Monday 01 December 2014

Burmese Rubies, Colored Diamonds And Cartier Lead Sotheby's Hong Kong Sale

Burmese Rubies, Colored Diamonds And Cartier Lead Sotheby's Hong Kong Sale

Forbes Lifestyle | 11/30/2014 @ 5:00PM By Anthony DeMarco A ruby and diamond necklace with 50 carats of unheated “Pigeon’s Blood” Mogok Burmese rubies was the top lot in Sotheby’s Hong Kong Fine Jewels and Jadeite sale, fetching $805,128.

The necklace is set with 37 graduated oval rubies with a total weight of 50.57 carats, decorated with approximately 42.70 carats of pear-shaped and brilliant-cut diamonds mounted in 18k white and yellow gold.

The auction of signed pieces, colored gems and diamonds, modern and vintage pieces, and a charity session to aid Operation Smile China Medical Mission, which provides free surgery to underprivileged children and young adults with cleft lips or cleft palates in China, was held November 28. It fetched more than $7.85 million, with 87.2 percent of the items sold by lot and 75.8 percent sold by value.

Burmese rubies and colored diamonds led sales for the 180-lot auction. Items of note include the following:

* A 13.88-carat fancy intense yellow diamond and white diamond ring (above) sold for $466,667. The yellow diamond is flanked by two trapeze-shaped diamonds together weighing approximately 3 carats, mounted in platinum and 18k yellow gold.

* A Cartier “Tiger” clip-brooch (above) sold for $451,282, more than double its high estimate of $206,352. Set with brilliant-cut yellow diamonds and diamonds together weighing approximately 9.95 carats, speckled by onyx, embellished by pear-shaped emerald-set eyes, mounted in 18k yellow gold, signed and numbered.

* A 4.79-carat unheated “Pigeon’s Blood” Mogok Burmese ruby and diamond ring by Cartier (above) sold for $435,897. The oval ruby is flanked on each side by a half-moon shaped diamond, decorated by brilliant cut and baguette diamonds together weighing approximately 1.30 carats, mounted in platinum, signed and numbered.

* Fancy intense yellow diamond and white diamond ear clips that sold for $312,821. Each ear clip has a cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut fancy intense yellow diamond weighing 6.30 and 6.15 carats respectively, suspended from a pear-shaped and brilliant-cut diamonds weighing a total of 4.45 carats, mounted in platinum and 18k yellow gold.

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