-clarity diamond, bracketed by tapered baguette-cut diamonds. The center stone has the potential to be internally flawless, Bonhams noted. It sold for $800,475, far surpassing its $550,000 high estimate.

A ring set with a rectangular-cut, 24.80-carat Ceylon sapphire accented by round brilliant-cut diamonds garnered $327,975, over its $300,000 upper price.

An Art Deco gem-set, diamond and enamel tassel necklace, created by Mauboussin in France circa 1920, achieved $277,575 against a high estimate of $250,000.

Source: Diamonds.net