Blue Diamond Nabs Nearly $12M at Christie’s
A fancy-blue diamond pendant necklace was the top seller at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels in New York Tuesday, fetching $11.8 million.
The pear modified brilliant-cut, 31.62-carat, potentially internally flawless diamond is the largest of its kind to appear at auction, Christie’s said Wednesday. Encased in a perimeter of pink and white diamonds, the piece sold for within its estimate of $10 million to $15 million.
In total, Christie’s brought in $58.8 million at the December 6 sale, with 93% of items on offer finding buyers, the auction house noted.
Meanwhile, the star item at the auction, an emerald-cut, 13.15-carat, fancy-vivid-pink diamond with an estimate of up to $35 million, was withdrawn prior to the sale.
Here are the other pieces that made up the top 10:

A necklace bearing a pear brilliant-cut, 86.64-carat, D-color, VVS1-clarity diamond pendant achieved $5.7 million. The jewel also contains 78 pear brilliant-cut diamonds weighing between 0.50 and 2.50 carats each. The final price was within its $5 million to $7 million estimate.

This Graff brooch contains a round-cornered square brilliant-cut, 107.46-carat, fancy-yellow, VS2-clarity diamond center stone as well as round and baguette-cut white diamonds. It garnered $2.6 million, surpassing its $2.5 million upper price tag.

An oval brilliant-cut, 51.60-carat, G-color, VS2-clarity diamond ring was purchased by jewelry house William Goldberg for $2.5 million, in the middle of its $2.2 million to $2.8 million presale price range.

This oval brilliant-cut, 2.21-carat, fancy-intense-blue diamond ring took the fifth spot, garnering $2.3 million and beating its $1.8 million high estimate.

An unmounted modified pear brilliant-cut, 104.04-carat, fancy-intense-yellow, internally flawless diamond fetched $2.3 million at the New York sale, within its $1.8 million to $2.5 million presale price.

Christie’s sold this modified pear double rose-cut, 5-carat, fancy-vivid-blue diamond ring without reserve at the auction, where it went for $2.1 million, just over its $2 million low estimate.

An Art Deco sapphire and diamond pendant, circa 1930, accompanied by a diamond necklace, sold for five-and-a-half times its high $250,000 price tag, bringing in $1.4 million.

These earrings are set with heart brilliant-cut diamonds in several hues: D color; fancy-deep-grayish blue; fancy-intense yellow; fancy-intense-purplish pink; fancy-vivid yellow; and black. The sizes range from 1.59 to 2.04 carats. They shattered their $350,000 upper estimate, going for $1.4 million.

An emerald-cut, 13.75-carat, fancy-vivid-yellow, internally flawless diamond ring by De Beers rounded out the top 10, securing a price of $1.3 million, within its $1.1 million to $1.8 million presale range.
Main image: The 31.62-carat, fancy-blue diamond pendant. (Christie’s)