Statement diamonds led the way Tuesday at Christie’s Important Jewels sale in New York.
Leading the auction was a 46.51-ct. oval-cut, E color, VVS2, diamond, flanked on either side by a pear-shaped diamond, weighing approximately 1 and 1.01 cts., mounted in platinum (top image) was sold Tuesday for $4.2, well above its presale estimate of $2.5 to $3.5 million. The two pear shaped diamonds were graded as D color, VS1 and VS2 clarity, respectively.
Also commanding a powerful price was a 10-carat, D color, internally flawless pear-shaped diamond (above) flanked on either side by a pear-shaped diamond, each weighing approximately 1.02 cts., mounted in platinum that sold for $1.3 million, well within its presale estimate. The two side diamonds are graded as D color and internally flawless.
The sale, which featured exceptional diamonds and elegant signed jewelry at the international auction house’s Rockefeller Plaza headquarters, took in a total of $11.7 million with 118 of the 125 lots sold (94 percent). The auction achieved 98 percent of its value by price.
Other auction highlights include:
Ear pendants, each suspending a cut-cornered modified square-cut fancy yellow diamond, weighing approximately 17.77 and 17.80 cts., from a baguette and trapeze-cut diamond link, to the circular-cut diamond French wire, mounted in platinum and gold that sold for $722,500. 
A ring set with a 19.22-ct., potentially internally flawless, square emerald-cut fancy light yellow diamond, flanked on either side by a triangular-cut diamond, mounted in platinum that sold for $458,500 ($24,000 per ct.), well above its presale estimate of $200,000 to $300,000.
A ring signed by the Italian jewelry house, Sabbadini, set with a rectangular-cut diamond, weighing approximately 9.76 carats, with the shoulders set with modified hexagonal-cut diamonds, mounted in platinum. The ring sold for $434,500 ($45,000 per ct.), well above its $200,000 to $300,000 estimate.
A platinum ring featuring a 10.42-carat, square emerald-cut diamond with the shoulders set with circular-cut diamonds that sold for $458,500 ($41,000 per ct.).