A Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring was the top seller at the most recent online jewelry sale at Christie’s, fetching $856,800, nearly double its high estimate.
The piece, which contains a cushion mixed-cut, 8.19-carat sapphire flanked by trapezoid-shaped diamonds, carried a presale price range of $300,000 to $500,000 at the March 11 to 21 Jewels Online auction, Christie’s said last week. It was offered without reserve. In total, the sale garnered $13.5 million, with 97% of items finding buyers.
Jewelry with sapphires and emeralds performed well, as did diamonds from iconic brands, including Harry Winston, Cartier and Bulgari.
Here are the rest of the top 10 pieces at the auction:
A pear brilliant-cut, 17.09-carat, D-color, VVS2-clarity diamond ring by Harry Winston brought in $819,000, within its $700,000 to $1 million price range.This Cartier necklace features a cushion brilliant-cut, 10.08-carat, D-color, VVS1-clarity diamond that is potentially internally flawless. The piece sold for $604,800, within its estimate.Christie’s sold this pair of Bulgari earrings consisting of two round brilliant-cut, D-color, VVS2-clarity diamonds weighing 5.08 and 5.05 carats for $428,400, within its presale price range.A ring bearing a round brilliant-cut, 1.13-carat, fancy-blue, VS2-clarity diamond center stone with additional baguette-cut sapphires and diamonds fetched $403,200, surpassing its $250,000 high estimate.This emerald-cut, 10.07-carat, G-color, VVS1-clarity diamond ring was offered without reserve. The jewel, which has the potential to be internally flawless, went for $378,000, above its $350,000 upper price tag.A ring bearing a rectangular emerald-cut, 22.97-carat Colombian emerald with diamond brackets garnered $315,000, more than five times its $60,000 high estimate.This necklace by Calvin French features rectangular and square emerald-cut emeralds weighing approximately 58 to 60 carats combined, and 29 round diamonds totaling about 36 to 38 carats. It sold for $277,200, just below its lower price.A Bulgari bracelet with 14 emeralds totaling about 25 carats and 14 diamonds weighing approximately 12.5 carats brought in $277,200, smashing its $150,000 high estimate.An oval brilliant-cut, 10.01-carat, fancy-intense-yellow, VVS1-clarity diamond ring raked in $226,800, more than double its $100,000 upper price tag.
The pear brilliant-cut, D-color, VVS2-clarity, type IIa stone is the lead item in the Jewels Online auction, which will take place from March 11 to 21, Christie’s said Wednesday. This will be the auction house’s first jewelry sale of the year, and will feature a curated selection of signed jewels, diamonds and colored gemstones. Select pieces from the sale will be open for public viewing at the Christie’s showroom in Rockefeller Center.
The auction will include items by well-known design houses such as Cartier, Hemmerle, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels. Also up for sale will be a private collection from philanthropist and sailing enthusiast George Frederick “Fritz” Jewett, Jr. and his wife Lucy.
Two charitable collections will be on the block as well: One to benefit the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) Foundation, and another belonging to interior designer, author and Oprah Winfrey Show guest Nate Berkus. Proceeds from the latter will go toward financial aid at New York’s Grace Church School.
Here are some of the other highlights from the sale:
This ring features a round brilliant-cut, 1.13-carat, fancy-blue, VS2 diamond center stone with baguette-cut sapphires and diamonds on either side. It has a high estimate of $250,000.
A ring with a cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut, 8.21-carat, fancy-intense-yellow, VS1-clarity diamond is expected to bring in up to $100,000. The lot has no reserve price.
Christie’s will auction this Van Cleef & Arpels necklace featuring pink tourmalines, onyx and diamonds for an estimated $60,000 to $80,000.
This coin and bicolor-gold Tubogas bangle bracelet by Bulgari carries an estimate of up to $80,000. The cuff contains three staters from the ancient city of Corinth, each depicting a Pegasus on one side and the head of the goddess Athena on the other.
