Auction Results: Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels

AUCTION RESULTS:  
Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels


The recent sale of Magnificent Jewels at Sotheby’s New York totaled an impressive $43,192,152, soaring past the auction’s $31.1 million high estimate and selling 88.2% by lot. This marks the highest-ever total for a spring sale of jewelry at Sotheby’s New York, topping last April’s then record result of $39.4 million. The auction saw remarkable prices for beautiful estate jewels, white and colored diamonds, precious gems and natural pearls, with seven pieces bringing more than $1 million.

“The salesroom yesterday was electric, and exuberant bidding led to another record total for our jewelry sales in New York,” commented Lisa Hubbard, Chairman, North & South America, Sotheby’s International Jewelry Division. “The sophistication and depth of the market cannot be overstated, with participation from international collectors, the jewelry trade, and new buyers drawn in by a sale that offered wonderful pieces for every taste. This was especially evident in the outstanding performance of the important estate collections on offer, which brought $14 million in total and doubled their cumulative high estimate. This is the real strength of auctions: bringing jewels to the light of day after decades spent in private collections, with fresh-to-the-market examples of signed pieces and fabulous stones that represent truly compelling buying opportunities.”



Sale N08843       Magnificent Jewels          18 APR 12
Grand Total: $43,192,151 (£27,113,717)            Exch Rate: 0.63
Sold by Lot: 88.2%                                                  Lots Offered: 425
Sold by Value: 94.6%                                              Lots Sold/Unsold: 375/ 50


Lot #430  Marquise-Shaped Fancy Blue Diamond Ring, Tiffany & Co., circa 1900, 
3.54 carats, VS1 clarity, $687,712 per carat  $2,434,500 (£1,528,249)
est. $300,000 - 500,000
Buyer:  Mr. Brett Stettner, Stettner Investment Diamonds


Lot #421  Cushion-Shaped Step-Cut Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond Ring, 23.02 carats,
VVS1 clarity.   $81,429 per carat    $1,874,500 (£1,176,711)      
est. $1,500,000 - 2,000,000
 Asian Private


Lot #211  Natural Pearl and Diamond Necklace, Cartier, Paris, circa 1935
$1,314,500  (£825,173)                                                                     
est. $250,000 - 350,000 
Anonymous


Lot #429   Sugarloaf Cabochon Kashmir Sapphire and Diamond Ring, 20.21 carats,
$56,531 per carat   $1,142,500 (£717,200)                                    
est. $700,000 - 1,000,000 
Anonymous


Lot #418   Marquise-Shaped Diamond Ring, 12.64 carats, E color, VS1 clarity, $85,641 per carat  $1,082,500 (£679,535)                                                          
est.  $500,000 - 700,000 
International Trade

Lot #391   Cut-Cornered Rectangular Modified Brilliant-Cut 
Fancy Pink Diamond Ring, 6.03 carats, VS2 clarity, 
$179,519 per carat     $1,082,500 (£679,535)                
est. $900,000 - 1,100,000 
Private Collector


Lot #308    Pear-Shaped Diamond Ring, 30.87 carats, L color, VVS2 clarity, $28,264 per carat  $872,500 (£547,709)
est. $375,000 - 425,000 
International Trade

Gary Schuler, Head of Sotheby’s Jewelry department in New York, continued: “Both white and colored diamonds brought strong prices yesterday, led by a Fancy Blue Diamond Ring, Tiffany & Co. that sold for an incredible total price of $2,434,500, reaching far above its high estimate of $500,000. The 23 carat Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond Ring, distinguished by its graceful cushion outline and its fantastic color, was sold for $1,874,500. Sapphires and emeralds highlighted the results for colored stones: in addition to the beautiful Kashmir Sapphire and Diamond Ring mounted by Cartier that achieved $1,142,500, two Gold and Cabochon Emerald Rings, circa 1900, both from the same family collection, brought $632,500 and $692,500 respectively, well in excess of their $225,000 high estimates. And throughout the day, natural pearls surpassed pre-sale expectations to command exceptional prices, especially for the Cartier necklace formerly in the collection of Mrs. Georges Lurcy that sold for $1,314,500, nearly four times its high estimate.”


Mr. Schuler continued: “We were especially pleased with the performance of the estate jewels on offer yesterday, led by the wonderful collection from the estate of Eunice Joyce Gardiner that featured both period jewels and contemporary David Webb pieces. All 47 lots found buyers, demonstrating that collectors remain eager for jewels with great design and great provenance. We now look forward to our sale of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels in Geneva this May, including the personal collection of one of the greatest jewelry designers of the 20th century, Suzanne Belperron, and the historic Beau Sancy Diamond, which we anticipate will be an exciting event for the worldwide market.”

