First look At The Faidee ‘Imperial Necklace’ Worn By Russian Fashion Designer Ulyana Sergeenko

Russian fashion designer, Ulyana Sergeenko, wearing The Imperial Necklace

Faidee, the world’s largest Burmese ruby company, unveiled its latest statement creation, “The Imperial Necklace,” made with 50 “pigeon blood” natural Burmese rubies at a fashion show held in Monaco. Eight of the gems weigh more than 5 carats each. Situated within the rubies are 100 carats of D-color (colorless) diamonds with flawless and internally flawless clarity grades.

Pigeon blood is the most valuable shade of red for a ruby. The rubies used for the necklace are part of the family owned jeweler’s personal collection spanning four generations.

Ravi Lunia, director of Faidee, with Russian fashion designer, Ulyana Sergeenko, wearing The Imperial Necklace

“It is a piece of jewelry that no one could have created before, due to the scarcity of Burmese rubies with this highly desired natural ‘pigeon blood’ color,” said Ravi Lunia, director of Faidee. “Even those of us within Faidee never imagined that something like this would one day come to life.”

A few of the more than 100 natural Burmese ruby jewels on display until August 21 at Faidee's exhibition in the Hermitage Hotel

The necklace is the signature piece of the inaugural Burmese Ruby Exhibition in Monaco being held now till August 21 at the Hermitage Hotel in Monaco (where else). It boasts more than 100 jewels by Faidee made with natural Burmese rubies. Lunia says it is the largest gathering of jewels made with Burmese rubies in one place. It’s a claim that’s difficult to argue with. The exhibition is being presented by the Stardust Monte Carlo, a long-time Monaco-based luxury jeweler.

A model adorned in Faidee natural Burmese ruby jewels

A special event as part of the exhibition was held August 3 that combined high jewelry with high couture. A fashion runway show on the terrace of the Hermitage Hotel for 250 invited guests featured Russian fashion designer, Ulyana Sergeenko’s Couture and Demi Couture line, accessorized and completed by Faidee Burmese jewels.

The high jewelry, high couture fashion show by Faidee and Russian fashion designer, Ulyana Sergeenko

Faidee revealed The Imperial Necklace as the grand finale of the event with Sergeenko being the first to try it on. Jewelry News Network was the first to receive the top photo of Sergeenko wearing the necklace.

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The ‘Ratnaraj’ 10-Carat Ruby Could Achieve $12.5 Million At Christie’s

A rare 10.05-carat Burmese Pigeon’s Blood ruby ring will be the lead item at Christie’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels sale on November 29. It has a pre-sale estimate of $8.8 million to $12.5 million.

Known as the “Ratnaraj” (“King of Precious Stones” in Sanskrit), the auction house says it boasts “significant size, illuminating redness and flawless crystal structure.”

The gem comes from the House of Faidee, a century-old gem and jewelry firm known for its trophy collection of Burmese rubies and Kashmiri sapphires. Only a few appear on the market each year.

Christie’s says it is extremely rare for a ruby over 5 carats to exhibit exceptional saturation and natural red fluorescence categorized as “pigeon’s blood.”

The Magnificent Jewels auction will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

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16-Carat Burmese Ruby Earns $14.1 Million, Most Expensive Colored Gem Sold At Auction In U.S.

The "Jubilee Ruby"

A 15.99-carat Burmese ruby, known as the “Jubilee Ruby,” fetched more than $14.1 million at Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels sale Wednesday. 

The price for the gem—set in an 18k gold ring within a circular-cut diamond and polished gold surround designed by Verdura—includes auction commission and other fees. The hammer price was $12.5 million, on the low end of its $12 to $15 million estimate.

Bidding for the gem began at $10 million and those inside the mostly filled saleroom turned quiet while Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s International head of Jewelry, coaxed a few phone bidders past the low estimate.

Kadakia said recently that top quality Burmese rubies of more than 15 carats “are an absolute rarity in the world of colored gemstone.”

The statement ruby was the last of 255 lots that took in more than $57 million and was one of nine lots that fetched more than $1 million. 

Christie's saleroom during Wednesday's auction. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

The statement ruby was the last of 255 lots that took in more than $57 million and was one of nine lots that fetched more than $1 million. All of the lots were diamonds. Among the others big-ticket items were:

* A 10.07-carat cushion modified brilliant-cut fancy intense purple-pink diamond flanked on either side by a triangular-shaped diamond mounted in platinum and gold ring that sold for $8.8 million, within its estimate.

* A 40.43-carat round brilliant-cut D color Flawless diamond with “excellent cut, polish and symmetry” that sold for $7 million, just below its estimate. 

* A 54.62-carat round-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut fancy vivid yellow diamond mounted in 18k gold ring that sold for more than $2.4 million, just below the high estimate.

* 14.11-carat round brilliant-cut D color, Flawless clarity diamond mounted in a platinum ring, with “excellent cut, polish and symmetry” that sold for $1.9 million, just below its high estimate.