Christie’s New York Jewelry Auction Fetches $38.1 Million
Important fancy-colored diamonds and Kashmir sapphires led Christie’s December 6 Magnificent Jewels auction in New York. The sale of approximately 157 lots achieved more than $38.1 million.
However, what was billed as the top lot of the sale was withdrawn at the “11th hour without explanation,” according to a gem dealer who attended the auction. Christie’s confirmed this a few days later, again without explanation.
“California Sunset” earrings withdrawn before going to sale. Its estimate was $7 – $12 million
The lot was a pair of fancy vivid orange-yellow diamond earrings weighing 12.20 and 11.96 carats. The earrings were named “California Sunset Diamonds” and had an estimate of $7 million to $12 million.
While colorless diamonds are the most popular center stones for engagement rings, colored stones are a unique choice that will set your sparkler apart. These gemstones are just as durable as regular diamonds, but they display high levels of brilliance and shine that you can’t find elsewhere. On November 7, 2023, Christie’s Geneva will be auctioning off a colored diamond as part of its “Magnificent Jewels” auction and the rock going on sale is incredibly valuable and one of the “rarest to have been unearthed,” according to Christie’s. The diamond, dubbed “Bleu Royal,” is 17.61 carats and is expected to sell for $35 million to $50 million, per the auction house. “‘Bleu Royal’ is the largest internally flawless fancy vivid blue gem ever to appear for sale in auction history,” Christie’s said in a press release.
The pear-shaped stone with a rich blue color has been part of a private collection for the last 50 years. This is the first time the gem will appear in an auction. “This is a true miracle of nature,” Christie’s International Head of Jewellry Rahul Kadakia said. “Over our 257 year long history, Christie’s has had the privilege of offering the world’s rarest gems at action, and ‘Bleu Royal’ continues this tradition. We are proud to offer collectors the opportunity to own a diamond fit for royalty.”
Christie’s has canceled its fourth sale of jewelry belonging to Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten following controversy over her late husband’s connection to the Nazi party.
“Christie’s has taken the decision not to proceed with further sales of property from the estate of Heidi Horten,” Anthea Peers, president of Christie’s for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), told Rapaport News Sunday.
The auction house held three previous sales despite an outcry from parts of the industry. The first, which took place live in Geneva on May 8, included 96 items and brought in $155.6 million, a record for a single collection. Christie’s offered 152 lots on May 10, garnering $42.4 million, while an online sale between May 3 and 15 fetched $4.2 million. The final sale was to have featured 300 pieces.
Although Christie’s donated a “significant portion” of its commission to charity, the gesture did not satisfy many in the industry, who felt the company should not have hosted the sales. The opposition included the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), which wrote a letter to the auction house calling the sale “appalling” and asking for assurances that if Christie’s were to proceed, it would expect a major portion of the proceeds to go to Holocaust-related charities. However, many of those organizations, including the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, refused the donations.
“The sale of the Heidi Horten jewelry collection has provoked intense scrutiny, and the reaction to it has deeply affected us and many others, and we will continue to reflect on it,” Peers added.
A rivière diamond necklace was the top seller at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels in Hong Kong on Monday, bringing in $5.9 million.
The sale price for the piece, which features 52 round brilliant-cut, D-flawless and internally flawless diamonds weighing a total of 104.84 carats, was within estimates. In total, the November 28 auction achieved $46.2 million, with 50% of the jewels on offer exceeding their high estimates, Christie’s said Monday.
The company sold 86% of available lots, or 82% by value, and drew global participation from 21 countries across three continents.
The auction also included a collection of jewels from Hong Kong actress Rosamund Kwan, which fetched a combined total of $11.1 million. The two leading lots from that sale saw heavily competitive bidding, lasting over 15 minutes, Christie’s noted. The top item in the group was a necklace featuring a pear brilliant-cut, 22.18-carat, D-color, VVS1-clarity diamond pendant with rubies and pink diamonds, which went for $2.1 million, within estimates.
