A sapphire and diamond ring nearly tripled its estimate at a recent jewelry auction at Sotheby’s Paris, bringing in EUR 698,500 ($819,982).
The piece features a cushion-shaped, 10.68- carat Kashmir sapphire between triangular diamond shoulders. It flew past its EUR 280,000 ($328,718) high estimate to lead the September 30 Fine Jewelry sale.
In total, the auction garnered EUR 7.4 million ($8.7 million), with many items selling above their upper estimates. Pieces from top design houses, including Cartier, Graff, De Grisogono and Schreiner, also performed well.
Here are the rest of the top jewels:
This ring from Cartier bears a cushion-shaped, 18.25-carat Burmese sapphire with brilliant-cut and baguette diamond shoulders. It brought in EUR 558,800 ($656,026), within estimates.Another piece by Cartier is this bangle, designed as a panther. It contains sapphire spots and brilliant-cut diamonds, while the eyes are set with pear-shaped emeralds and it has an onyx nose. It went for EUR 279,400 ($328,013), meeting expectations.The next lot includes yet more Cartier jewels, this one a demi-parure comprising a pendant necklace featuring a panther pavé-set with brilliant-cut diamonds and decorated with pear-shaped emerald eyes and an onyx nose and spots. The panther is resting inside an onyx hoop, which suspends from a chain with cabochon emeralds and brilliant-cut diamonds. It comes with matching earrings. Together, the pieces raked in EUR 203,200 ($238,555), well over their EUR 120,000 ($140,879) upper price.This toi et moi ring by Faraone sports a step-cut Colombian emerald, a Kashmir sapphire of the same cut, and triangular diamonds. It nearly tripled its EUR 70,000 ($82,181) high estimate to garner EUR 203,200 ($238,555).A pair of earrings by Graff, with radiant-cut, fancy-intense yellow, VS1-clarity diamonds weighing 6.53 and 7.04 carats as well as brilliant-cut diamonds, fetched EUR 190,500 ($223,645), within its range.Sotheby’s sold this cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut, 16.98-carat, K-color, SI1 diamond ring for EUR 177,800 ($208,736), above its EUR 150,000 ($176,103) upper asking price.Grabbing more than four times its EUR 38,000 ($44,613) high estimate to fetch EUR 177,800 ($208,736) was this diamond brooch by Van Cleef and Arpels.A pearl, onyx, coral and diamond necklace by Cartier exceeded its EUR 100,000 ($117,402) high price to go for EUR 165,100 ($193,826).Crafted by Schreiner, this ring features a central cut-cornered rectangular, 12.07-carat, fancy-yellow diamond with a 5.35-carat, fancy-light-yellow diamond and a 5.33-carat, fancy-yellow diamond of the same cut on either side. It sold for EUR 165,100 ($193,826), beating its EUR 120,000 ($140,882) top estimate.This Bulgari necklace and bracelet set smashed its EUR 40,000 ($46,957) high price to pull in EUR 165,100 ($193,826). The set features amethyst, tourmaline, citrine and blue topaz fish with brilliant-cut diamond heads and circular-cut rubies.
Main image: The sapphire and diamond ring. (Sotheby’s)