JTV's Sisk Named to JCK “Power List”

Jewelry Television Co-Founder Named to 

“Power List” by Top Industry Publication

> via PRWEB.COM Newswire

Knoxville, Tenn. - Jewelry Television® (JTV), the world’s largest retailer of loose gemstones, today announced its co-founder, Gerald Sisk, has been included in JCK Magazine’s “Power List: 50+ Movers, Shakers, and Tastemakers in the Jewelry Industry.” Sisk, a graduate gemologist and gemstone expert, was ranked by the list as one of the top five industry leaders in the gems and gemology sector. 

The JCK Power List, which includes more than 50 individuals who are considered leaders in the jewelry industry, was compiled by JCK Magazine editors in consultation with numerous outside experts. Referred to as a “guide to the people making waves and breaking barriers in the business,” the JCK Power List is the first of its kind for the publication.

Gerald Sisk, who recently revised and edited the book “Guide to Gems and Jewelry,” has traveled extensively across the globe throughout his 40-year career in the field of jewelry and gemstones.
In addition to receiving his graduate gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America, he is also a member of the International Colored Gemstone Association and has served as a committee member for the Gemstone Industry Laboratory Conference.

Sisk recently helped lead JTV’s first annual international Gem Congress 2012, which brought industry experts from many countries to JTV corporate headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn. The purpose of Gem Congress 2012 was to promote innovation, collaboration, and transparency within the international gemstone community.

For more information about Gerald Sisk or to purchase a copy of his book “Guide to Gems and Jewelry” visit JTV.com.

About Jewelry Television® 
Jewelry Television® (JTV) is the only broadcast shopping network that focuses exclusively on the sale of jewelry and gemstones. The privately-held company was founded in 1993 and broadcasts high definition programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to more than 80 million unique households in the U.S. Jewelry Television® was recently ranked the 14th largest retailer of jewelry in the U.S. by National Jeweler. JTV.com is the fifth largest jewelry destination on the internet according to Internet Retailer’s Top 500 Guide for 2010. For more information, visit JTV.com.

MJSA Heads FTC Task Force

Via the MJSA Newsletter:

MJSA Heads Task Force Reviewing

FTC Metals Guides

Following the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC's) recent announcement that it will review its Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metal, and Pewter Industries, MJSA is joining with other industry associations to provide the FTC with recommended updates. As part of that effort, MJSA is heading a Metals Task Force to address such issues as quality marking for bonded and mixed metals, labeling requirements, and overall fineness standards.

"The rise in precious metal prices has led many jewelry makers and designers to explore new, lower-cost alloys, many of which fall outside the current Guides," says David Cochran, president/CEO of MJSA. "Silver-filled jewelry has grown in popularity, for example, and standards need to be established, just as they were for gold-filled products. We've also seen the resurgence of palladium in jewelry making, as well as an increase in jewelry combining precious and non-precious materials. The Guides need to encompass all of these developments."

For more information, click here. 

Designer Vanna K to Join Jewelry Television

Award Winning Designer Vanna K 

to Join Jewelry Television

Broadcast retail network recognizes “Every Queen Needs Her Crown™”

Jewelry Television® (JTV), the leading broadcast retailer of jewelry and loose gemstones, has teamed up with award winning diamond jewelry designer Vanna K to bring customers a new and exquisite platinum-plated sterling silver collection for Jewelry Television’s proprietary Bella Luce® Collection. Vanna will guest-host the launch of Vanna K for Bella Luce® on April 21 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST.

“The Vanna K Collection is quickly becoming associated with today’s most beautifully crafted bridal and fashion jewelry,” said Natalie Parman, vice president of merchandising at Jewelry Television. “As a woman with a keen eye for design and a strong sense of what other women want in jewelry, Vanna K is entirely in sync with her customers’ sensibilities, taste, and shared vision of timeless beauty.”

Exclusively produced for JTV’s Bella Luce® Brand, the Vanna K Collection combines the beautiful light of Bella Luce® (JTV’s brand of simulated gemstones) that customers know and love with feminine, elegant design aesthetics that are sure to captivate their wearers. Vanna K specializes in a jewelry creation process called micro pave, which involves the precise placement of stones over the entire piece with a microscope. This process results in incredible brilliance. Discerning viewers will appreciate the vintage-inspired collection, consisting of unique rings, earrings, tennis bracelets, and pendants which feature details such as delicate hand-engraved patterns and fine milgrain work.

The extraordinary quality and unique design that make Vanna K jewelry so alluring will be integrated in the new Vanna K for Bella Luce® platinum-plated sterling silver collection, affordably priced for the woman with fine taste.    

Jewelry designer Vanna K learned her way around the jewelry industry from her father, designer Sarkis Kitsinian. In the last decade, the Vanna K brand has enjoyed success in the fine jewelry industry, specializing in unique diamond engagement rings.