Here are the rest of the top five:
A jadeite, diamond and sapphire necklace by Etcetera sold for $2.8 million against a presale estimate of $2.6 million to $3.8 million.
This cushion modified brilliant-cut, 60.79-carat, fancy-vivid-yellow, VS2-clarity diamond ring brought in $2.7 million, in the middle of its $2.3 million to $3.6 million presale range.
A round brilliant-cut, 19.61-carat, D-flawless, type IIa diamond ring exceeded its $1.7 million to $2.3 million presale estimate, bringing in $2.4 million.
This oval-cut, 5.32-carat Burmese pigeon’s blood ruby ring with pear-shaped diamonds by Cartier Paris achieved $2.1 million, within its expected range of $1.9 million to $2.3 million.
A 13.15 carat pink diamond will no longer be available at the upcoming Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in New York.
The emerald-cut, fancy vivid pink, VVS1 clarity stone, which carried a price estimate of $25 million to $35 million, was poised to be the December 6 sale’s showcase piece. Christie’s described the diamond as one of the largest of its kind to appear at auction.
“Christie’s confirms that the fancy vivid pink diamond ring has been withdrawn from sale in New York on December 6,” a spokesperson said. The company declined to comment further or provide a reason.
The item was scheduled to appear on display in Hong Kong on Friday. The removal was “very surprising,” said one colored diamond dealer in the municipality.
Colored diamonds have had a mixed season at auction. On November 8, the 18.18-carat Fortune Pink fetched CHF 28.4 million ($28.9 million) at Christie’s Geneva, toward the lower end of its presale estimate. The following day, a 5.53 carat diamond from the De Beers Exceptional Blue Collection failed to find a buyer at a Sotheby’s auction in the Swiss city.
With the 13.15 carat pink off the list, the top remaining item at the Magnificent Jewels sale is a pear modified brilliant cut, 31.62 carat, fancy blue diamond pendant with a price estimate of $10 million to $15 million.
103ct. Flawless Diamond Fetches $20M at Christie’s
The Light of Africa diamond
A diamond weighing more than 100 carats smashed its high estimate at Christie’s New York Wednesday, raking in $20 million.
The emerald-cut, 103.49-carat, D-flawless, type IIa Light of Africa was the star of the Magnificent Jewels auction, surpassing its $18 million presale upper price tag. The stone is the fifth most-valuable colorless diamond Christie’s has ever offered, it said Thursday. It was crafted by Dubai-based manufacturer Stargems, from a 299.3-carat rough unearthed at Petra Diamonds’ Cullinan mine in South Africa. Stargems bought the stone for $12.2 million in 2021.
In total, the sale garnered $48.9 million, with 95% of the items on offer finding buyers.
“The Magnificent Jewels auction…rounded off an incredible sale season with solid results worldwide,” said Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry for Christie’s. “The 103.49-carat Light of Africa diamond achieved an incredible $195,000 per carat, demonstrating the strength of the diamond market at the highest levels.”
he largest white diamond to ever come up for auction has been sold for $21.9 million USD at Christie’s in Geneva. The 228.31-carat, pear shaped gemstone dubbed “The Rock” originated from South Africa, where some of the largest diamonds in the world have been found, including the pear-shaped “Star of Africa” and rose cushion cut “Golden Jubilee.” “The Rock” is about the size of a golf ball and was previously worn as a lavish Cartier necklace by its former owner. Along with the pear-shaped stone, the new owner will also receive a round diamond and platinum pendant mounting from the French luxury brand. World’s largest blue diamond to come to auction has sold for $57.5 million Ahead of the sale, the head of Christie’s jewelry department in Geneva, Max Fawcett, explained why “The Rock” is a particularly unique stone. “Often with these largest stones, they sacrifice some of the shape in order to keep the weight,” he told Reuters. “This is a perfectly symmetrical pear-shape form and… one of the rarest gems ever to be sold at auction.”
