Editor’s Note
As global auction houses host their Luxury Week events, the spotlight turns to high-end collectibles attracting both investors and enthusiasts. This report explores how passion and financial strategy often converge in the luxury market, particularly in Italy’s vibrant gemstone sector.
Various auction houses’ Luxury Week events attract collectors and investors from around the world. In Italy, it’s also a glorious moment for gemstones: investment or simple passion? Perhaps one does not exclude the other.
The live sale at Christie’s Rockefeller Center, located in the heart of Manhattan, featured active bidding via phone, in the room, and online. Sales reached a total of $44.4 million, with 90% of the 144 lots sold. The auction featured an incredible variety of rare diamonds, notable colored stones, and pieces from Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany, and Van Cleef & Arpels.
The most significant lot of the sale was the ‘Eden Rose’, a 10.20-carat round brilliant fancy intense pink diamond, which sold for $13.3 million, exceeding its high estimate. The auction saw strong participation with offers from around the world: 51% from the Americas, 24% from Europe, and 26% from Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
Collectors actively participated in all stages of the sale, particularly for rare colored gemstones and natural pearls.
The sale of colored diamonds and colored stones achieved excellent results, including an important colored diamond and diamond pendant necklace sold for $2,167,500, and a 2.28-carat fancy vivid blue heart modified brilliant cut diamond which reached $2,107,000.
Excellent results were observed in the sale of natural pearls. Many lots exceeded their high estimates, such as a natural pearl, cultured pearl, and diamond necklace which reached $378,000, seven times its high estimate of $50,000, and natural pearl and diamond earrings which sold for $277,200, nearly ten times their high estimate of $30,000.
Further noteworthy results were achieved with lots from prominent collections, such as “The Beauty of Design: Magnificent Jewels from the Collection of Sunny Crawford von Bülow and Ala von Auersperg Isham.” An exquisite Van Cleef & Arpels emerald, ruby, and carved diamond necklace sold for $289,800, and an Art Deco natural pearl, cultured pearl, and diamond necklace reached $302,400 against a low estimate of $100,000. The total for the 16 jewels in the collection reached $1.4 million.