Christie's Paris Jewellery auction on June 27 raised a total of €16.7 million ($19.6 million). Many historic houses made their mark at the gem auction.
The center of attention was a Van Cleef & Arpels ruby and diamond ring, which soared above its €500,000 estimate and sold for €2.4 million ($2.8 million). The ring features a rare 6.27-carat Burmese ruby surrounded by diamonds.
Also causing a stir was a ring with a vivid orange-yellow cushion-cut diamond weighing 9.67 carats: it sold for €2.1 million ($2.5 million), six times its high estimate.
The auction featured historic artworks and rare gems from houses such as Cartier, Boucheron and Chaumet.
A Chaumet pearl necklace with 191 natural pearls and a diamond clasp sold for €1.6 million ($1.8 million), surpassing its estimate of €600,000. A ring with an antique cushion-cut diamond weighing 7.76 carats from the same house sold for €869,400 ($1 million), more than double its estimate. A necklace of 41 natural pearls fetched €504,000 ($590,661), 16 times its €30,000 estimate.
Boucheron pieces were also popular: delicate earrings with deep yellow diamonds sold for €441,000 ($516,828), in line with expectations; earrings with Colombian emeralds (4.70 and 3.46 carats) brought €365,400 ($428,229), well above its €60,000 estimate. A ring with a 7.30-carat emerald and triangular diamonds sold for a similar price. A ruby and diamond necklace and earring set, featuring more than 50 carats of Burmese rubies, sold for €327,600 euros ($383,929). A 13.47-carat Ceylon sapphire ring set with baguette-cut diamonds sold for €327,600 ($383,929), more than three times its estimate.
The auction house said the results demonstrate continued global demand for investment-grade jewellery.
Hélène Tarin, Editor-in-Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough&Polished