Christie’s will offer a 103.49-carat diamond that could fetch up to $18 million at its upcoming New York sale.
The emerald-cut, D-Flawless, type IIa stone, called the Light of Africa diamond, will headline the auction house’s Magnificent Jewels sale on June 8, it said Monday. It will be among the items featured as part of Christie’s luxury week.
The diamond was cut from a 299.3-carat rough Petra Diamonds recovered from its Cullinan mine in South Africa in January 2021. Petra then sold the diamond to Dubai-based diamond-sourcing and supply company Stargems DMCC in March of that year for $12.18 million. It is the third-largest high-quality white diamond recovered from Cullinan since Petra acquired it in 2008, the miner noted.
Christie’s will preview the diamond in Geneva from May 6 to 11, followed by Hong Kong from May 22 to 24, before showing it in New York between June 3 and 7.
One of the world’s largest yellow diamonds weighing 205.7 ct and known as the Red Cross Diamond is to be auctioned by Christie’s London.
The fancy intense yellow, cushion-shaped stone has a pavilion distinctively faceted in the shape of a Maltese cross.
The original rough gem was recovered by De Beers, in South Africa, in 1901 and was sold in 1918 in aid of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St John.
It raised $13,000 equivalent to $780,000 in today’s money when it was sold at Christie’s London to the famous London firm S.J. Phillips.
It was sold again in November 1973, achieving CHF 1.8 million at Christie’s Geneva and returned to private ownership.
The diamond will again be offered for sale at Christie’s London on 11 May, with an undisclosed part of the sale revenue to be donated to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
We have asked Christie’s for the estimate, which is available “on request”.
Two diamond bracelets belonging to Marie Antoinette more than doubled their high estimate at a recent Christie’s auction in Geneva.
The set, made by Boehmer in 1776 and passed down through Marie Antoinette’s family for 250 years, fetched $8.2 million at Tuesday’s Magnificent Jewels sale, Christie’s said. That figure is the second-highest price for a jewel owned by the French queen and the highest price ever garnered for one of her diamond pieces. In 2018, Sotheby’s sold a natural-pearl and diamond pendant belonging to Marie Antoinette for $36.2 million against its $2 million high estimate.
In total, the November 9 auction raked in $59 million, with 11 lots fetching more than $1 million.
Other notable items sold at the auction include a pear brilliant-cut, 55.50-carat, D-color, potentially internally flawless diamond, which went for $5.3 million, or $95,700 per carat, at the high end of its estimate. A cushion-shaped Burmese ruby and diamond brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels brought in $4.6 million at the auction, smashing its CHF 600,000 ($656,756) upper valuation.
An oval brilliant-cut, 43.19-carat, D-color, internally flawless diamond ring garnered $3.6 million, representing $83,000 per carat — within estimates. A rectangular-cut, 42.98-carat, fancy-vivid-yellow diamond fetched $3.1 million, in the middle of its presale valuation, while a fancy-light-pink and colorless diamond brooch by Harry Winston hammered for $2.3 million, just over its lower estimate.
However, a ring featuring a heart modified brilliant-cut, 6.75-carat, fancy-vivid-purple-pink, SI1-clarity diamond failed to find a buyer. The piece was estimated to bring in up to $10.9 million at the auction. A ruby bangle by Cartier, the first anniversary gift Wallis SImpson, the Duchess of Windsor, received from her husband, also remained unsold. That piece had a high valuation of $2.2 million.
In total, Christie’s sold 93% of items on offer, with bidders hailing from 32 countries.
“A very dynamic saleroom, coupled with strong online and telephone bids from around the world, resulted in lively bidding and a very high sell-through rate,” said Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry at Christie’s. “Marie Antoinette’s diamonds captured the world’s attention and achieved a fitting result for such a magnificent royal jewel.”
Two diamond bracelets belonging to Marie Antoinette more than doubled their high estimate at a recent Christie’s auction in Geneva.