“Growing up as the daughter of a master jewelry designer, I always found myself imagining and sketching different designs and would ask my father to create pieces just for me,” said Vanna K. “Now, I’m thrilled to present my platinum-plated silver sterling collection to Jewelry Television to satisfy the growing demand of our fans and their desire for affordable designer jewelry.”

Featured in numerous national fashion magazines and worn by celebrities, Vanna K was recently awarded the prestigious 2011 Jewelers’ Choice Award at the international JCK show in Las Vegas.

The Vanna K for Bella Luce® platinum-plated sterling silver collection ranges in price from $50 to $200 and is available exclusively at JTV.com.

About Jewelry Television®
Jewelry Television® (JTV) is the only broadcast shopping network that focuses exclusively on the sale of fine jewelry and gemstones. The privately-held company was founded in 1993 and broadcasts high definition programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to more than 80 million unique households in the U.S. Jewelry Television® was recently ranked the 14th largest retailer of fine jewelry in the U.S. by National Jeweler. JTV.com is the fifth largest jewelry destination on the internet according to Internet Retailer’s Top 500 Guide for 2010. For more information, visit JTV.com.

Gemfields Singapore Rough Emerald Auction - March 2012

RESULTS - GEMFIELDS SINGAPORE ROUGH EMERALD AUCTION

27 March 2012

Gemfields plc (AIM: “GEM”) is pleased to announce the results of the auction of (predominantly medium to higher quality) rough emeralds held in Singapore from 19-23 March 2012.

Highlights

 Robust auction revenues of USD 26.2 million

 Results reflect a significant increase of 46% over the 15 month period in achievable quality-for-quality per carat prices

 Third auction of the current financial year generating aggregate sales of USD 68.9 million

 Nine auctions held since July 2009 generating revenues totalling USD 124.7 million

 Auction results underscore the continued strong growth in global demand for Gemfields’ ethical Zambian emeralds across all quality grades

 Next auction of (predominantly lower quality) rough emeralds scheduled for June 2012 in Jaipur

Ian Harebottle, CEO of Gemfields, commented: 

"Gemfields is delighted to announce another set of very encouraging auction results, testament to the success of our marketing initiatives and the consistency of the emeralds produced at our Kagem mine. Today’s results demonstrate that Gemfields is consistently delivering on its integrated approach of combining industry-leading performance in three core areas: mining, the consistent supply of good quality well graded ethical gemstones, and pioneering coloured gemstone marketing and promotion. We have achieved record auction revenues for the financial year and will look to use this positive momentum to deliver continued growth in each of these core areas into the foreseeable future.”

Gemfields held an auction of (predominantly medium to higher quality) rough emeralds in Singapore from 19 to 23 March 2012. Thirty two companies attended the auction, with twenty nine of these placing bids. The auction saw 0.77 million carats of emeralds mined by Gemfields placed on offer, with 0.69 million carats being sold and generating auction sales of USD 26.2 million.

While the Singapore auction of July 2011, which comprised of generally superior quality material overall, yielded USD 42.71 per carat, the overall quality characteristics of the emeralds placed on offer at last week’s auction were more similar to those offered in the December 2010 auction in Johannesburg. The resultant average prices of USD 38.25 per carat achieved at the most recent auction thus demonstrates a quality-for-quality increase of some 46% over the 15 month period and provides a clear indication of robust growth in both achievable prices and demand for emeralds in general, and Gemfields ethical emeralds in particular.

Last month's auction was the third auction of the current financial year, ending 30 June 2012. The three auctions, one of which was for lower quality material, have generated aggregate sales of USD 68.9 million while the nine auctions held since July 2009 have generated USD 124.7 million in aggregate revenues.

Hamilton Jewelers Celebrates Centennial in 2012

Three generations of Siegel Family uphold company’s dedication to service and value...

Princeton, NJ (PRWEB) April 10, 2012:  The story began 100 years ago. Founded in Trenton, New Jersey, Hamilton Jewelers was established in 1912, and a legacy of tradition and service began. Irving Siegel, a former errand boy for a similar store, purchased the firm on September 11, 1927 for $15,750 in notes payable to the former owners. He stocked the simplest of items such as silver dresser sets and cigarette lighters to finery ranging from diamonds to pocket watches, all in a small storefront at 122 South Broad Street. Siegel, or “Mr. Irving”, as he was known, began with one other employee - his wife Alice. Together, they built a modest business, working every day through the depression to establish themselves in the community.

Mr. Siegel’s efforts would pay off, as the company would soon become one of the country’s leading guild jewelers and has maintained this standing with innovative designs and a passion for exemplary client service. This spirit of service – to clients and community - is the thread that unifies the 3 generations of the Siegel family for 100 years, in Princeton and central New Jersey and Palm Beach, Florida.

