RAPAPORT...
Sotheby's New York sale of magnificent jewels garnered $53,490,938 and was 82.4% sold by lot. The top lot was a 74.79-carat, D, VVS1 potentially internally flawless, type IIa, pear-shaped diamond that sold for $14.165 million. The diamond was acquired in 2001 for $4.3 million. Other highlights included a 21.46-carat, D, internally flawless, type IIa emerald-cut diamond ring sold for $3.189 million, while a 22.48-carat emerald and diamond brooch fetched $2.909 million.
Lisa Hubbard, the chairman of North & South America for Sotheby’s international jewelry division, said, “The truly exceptional 74.79 carat stone was a thrill to auction, and exemplifies the strength of the market for white diamonds over the last decade – it was acquired by the present owner in 2001 for $4.3 million, and today sold for a record $14.2 million. We were thrilled to see pieces from the Gould family join the ranks of magnificent private collections that we have had the privilege to offer at Sotheby’s. This is what collectors come to auction to see and experience: wonderful period pieces that are fresh to the market, and set with jewels of outstanding quality. In addition, signed pieces and iconic styles were led by an incredibly rare example of Cartier’s ‘Tutti-Frutti’ bracelets, which closed the sale with an incredible $1.4 million result.”
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