The set, made by Boehmer in 1776 and passed down through Marie Antoinette’s family for 250 years, fetched $8.2 million at Tuesday’s Magnificent Jewels sale, Christie’s said. That figure is the second-highest price for a jewel owned by the French queen and the highest price ever garnered for one of her diamond pieces. In 2018, Sotheby’s sold a natural-pearl and diamond pendant belonging to Marie Antoinette for $36.2 million against its $2 million high estimate.
In total, the November 9 auction raked in $59 million, with 11 lots fetching more than $1 million.
Other notable items sold at the auction include a pear brilliant-cut, 55.50-carat, D-color, potentially internally flawless diamond, which went for $5.3 million, or $95,700 per carat, at the high end of its estimate. A cushion-shaped Burmese ruby and diamond brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels brought in $4.6 million at the auction, smashing its CHF 600,000 ($656,756) upper valuation.
An oval brilliant-cut, 43.19-carat, D-color, internally flawless diamond ring garnered $3.6 million, representing $83,000 per carat — within estimates. A rectangular-cut, 42.98-carat, fancy-vivid-yellow diamond fetched $3.1 million, in the middle of its presale valuation, while a fancy-light-pink and colorless diamond brooch by Harry Winston hammered for $2.3 million, just over its lower estimate.
However, a ring featuring a heart modified brilliant-cut, 6.75-carat, fancy-vivid-purple-pink, SI1-clarity diamond failed to find a buyer. The piece was estimated to bring in up to $10.9 million at the auction. A ruby bangle by Cartier, the first anniversary gift Wallis SImpson, the Duchess of Windsor, received from her husband, also remained unsold. That piece had a high valuation of $2.2 million.
In total, Christie’s sold 93% of items on offer, with bidders hailing from 32 countries.
“A very dynamic saleroom, coupled with strong online and telephone bids from around the world, resulted in lively bidding and a very high sell-through rate,” said Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry at Christie’s. “Marie Antoinette’s diamonds captured the world’s attention and achieved a fitting result for such a magnificent royal jewel.”
Christie’s will offer a 74-carat diamond necklace that could fetch up to $7 million at its upcoming Hong Kong auction.
The piece contains a 73.68-carat, F-color, internally flawless center stone, called the Snowdrop Diamond, and 78 additional diamonds weighing a total of 130.92 carats. It will headline the auction house’s November 28 Magnificent Jewels sale, together with a heart-shaped, 36.20-carat, D-color, internally flawless diamond pendant necklace carrying a high estimate of $3.2 million, Christie’s said Wednesday. Designer Ronald Abram created both jewels.
Two colored-diamond pieces are also set to star in the sale. A pair of earrings featuring fancy-vivid-blue diamonds weighing 3.06 and 2.61 carats along with white diamonds is set to go under the hammer with a price tag of up to $8 million. Meanwhile, a 3.32-carat, fancy-vivid-blue, internally flawless diamond ring could fetch as much as $6.4 million, Christie’s noted.
Other notable pieces include a jadeite cabochon ring with a high valuation of $1 million, a pair of jadeite cabochon earrings estimated at $480,000 to $750,000, and a jadeite, ruby and diamond necklace and bracelet set by Cartier.
A selection of cufflinks containing diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, assembled over decades by a prominent private collector, will also be on offer, the auction house added.
Christie’s will preview the items in Taipei, Taiwan; Tokyo; Shanghai; Beijing; and Hong Kong.
Christie’s will offer a 74-carat diamond necklace that could fetch up to $7 million at its upcoming Hong Kong auction.
The piece contains a 73.68-carat, F-color, internally flawless center stone, called the Snowdrop Diamond, and 78 additional diamonds weighing a total of 130.92 carats. It will headline the auction house’s November 28 Magnificent Jewels sale, together with a heart-shaped, 36.20-carat, D-color, internally flawless diamond pendant necklace carrying a high estimate of $3.2 million, Christie’s said Wednesday. Designer Ronald Abram created both jewels.