Hamilton began with diverse product offerings, at a time in history when most cities in America had a butcher, a cobbler, a banker, a barber, and a general mercantile store. Hamilton forged a practical business with items ranging from clocks and pocket watches to fine wedding and engagement rings. When Mr. Siegel purchased the firm, Hamilton began to stake its claim as a prominent purveyor of the world’s finest brands in timepieces as well, beginning with a relationship Mr. Siegel established with Patek Philippe in 1938 - one of the country’s first independent retailers to carry the renowned maker of fine Swiss timepieces.

Since the company’s beginning, Hamilton Jewelers has always combined the characteristics of an international jeweler with the unique hospitality of a regional family business. This penchant to bring the world’s finest offerings in jewels and timepieces to the regional communities was the pioneering tradition that began with Irving and was conveyed to his son, Martin Siegel, now Chairman, who joined the business in 1955. Hank Siegel, the third generation of the family to serve as President of the firm, followed his father Martin’s path in 1981 and is now the current President and CEO as appointed in 1992.

Hamilton specializes in fine jewelry of their own design and manufacture, and also offers premium designer names in jewelry and the best in luxury timepieces. The gift department features a distinctive selection of décor items including china, crystal and antique silver. A division dedicated to emblematic and insignia jewelry was acquired in 2010 and is now a thriving part of Hamilton’s client offerings. Other guest services include a Bridal and Gift Registry, Estate and Jewelry Buying, Business Gifts, custom jewelry design, complete timepiece and jewelry repairs, e-commerce, and in-house appraisals.

To commemorate this important milestone, the company will be publishing a coffee-table book highlighting its 100-year history, including many previously unknown details from the family’s archives. The year will also be celebrated with Centennial events including retrospectives from Hamilton’s history presented on http://www.hamiltonjewelers.com.

Hamilton now has 5 store locations in New Jersey and Palm Beach, FL, an e-commerce shop, a B2B division, and an insignia division, for a total of 8 distribution channels.

The company’s website is hamiltonjewelers.com.

Designer Renato to Appear on Jewelry Television April 18th

The Andalusia Diamond Collection features
rich blue and brilliant white diamonds as well as
luxurious yellow and stunning mocha diamonds.

Designer Renato to Appear on Jewelry Television in April

Broadcast retail network pays homage to beauty and architecture of Spain with Andalusia Diamond Collection

Knoxville, Tenn. (PRWEB) April 11, 2012 - Jewelry Television® (JTV), the leading broadcast retailer of fine jewelry and loose gemstones, has announced that Renato, a noted jewelry designer, will make a special appearance in April. JTV, dedicating the entire month to a celebration of diamonds, will welcome the internationally acclaimed designer on April 18 to represent the broadcast retail network’s newly released Andalusia Diamond Collection.

“Renato is a world traveler with international acclaim,” said Natalie Parman, vice president of merchandising at Jewelry Television. “With over 20 years in the industry, he offers a unique perspective about the latest cutting edge technologies, stones and designs that we are confident our customers will appreciate and love.”

Exclusively produced for JTV, the Andalusia Diamond Collection is inspired by the Alhambra Palace in Granada Andalusia, Spain and features rich blue and brilliant white diamonds as well as luxurious yellow and stunning mocha diamonds. Each piece is intricately designed to emulate the exquisite architectural elements of the palace. The jewelry designs are reminiscent of the gates, archways, decorative tile work and ornate vaulted ceilings one might experience during a visit to the Alhambra.

“The Andalusia Diamond Collection transports the wearer to a more magical time and place,” said Renato, jewelry designer and JTV guest host. “While the design elements pay homage to ancient architecture, the pieces in this collection are modern, yet timeless, exhibiting the quality, craftsmanship and style for which Jewelry Television has come to be known.”

Jewelry designer Renato brings over 20 years of experience in the jewelry industry to JTV. He graduated from the University of Santo Tomas with a degree in economics and has traveled extensively, working with jewelers in Thailand, Hong Kong and India. Drawing inspiration from his travels, Renato appreciates the unique culture of each city he visits and applies what he learns to designing, styling and predicting trends.

The Andalusia Diamond Collection ranges in price from $59.99 to $499.99 and is available at JTV.com.

About Jewelry Television®
Jewelry Television® (JTV) is the only broadcast shopping network that focuses exclusively on the sale of fine jewelry and gemstones. The privately-held company was founded in 1993 and broadcasts high definition programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to over 80 million unique households in the U.S. Jewelry Television® was recently ranked the 14th largest retailer of fine jewelry in the U.S. by National Jeweler. JTV.com is the fifth largest jewelry destination on the internet according to Internet Retailer’s Top 500 Guide for 2010. For more information, visit JTV.com.