Recent Fine Jewelry #Auction at Bonham's Brings in Over $4 million....

Bonham's Shares A Few Of Their Favorite Things From the Fine Jewelry Auction

According to Bonham's, there was intense online bidding and a quick competitive telephone bidding throughout the afternoon, bringing the Fine Jewelry auction at Bonhams New York to a triumphant close, with sales totaling over $4 million.

Colored gems, classic designs, and signature pieces performed fantastically, and Susan Abeles, Vice President and Director of the Jewelry at Bonhams North America, said: 'Contemporary signed jewels continue to thrive in the auction environment. The sale was dominated by colorful pieces which were well received by an international audience.'


Notable highlights of the afternoon include:

✦  An exquisite diamond ring by Cartier, weighing 8.45 carats, which realized $293,000.

✦ Kashmir sapphire & diamond ring, made $118,750, almost twice the high estimate.

✦  A late Art Deco ruby and diamond bracelet (c. 1935), with a total diamond weight of 

                                               14.00 carats, which sold for $106,250.

  ✦   Sapphire (3.20 ct) and Old European Diamonds (6.85 ctw) brooch with a combined 
           weight of 10.05 carats, which realized $112,500: 9 times the high estimate. 

✦ Renaissance Revival suite of sapphire, demantoid garnet and enamel jewelry (c. 1920),   fashioned by Louis Comfort Tiffany, soared past its high estimate making $161,000.

✦   Colombian emerald cabochon ring weighing approximately 50 carats, surrounded by 
      diamonds. It achieved $106,250, over 3 times the high estimate.

✦  A pair of natural button pearl diamond ear studs, each over 10mm,  mounted in 18k white gold.  Accompanied by GIA report #5161602019, dated October 8, 2014, stating: "the pearls are of natural origin, saltwater, no indications of treatment."   Achieved  $45,000

Earlier in December.... there seemed to be a resurgence of ruby-adorned jewelry at the London auction...a fact quickly confirmed with the crazy results from a pair of Art Deco, ruby and diamond clip brooches made by Cartier around 1930. They achieved an astonishing £482,500 after pre-sale estimates of £80,000-120,00 - followed by two ruby rings which far exceeded their pre-sale estimates.

First, a single-stone ring set with a large Burmese ruby, fashioned by the renowned jewelers Van Cleef & Arples in 1923, rose past the estimate of £80,000-100,000 to make $548,163. 

Burmese ruby, in a setting made around 1930, and set with a cushion-cut stone weighing over 6 carats, fetched $548,462  after it was set to achieve £50,000-80,000.

As if the bidders needed more convincing, a beautiful belle époque ruby and diamond necklace made more than twice its top estimate, selling for $191,688, while another pair of Art Deco, ruby and diamond pendent earrings by Cartier more than doubled their lower estimate to achieve £72,100.

It was not all rubies, however, as sapphires also performed strongly, with a Cartier Art Deco sapphire and diamond ring making $323, 131, and an octagonal-cut sapphire and diamond ring realizing £146,500, twice its estimate.

Jean Ghika, Head of Jewelry UK and Europe, said: 'We achieved some outstanding results in the sale, particularly for period jewels and colored gem stones. The collection of Burmese rubies performed exceptionally well, proving that these rare gems continue to have an enduring appeal.'

It was a very busy December for Bonhams and the next Fine Jewelry sale in New York will be April 2015, and a selection of jewelry from the estate of Lauren Bacall will be offered as part of The Lauren Bacall Collection on March 31 and April 1 2015.

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to  www.bonhams.com

Bulgari's Blue Diamond Trombino' Ring Sets New World Record at Bonham's London Sale

Bonhams Takes World Record of £6.2 Million 

For Exceptional Blue Diamond

Bonhams reports a new record was set at their Fine Jewelry sale in London's New Bond Street,  April 24th. The exceptional stone? a rare fancy deep-blue diamond weighing 5.30 carats which sold for a record $1.8 mil per carat.

The previous world record price per carat for a blue diamond was $1.68 mil. This rare gem was bought by Graff Diamonds, the international diamond house headquartered in New Bond Street. London. Bidding came from round the world via 25 telephone lines as well as bidders in the packed saleroom.

The fancy deep-blue diamond is set in a 'Trombino' ring made by Bulgari, the renowned Italian jeweler favored by Hollywood film stars, and the epitome of fashion and innovation during the 1960s. The ring was made circa 1965 and sold for close to four times the estimate of just over £1,000,000 per carat by Bonhams.

Jean Ghika, Director of Bonhams Jewelry Department for Europe commented after the sale: "We are delighted with the price it has made. It was a sensational stone which charmed everyone who viewed it prior to the sale. Blue diamonds, especially those over 5.00 carats, are extremely rare to see on the market and continue to be highly sought-after. We are honored to have handled the sale of such a unique gem."

Blue diamonds are very rarely seen on the market and fancy-coloured diamonds are among the most valuable and sought-after in the world. They have delighted royals and celebrities over the centuries, with the most famous blue 'Hope Diamond' bought by King Louis XIV of France in the late 17th Century. The stunning 45.52-carat diamond, originating from India was eventually stolen from the Crown Jewels by thieves in the French Revolution and then smuggled to London, finally coming to rest in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C.

The Bulgari ring features a cushion-shaped fancy deep-blue diamond, weighing 5.30 carats. It is set horizontally within a mount pavé-set with brilliant-cut diamonds and courses of baguette-cut diamonds.

The term "fancy" is used to describe a diamond of intense color and the color "fancy deep-blue" is one of the rarest. The extraordinary color blue is derived from small atoms of boron mixing with the carbon atoms in a diamond, affecting the absorption of light passing through the stone and lending it a blue appearance. Blue diamonds are structurally very pure and account for less than one per cent of all diamonds mined.

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. 
For a full listing of upcoming sales go to www.bonhams.com

Retro & Signed Pieces Highlight Bonham's Fall Salon Jewelry Auction

Bonhams is pleased to announce its quarterly Salon Jewelry & Watches auction on September 24 in Los Angeles, simulcast to San Francisco. The sale features an impressive selection of retro and vintage bracelets, necklaces, accessories and brooches as well as a strong selection of signed pieces by noted makers. 

Michael Larsen, Jewelry Specialist at Bonhams, says of the auction, "Recent years have proven to be the strongest in history for jewelry auctions. We are excited to begin the fall with an homage to retro and vintage inspired pieces from the mid-century and continue into the winter with cutting edge works in our Fine Jewelry sales in New York and Hong Kong."

Highlighting the September 24 auction is a strong selection of vintage brooches from the mid-century to the 1980s. Star lots include a fanciful diamond seahorse brooch that boasts a playful emerald eye (est. $5,000-7,000); an 18 karat yellow gold, onyx and citrine owl by Cartier (est. $2,000-3,000) and a retro yellow gold, diamond and tourmaline scroll clip (est. $2,000-3,000).

Additional retro pieces of note include a stylish 14 karat gold and yellow enamel compact (est. $2,500-3,000) and a stunning green tourmaline and 14 karat gold buckle bracelet, signed Lotus (est. $1,200-1,800), among others.

The illustrated auction catalog for the sale will be available online for review and purchase in the weeks preceding the sale at www.bonhams.com

San Francisco Preview: September 14-16

Los Angeles Preview: September 21-23

Auction: September 24, Los Angeles, simulcast to San Francisco

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. 

Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. 

Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and appraisal services in 60 specialist areas. 

For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go towww.bonhams.com