Two colored-diamond pieces are also set to star in the sale. A pair of earrings featuring fancy-vivid-blue diamonds weighing 3.06 and 2.61 carats along with white diamonds is set to go under the hammer with a price tag of up to $8 million. Meanwhile, a 3.32-carat, fancy-vivid-blue, internally flawless diamond ring could fetch as much as $6.4 million, Christie’s noted.
Other notable pieces include a jadeite cabochon ring with a high valuation of $1 million, a pair of jadeite cabochon earrings estimated at $480,000 to $750,000, and a jadeite, ruby and diamond necklace and bracelet set by Cartier.
A selection of cufflinks containing diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, assembled over decades by a prominent private collector, will also be on offer, the auction house added.
Christie’s will preview the items in Taipei, Taiwan; Tokyo; Shanghai; Beijing; and Hong Kong.
wo splendid diamond bracelets that belonged to French queen Marie-Antoinette will go under the hammer in Geneva later this year, the auction house Christie’s said Wednesday.
The bracelets, coated with 112 diamonds in total, will be sold together and are estimated to fetch between $2-4 million when they go under the hammer on November 9.
That estimate “includes not only the intrinsic value of the diamonds, but also the possibility to wear jewellery that was once worn by the famous queen Marie-Antoinette,” Christie’s jewellery specialist Marie-Cecile Cisamolo told Agence France-Presse.
The historic jewels could meanwhile easily go for far more than the asking price.
“As seen in recent Geneva sales, the market for jewels of noble provenance continues to perform extremely well,” Francois Curiel, the chairperson of Christie’s luxury division, said in a statement.
In 2018, a natural pearl and diamond pendant that belonged to the ill-fated French queen was estimated by the Sotheby’s auction house at $1 million to $2 million but was snapped up for $36 million.
Marie-Antoinette, the last queen of France before the revolution, was guillotined in Paris in October 1793 at the age of 37.
But Cisamolo said that it was not just their history that made the bracelets extraordinary, pointing to the large size of the diamonds, which range from around 1 to 4 carats.
“It is very difficult to measure their exact size, because these are antique diamonds, and back then the sizes were less precise,” she explained.
While lacking the precision of today’s laser-cut gems, Cisamolo stressed the charm and uniqueness of antique diamonds.
In total, Christie’s estimates that the bracelets comprise 140 to 150 carats.
They are each composed of three rows of gems and can be connected together and worn as a necklace.
Paris, Brussels and Vienna
According to Christie’s Marie-Antoinette ordered the bracelets from jeweller Charles August Boehmer in Paris in 1776, two years after she ascended the throne.
She paid 250,000 livres, “a huge sum at the time,” Christies said.
Then the revolution arrived.
Before attempting to flee France with king Louis XVI and their children, Marie-Antoinette first made sure her jewels were sent out of the country.
They were sent to Brussels, governed by her sister Archduchess Marie-Christine, before being sent on to the French queen’s native Austria, ruled by her nephew, the emperor.
In 1792, the royal family was imprisoned in Paris. The king and queen were executed the next year, and their 10-year-old son Louis XVII died in captivity.
Only their daughter, Marie Therese of France, survived. She was freed in December 1795 and sent to Austria, where she was given her mother’s jewels.
“These jewels can thus be traced all the way back to Marie-Antoinette,” Cisamolo said, adding that she hoped whoever bought them “will cherish them for the rest of their life.”
“Not only are you wearing something that Marie-Antoinette wore,” she said. “The diamonds are extraordinary.”
The bracelets, she said, showing off the gems glistening on her wrists, “flow. It is as though you are wearing fabric.”
wo splendid diamond bracelets that belonged to French queen Marie-Antoinette will go under the hammer in Geneva later this year, the auction house Christie’s said Wednesday.
