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Blue Diamond Earrings Score Big at Bonhams

Dec 10, 2019 7:30 AM   By Rapaport News
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RAPAPORT... A pair of blue diamond earrings fetched just under $1.3 million at Bonhams’ New York Jewels sale, beating its high estimate.

The set features a marquise-shaped brilliant cut, fancy-intense-blue diamond with VS1 clarity, weighing 1.81 carats, and an oval-shaped modified brilliant-cut, fancy-blue diamond, weighing 1.62 carats. Those stones are topped by two cushion-shaped modified brilliant-cut diamonds weighing 2.24 and 2.28 carats, and surrounded by marquise and round brilliant-cut diamonds carrying a total weight of 2.60 carats. The piece sold for $1.28 million to an anonymous US buyer at Sunday’s auction, beating its presale high estimate of $1.25 million, Bonhams said Monday.

Jewelry from the estate of former New York Yankees vice chairperson Joan Steinbrenner also performed well, with all nine lots selling. Those included an 18-karat gold and diamond Trika bracelet and earrings by Bulgari, which garnered $25,075, and a cultured pearl and diamond necklace-and-ring set by Henry Dunay, which brought in $18,825.

Signed jewels proved popular at the sale, with a rectangular-shaped step-cut, 16.98-carat sapphire Trombino ring by Bulgari fetching $250,075, just surpassing its $250,000 upper valuation. A pair of diamond earrings by Cartier sold for $106,325, and a matched citrine and diamond set by Van Cleef & Arpels achieved $47,575 following a bidding war.

“The sale was well attended, with participation from 26 different countries, and many of the lots exceeded the top end of their presale estimates,” said Bonhams senior international jewelry director Brett O’Connor.

A ring featuring a pear-shaped modified brilliant-cut, 2.46-carat, fancy-pink-purple, SI1-clarity diamond alongside a pear-shaped modified brilliant-cut, 2.01-carat, D-color, internally flawless diamond failed to find a buyer. That piece was estimated at $350,000 to $550,000.

Bonhams will feature additional jewels from the estate of Joan Steinbrenner at its upcoming California Jewels sale on December 12.

Image: The blue diamond earrings. (Bonhams)
Tags: bonhams, Bonhams’ New York Jewels, Brett O’Connor, Bulgari, California Jewels, Cartier, Henry Dunay, Joan Steinbrenner, Rapaport News, Van Cleef & Arpels
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