* 41.18-carat cushion brilliant-cut diamond mounted in platinum ring with J color, VS2 clarity and “excellent polish and symmetry” that sold for $1.45 million, just below its high estimate. 

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Statement Colored Gems Up For Auction This Week In New York

The 9.54-carat Shirley Temple Blue Diamond

Following the $32 million sale of the De Beers Millennium Blue at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in April, blue diamonds continue to be in high demand at international auction houses around the world. However, blue isn’t alone as statement pink and yellow diamonds as well as sapphires and rubies are commanding lofty prices. 

The upcoming auctions in New York this week by Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams will be presenting plenty of colorful stones to meet this demand. 

The most anticipated lot is the 9.54-carat Shirley Temple Blue Diamond that will be placed on the block Tuesday at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale. The Fancy Deep Blue, Potentially Internally Flawless, VVS2 clarity diamond ring was owned by the child actress and American diplomat throughout her life. It has an estimate of $25 - $35 million. Her father purchased the ring in early 1940 around the time of her 12th birthday for $7,210.

The auction of more than 300 pieces also has other colorful delights, including a platinum ring set with a 12.45-carat cushion modified brilliant-cut Fancy Purplish Pink diamond with Natural Color, VS2 clarity, with an estimate of $3 - $5 million; and a 30.81-carat pear-shaped Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond with Natural Color and VS2 clarity with an of $1 - $1.5 million.

The 15.99-carat Jubilee Ruby

Meanwhile, Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale Wednesday will feature the Jubilee Ruby, a 15.99-carat oval-shaped Burmese ruby set on a platinum and 18k gold ring designed by Verdura. The gem is surrounded by circular-cut diamonds. Its estimate is $12 - $15 million.

“Top quality Burmese rubies of over 15 carats are an absolute rarity in the world of colored gemstones,” said Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s International head of Jewelry. 

Other statement colored gems among the more than 250 lots on sale include a 10.07-carat Fancy Intense Purple-Pink diamond ring with an estimate of $8 - $12 million; and a 54.62-carat rectangular modified cut Fancy Vivid yellow diamond with an estimate of $1.5 - $2.5 million. 

The three days of auctions begins Monday (today) at Bonhams New York with a sale of more than 100 lots of jewels including three Kashmir sapphires and other examples of Burmese and Ceylon sapphires.

8.07-carat Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring 

The top lot is an 8.07-carat Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring with an estimate of $400,000 – 600,000. It is believed that Bernard Golson (1879-1983), who often worked for foreign governments on special projects, bought the sapphire ring for his wife in the early 1920’s. Golson is known to have worked with the Guggenheims and aided U.S. authorities in the pursuit of Pancho Villa. This lead to his family being chased out of Mexico by Villa, losing their belongings and having to sew family heirlooms into their clothes during their escape to the United States. 

I plan to be covering the late sessions of the Sotheby's and Christie's auctions on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet

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21-Carat Kashmir Sapphire Fetches $4.2 Million, Shatters Estimates

Rare colored gems continue to show their strength in the auction market as a 21.71-carat Kashmir sapphire easily topped the results at Christie’s New York Important Jewels sale, Tuesday.

Called “The Kelly Sapphire” prior to the auction, the dark-blue natural gem sold for $4.2 million, more than double its high estimate ($193,000 per carat). The stone is mounted on ring by Cartier flanked by two trapeze-shaped diamonds.

The sapphire was from the private collection of Margaret Adderley Kelly, who, along with her husband and son, help shape the national employment agency and recruitment firm, Kelly Services, Inc., into a Fortune 500 company.

The collection of 28 lots from the original “Kelly Girl” all sold, fetching $9.8 million, nearly double its pre-sale estimate of $5 million. Two other items were among the 10 best selling lots at the auction. They are: an Art Deco necklace featuring a 16.24-carat D-color, internally flawless, VS2, pear-shaped diamond pendant, that sold for more than $2.2 million (pictured above), just above its high estimate of $2 million; and a Burmese ruby and diamond cluster necklace (pictured below) that sold for $845,000, well above its $600,000 high estimate.

Christie’s auction of 230 lots totaled nearly $27.6 million, with 79 percent sold by lot and 94 percent sold by value. It marked the last jewelry auction of the spring season for the international auction house. The top lots were largely dominated by colored gems and diamonds, and statement white diamonds. 

The second highest sale of the event was an 80.73-carat cushion-cut, K-color diamond that sold for $3.8 million, within its estimate. The purchaser was listed as SIBA Corp.

Other top lots in the sale include: 

* A 9.97-carat, cushion-cut, Kashmir sapphire that sold for more than $1.1 million

* A 28-carat cushion-cut Intense Fancy Yellow, VS2 diamond that sold for $857,000

* A 27.83-carat rectangular-cut Ceylon sapphire that sold for $845,000, well above its $500,000 high estimate

* A 25.82-carat cushion-cut, K-color, VS2 diamond, that sold for $725,000, just above its high estimate

With the latest auction results, sales at Christie’s jewelry department totaled $69.5 million for the first half of 2015. 

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