The bracelets, coated with 112 diamonds in total, will be sold together and are estimated to fetch between $2-4 million when they go under the hammer on November 9.
That estimate “includes not only the intrinsic value of the diamonds, but also the possibility to wear jewellery that was once worn by the famous queen Marie-Antoinette,” Christie’s jewellery specialist Marie-Cecile Cisamolo told Agence France-Presse.
The historic jewels could meanwhile easily go for far more than the asking price.
“As seen in recent Geneva sales, the market for jewels of noble provenance continues to perform extremely well,” Francois Curiel, the chairperson of Christie’s luxury division, said in a statement.
In 2018, a natural pearl and diamond pendant that belonged to the ill-fated French queen was estimated by the Sotheby’s auction house at $1 million to $2 million but was snapped up for $36 million.
Marie-Antoinette, the last queen of France before the revolution, was guillotined in Paris in October 1793 at the age of 37.
But Cisamolo said that it was not just their history that made the bracelets extraordinary, pointing to the large size of the diamonds, which range from around 1 to 4 carats.
“It is very difficult to measure their exact size, because these are antique diamonds, and back then the sizes were less precise,” she explained.
While lacking the precision of today’s laser-cut gems, Cisamolo stressed the charm and uniqueness of antique diamonds.
In total, Christie’s estimates that the bracelets comprise 140 to 150 carats.
They are each composed of three rows of gems and can be connected together and worn as a necklace.
Paris, Brussels and Vienna
According to Christie’s Marie-Antoinette ordered the bracelets from jeweller Charles August Boehmer in Paris in 1776, two years after she ascended the throne.
She paid 250,000 livres, “a huge sum at the time,” Christies said.
Then the revolution arrived.
Before attempting to flee France with king Louis XVI and their children, Marie-Antoinette first made sure her jewels were sent out of the country.
They were sent to Brussels, governed by her sister Archduchess Marie-Christine, before being sent on to the French queen’s native Austria, ruled by her nephew, the emperor.
In 1792, the royal family was imprisoned in Paris. The king and queen were executed the next year, and their 10-year-old son Louis XVII died in captivity.
Only their daughter, Marie Therese of France, survived. She was freed in December 1795 and sent to Austria, where she was given her mother’s jewels.
“These jewels can thus be traced all the way back to Marie-Antoinette,” Cisamolo said, adding that she hoped whoever bought them “will cherish them for the rest of their life.”
“Not only are you wearing something that Marie-Antoinette wore,” she said. “The diamonds are extraordinary.”
The bracelets, she said, showing off the gems glistening on her wrists, “flow. It is as though you are wearing fabric.”
The 54.03-carat Chrysler Diamond necklace was among the top sellers at the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in New York, bringing in $5.1 million.
The pear-shaped, D-color, internally flawless stone was originally purchased by Harry Winston in 1958 from the estate of Thelma Chrysler Foy, the daughter of railroad and automotive executive Walter Chrysler. The necklace beat its high estimate of $4.5 million at the June 8 auction, which garnered $26.6 million in total, Christie’s said Tuesday.
Also headlining the sale was the Dancing Sun, a cushion modified brilliant-cut, 204.36-carat, fancy-intense-yellow, VVS2-clarity diamond, the largest originating in North America. The stone sold for $5 million, near the upper end of its valuation.
The Flawless Match, a ring featuring a pear-shaped, 2.52-carat, fancy-vivid-blue diamond and a pear-shaped, 2.43-carat, D-color, internally flawless, type IIa diamond, fetched $2.9 million, within its estimate. Meanwhile, a collection of 19 jewels by JAR, the largest selection of the designer’s pieces offered at auction, went for a total of $5.9 million. That set was led by a diamond bracelet called Branch Under Snow, which achieved $1.9 million, more than three times its high estimate.
The auction house sold 87% of items at the event. Before the live sale, it also held a Jewels Online auction that raked in $3.5 million, with 97% of lots finding buyers.
