From Switzerland to Hong Kong, Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auctions have had a merry month of May, posting record sales of diamonds and iconic jewelry creations, with results from Hong Kong exceeding those of any Christie’s jewelry sale for the past four years.
A Spectacle in Geneva
Christie’s Magnificent Jewels in Geneva earlier this month closed with total sales of 57.7 million Swiss Francs, or $64 million.
Among the items sold was a jewelry set belonging to the adopted daughter of Napoleon I, Stephanie de Beauharnais – the Grand Duchess of Baden. This nine piece parure included a tiara, a collier, a pair of earrings, two pєɴԀants and brooches and a ring and bracelet. These jewels, along with the sapphire crown of Maria II, Queen of Portugal, accounted for $3.6 million of the event’s earnings.
The star of the Swiss show, however was the 100.94 carat Alrosa Spectacle Diamond which commanded $14.2 million, meeting its pre-auction estimate of $13-19 million The largest diamond ever cut in Russia, this internally flawless emerald cut was fashioned from a ɾօυɢҺ crystal weighing 207.29 carats. Unearthed in 2016 at the Zarnitsa deposit, the first diamond deposit ever discovered in Russia, the process of ρłɑɴning and cutting the diamond took more than one and a half years.
