16 Hearts and Arrows Diamonds Fetch $2.6 Million at Bonhams

Diamonds, jade and a collection of Marina B jewelry were among the top achievers for Bonhams Fine Jewellery and Jadeite auction in Hong Kong. 

The top lot of the November 26 sale was a collection of flawless hearts and arrows diamonds that sold for more than $2.6 million. The collection of 16 brilliant-cut diamonds classified as D color, flawless, internally flawless attracted “spirited” bidding, according to the auction house. 

Each gem is accompanied by its own report from the Gemological Institute of America. The individual weight of the 16 gems ranged from 1.16 to 4.49 carats for a total carat weight of 39.98. Each gem is accompanied by its own report from the Gemological Institute of America. 

Hearts and Arrows are described as a clearly defined set of eight hearts and eight arrows in a round diamond. “It is a sign of excellent optical symmetry, an important component of cut. As such, its appearance is a very likely a sign of superior cut, but not a guarantee.” 

Other highlights include the following:

* An emerald and diamond cluster ring featuring a cushion-shaped, 10.09-carat emerald surrounded by brilliant cut diamonds that sold for $933,588.

* A highly translucent jadeite bangle of a bright apple green color, suffused with intense green streaks that sold for $670,532. 

* A fine two-strand jadeite bead necklace comprising of 49 and 53 graduated bright emerald green jadeite beads of very good translucency with a cabochon jadeite clasp that sold for $670,532. 

* A collection of jewelry designed by Marina B fetched more than $1.2 million. The top lot was a sapphire and diamond “Amelia” necklace and earring suite by Marina B that sold for $624,111. The articulated necklace is set with 12 cushion shaped sapphires, the largest weighing 15.95 carats, within pear and brilliant-cut diamond surrounds, spaced by marquise and pear-shaped diamonds. It is accompanied by a pair of earrings. Total diamond carat weight is 92.30 and total carat weight of sapphires is 104.81, signed by Marina B. 

Graeme Thompson, director of Jewellery at Bonhams Asia said the sale “is testament to the strength of the Asian market for rare items such the flawless collection of Hearts and Arrows diamonds and the Marina B jewels.”

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Hutton-Mdivani Jadeite Necklace Fetches World Record $27.4 Million

For once diamonds wasn’t the top seller at a major jewelry auction.

A Cartier jadeite bead, ruby and diamond necklace owned by Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton sold for more than $27.4 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Auction. The sale set world auction records for a Jadeite jewel and for a Cartier jewel, the auction house said. It was also sold for more than double its estimate of HK100 million. 

The item was purchased by The Cartier Collection, which acquires its most precious jewels and exhibits them around the world. 

The piece is composed of 27 graduated jadeite beads of what the auction house describes as “highly translucent bright emerald green color,” completed by a clasp set with caliber-cut rubies and baguette diamonds, mounted in platinum and 18k yellow gold. The jadeite beads run from approximately 19.20 to 15.40mm.

The necklace was presented as a wedding gift to Hutton from her father, Frank Winfield Woolworth, on the occasion of her marriage to Prince Mdivani, Sotheby’s said. It was first worn publically by Barbara Hutton at her 21st birthday party, and remained in the Mdivani family for over five decades until it was first sold at auction in 1988 for $2 million, which at the time was considered to be the most expensive piece of jadeite jewelry in the world. Six years later in 1994 it was offered at auction again in Hong Kong, this time selling for $4.2 million.

Sotheby's called the piece the “greatest jadeite bead necklace of historical importance.”

Two more auction records were set in Hong Kong. 

The “Red Emperor,” Burmese ruby and diamond necklace by high jewelry designer James W. Currens for Fai Dee sold for more than $9.9 million—a world record for a ruby and diamond necklace sold at auction. Fai Dee is a Hong Kong company that specializes in acquiring and cutting Burmese rubies.

The graduating fringe necklace is set with 30 heart-shaped and 30 pear-shaped “Pigeon’s Blood” rubies weighing 104.51 carats. Between each ruby are brilliant-cut, pear-shaped and oval diamonds together weighing approximately 59.05 carats, mounted in platinum and 18k yellow gold. 

A 29.62-carat oval Burmese ruby and diamond ring, mounted by Cartier sold for more than $7.3 million, setting a world record for a ruby sold at auction. The stylized platinum mount for the ring is set with brilliant-cut diamonds weighing approximately 2.50 carats.

The three pieces were among the highest sellers at the auction, which took in more than $106.6 million, with 82.2 percent of the items sold by lot and 80.6 sold by value. 

