NEW YORK, NY.- Phillips announced highlights from the Jewels auction, taking place on 6 December in New York. Offering 186 lots, the sale will feature works of signed jewellery, along with a fresh selection of exquisite diamonds and impressive gems.

An important Kashmir Sapphire and Diamond Ring is among the top lots of the sale. The ring is comprised of a cushion-shaped center stone of 19.40 carats surrounded by fourteen rose-cut diamonds, which total approximately 4.50 carats. Kashmir sapphires are extremely rare as their deposit was exhausted in the 1920s. It's unusual to find large Kashmir sapphires, which makes this particular stone notable.

A strong selection of colorless and fancy diamonds also figure prominently in the sale. Leading the auction is an Important Fancy Intense Blue Diamond. Natural blue diamonds are among the scarcest of diamonds, coming from deeper within the Earth than other colored diamonds. Due to their rarity, these gems are highly coveted by collectors and enthusiasts. This example offered in the sale is particularly unusual for its round brilliant cut. Also among the auction highlights are an Impressive Fancy Intense Diamond and Diamond Ring, featuring a pear modified brilliant fancy intense yellow diamond of 14.14 carats, along with a Fancy Intense Diamond and Diamond Ring, whose “radiant” cut center stone displays a particularly saturated yellow color. An emerald-cut faint pink diamond, 4.91 carats, set in a ring with two triangular-shaped diamonds and two baguette-cut diamonds, features a spectacular old pink diamond that gives the illusion of a larger stone. A Beautiful Belle Époque Diamond Ring is among the colorless highlights, featuring a gorgeous vintage cut-cornered rectangular step-cut diamond of 5.27 carats, mounted in its original setting.

A variety of gemstones will also be included in the sale. A Ruby and Diamond Ring of 5.38 carats is quite rare, due to the center stone’s “Classic” Thai origin. Although heated, this ruby has a lovely crystal and is eye visibly clean, making it desirable to collectors. A Fine Art Deco Colombian Emerald and Diamond Ring features a center stone that is extremely clean, with deep and even saturation, while a Fine Burmese Sapphire and Diamond Ring includes a rectangular-shaped step-cut sapphire of 7.70 carats with a remarkably fine purity.

Several signed pieces offered in the sale also present an exciting opportunity for collectors. An Important Burmese Ruby and Diamond Necklace, Bulgari, circa 2000 (illustrated below, right), displays incredibly well-matched stones, a testament to the beautiful workmanship and quality of Bulgari’s designs. A Diamond and South Sea Cultured Pearl Necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels, 1966, which features a detachable drop, and a Diamond Necklace by Oscar Heyman & Brothers, 1953, will also be on offer, as will a Fine Diamond Pendant Necklace from Graff features a heart-shaped diamond of 5.39 carats. With D color and IF clarity, this jewel exemplifies signature Graff attributes with well-balanced proportions.