The auction excitement continued at Christie’s in New York this week, with a fancy colour blue diamond ring returning a remarkable price.
The cushion-modified brilliant-cut 3.49-carat fancy vivid blue diamond was sold for $US5.5 million ($AU8.3 million) as the highest returning item at the 6 December auction.
The internally flawless diamond achieved the upper end of its presale estimate. Approximately 90 per cent of the items were sold at the Magnificent Jewels sale, returning $US38.1 million ($AU57.69 million).
A Cartier ring featuring an emerald-cut 23-carat Kashmir sapphire with tapered baguette diamond brackets impressed onlookers and returned $US3 million ($AU4.45 million), comfortably exceeding its $US1.2 million estimate.
Also of interest was the sale of a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings from Tiffany & Co., which sold for more than $US453,000 ($AU685,800) – nearly eight times the pre-sale estimate.
In November, the largest internally flawless vivid blue diamond to appear at auction – the Royal Bleu – was sold for $US43.8 million ($AU68.39 million) at Christie’s in Geneva.
In October, the 11.28-carat Infinite Blue diamond was sold at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong for $US25.3 million ($AU39.78 million).
Earlier this week, a 15.48-carat diamond, the Pink Supreme, returned $US10.8 million ($AU16.18 million) at Christie’s in Hong Kong.
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