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Auction Houses Capture the Winter White Trend
As seen on the runways, head-to-toe Winter White is one of the hottest trends for this fall. The jewelry appearing at auction houses this fall seems to follow this trend, as a number of spectacular colorless pieces are coming up for auction.
One of the many important coloress diamond rings being shown at Sotheby’s New York is a 19.51- carat Harry Winston diamond ring. This ring, chosen to lead Sotheby’s Important Jewels auction on September 24, features an E color, VVS2 clarity, 19.51-carat emerald-cut diamond flanked by two triangle-shaped diamonds weighing 2.92 carats. It is expected to sell for between $1.2 and $1.8 million. (Update: final sale price was $2,105,000)
Platinum and Diamond Ring, Harry Winston. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
GIA quality analysis: 19.51- carat emerald-cut center stone diamond, E VVS2 (GIA report 152551320)
Sotheby’s Hong Kong is celebrating its 40th anniversary in Asia with a special auction on October 7. One of the premier offerings is what it calls “the greatest white diamond ever to appear at auction,” a 118.28-carat, D-Flawless oval diamond.
The diamond, described as an egg in both size and shape, is the largest D color Flawless diamond ever to appear at auction. It was discovered in Southern Africa in 2011, and the winning bidder will receive naming rights. This magnificent diamond is estimated to sell for $28 to $35 million, which would be the highest price paid for a white diamond at auction. The current record is held by the 101.73 carat D-Flawless Winston Legacy, which sold for $26.7 million in May. (Update: final sale price was $30,600,000. A new record.)
118.28 carat Magnificent Oval Diamond. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.
While the oval diamond is likely to break the sale price record, a diamond necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels is also making history as one of the noteworthy offerings in Christie’s first Shanghai auction. The auction is being described as a “celebration of the great artistic traditions of both East and West,” and includes jewelry, watches, wine, and fine art.
Created in 1950, this platinum bib-style necklace was designed to complement the silk, lace, and brocade evening gowns of post-war couture fashion. Featuring a line of baguette-cut diamonds suspending a graduated fringe with baguette, brilliant, and marquise-cut diamonds, Van Cleef & Arpels considered the necklace so unique that they patented the design. The estimated sale price for the rare piece is between $750,000 and $1 million. (Update: final sale price was $836,768)
A Diamond Necklace, By Van Cleef & Arpels. Image courtesy of Christie’s Images LTD. 2013.
GIA quality analysis: 1.71-carat F color VS2, 1.58-carat E color VS1, 1.28-carat F color VS2 (GIA reports 2131442420, 6137442415, 2131442411)
Are you anxious to see if the egg-shaped diamond breaks the record? There are still more significant jewels coming up in this fall’s auction season, which will be covered in upcoming posts on yellow and blue diamonds.