Three new world records were set last week in Geneva with the sales for diamonds at Sotheby’s ‘Magnificent Jewels’ sale.
A 3.17-carat Fancy Intense Blue diamond was sold for £1.53 million to Swiss jeweller Chatila who also bought a 74.8-carat vivid-yellow diamond ring for £1.9 million. The second world record set (at price per carat) for a green diamond was with the sale of a rare 2.52-carat Vivid Green Brilliant-Cut diamond at £1.87 million.
A ruby and diamond necklace. The Roxburghe Rubies, also sold for five times its valued price at a cool £3.5 million – another world record price.
The Roxburghe Rubies – diamond necklace and diamond earrings
David Bennett, Sotheby’s Chairman of Jewellery, Europe and Middle East, said: “The Roxburghe Rubies, a magnificent suite comprising a ruby and diamond rivière necklace and earrings, the property of Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe, attracted extraordinary pre-sale attention at exhibitions around the world both for the quality of the rubies and the significant historical provenance, and sold for £3,477,699.59, five times the high estimate and a world record price for a ruby suite.
“A remarkable array of coloured diamonds was led by the price of £1,882,150.98 for a Very Impressive Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond and included two new world record prices per carat for green, and intense blue diamonds.”
79% of the fine art auction house’s lot was sold at the auction. The entire sale raised the sum of £22,098,843.94.
Images courtesy of Sotheby’s