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‘Pigeon’s Blood’ Ruby Necklace Leads Diverse Christie’s Hong Kong Jewelry Sale

CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2011

It’s a rare jewelry auction these days where diamonds are not the most prestigious items for sale. This auction will break the trend as leading the sale of Christie’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels Autumn sale is a Burmese no heat “pigeon’s blood” ruby and diamond necklace (pictured above) with matching earrings (below) by James W. Currens. The necklace has an auction estimate of $3.5 to $5.5 million; and the earrings have estimate of $2.5 million to $3.5 million.

CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2011

Designed as twenty-six graduated oval-shaped rubies weighing between 5.38 and 1.27 carats, each ruby comprising the necklace named, “Red Scarlet” is accented by a cluster of marquise and pear-shaped diamonds, mounted in platinum and 18k yellow gold. The matching pair of earrings are titled the “Red Butterflies” for their shape, and each feature a pair of Burmese rubies over 7 carats. The rubies all come from the Mogok Stone Tract in Upper Burma, which is considered to be the source for the finest quality “pigeon’s blood” rubies, the term used to describe the brightest and most valuable red color for rubies.

More than 300 items will be on sale for the November 27 auction at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. The pre-sale estimate is valued at approximately $70 million. An assortment of diamonds, emeralds and sapphires from the world’s legendary mines, natural seawater pearls, and, being Hong Kong, jadeite jewelry will be among the items featured. Highlights include: 

Emerald, pearl and diamond earrings in platinum, featuring Colombian pear-shaped emeralds weighing 23.34 carats and 23.18 carats. Its estimate is $3.5 million to $4.8 million. CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2011

Diamond and pearl earrings, featuring a pair of 6-carat pear-shaped diamonds from the legendary Golconda mine in India. Its estimate is $1.2 million to $1.9 million.  CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2011

A natural pearl and diamond necklace with an estimate of $1.2 million to $1.5 million. CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2011

A lavender jadeite bead necklace, consisting of 63 slightly graduated jadeite beads measuring from 8.8 to 11.3 mm, and a jadeite cabochon and diamond clasp mounted in 18k white gold. Its estimate is $1 million to $1.5 million. CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2011

A 36.58-carat fancy brown diamond ring with an estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million. CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2011

An 8.59-carat fancy pink cut-cornered rectangular-cut diamond and sapphire ring, by Paris-based American jeweler, JAR. Its estimate is $3 million to $4.5 million. CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2011

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Eastern China Jewelry Event Targets New Luxury Consumers

Hangzhou—the capital city and political, economic and cultural center of Zhejiang province—will host, Treasures Hangzhou, a new jewelry event in Eastern China October 24 to 26 at the Hyatt Regency Hangzhou.

The event will give the province’s jewelry consumers, private collectors and high-end jewelry retailers the opportunity to purchase jewelry, diamonds, gemstones, pearls and jadeite from international jewelry designers and manufacturers. Among these exhibitors are Hini Star Ltd, Golden Dynasty (HK) Ltd, Shenzhen Color And Diamond Jewellery Co Ltd, SYM Jewellery Co Ltd and Houlang Jewellery (Shanghai) Co Ltd.

The show is jointly organized by UBM China, the International Colored Gemstone Association and the Jewelry Jade Industry Association of Zhejiang.

Hangzhou, located about 100 miles southwest of Shanghai, is one of China’s second-tier cities whose consumer market is growing. Like in the rest of China, there are a growing number of high-end consumers in Hangzhou eager to enjoy a better lifestyle. According to the 2010-2011 World Luxury Association survey, Hangzhou ranks first among China’s second-and third-tier cities as having the highest consumption of high-end goods apart from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. A report released by Goldman Sachs showed that over the next five years, second-and third-tier cities including Hangzhou, Wenzhou and Ningbo, will account for much China’s high-end consumer market.

Nationwide, total consumption of gems and jewelry reached 70 billion Chinese yuan renminbi ($11 billion) in 2010. Of this figure, diamonds account for more than $1.1 billion, making China potentially the world’s largest diamond consumer market and the world’s second largest diamond processing country, according to the World Luxury Association. Jade also accounts for a large part of the total figure.

Treasures Hangzhou will be held concurrently with the “Liang Zhu Bei” Zhejiang Jade Carving Exhibition, also at the Hyatt Regency Hangzhou. This prominent carving art event in attracts art lovers and collectors throughout China, including high-net-worth individuals. During the Fair, a series of professional seminars will be held to give visitors the chance to enrich their knowledge of collecting and investing in high-end jewelry.