DALLAS, TX.- A 1.21-carat fancy light blue diamond ring sent bidders on a blue streak in
Heritage's Fall Fine Jewelry Signature® Auction on September 28, when the ring soared past its $100,000-$150,000 pre-auction estimate to realize $275,000.
Flanked by tapered baguette-cut light blue diamonds, the ring's eye-catching centerpiece is a sparkling round brilliant-cut blue diamond mounted in platinum. "Exceptionally rare and equally beautiful, blue diamonds have long been admired by diamond connoisseurs and jewelry collectors," says Jill Burgum, Heritage Auctions' Executive Director of Fine Jewelry. "So it's not too surprising that this ring captivated our bidders. It's a gorgeous example of one of Earth's most precious gems."
But the blue beauty wasn't the only diamond that caught attention in Heritage's fall auction. A stunning Edwardian-era ring with a 6.86-carat circular brilliant-cut diamond brought $93,750, a 5.90-carat diamond and platinum ring sold for $50,000, and an Art Deco ring with a 4.07-carat European-cut diamond realized $25,000.
Colored gemstones also impressed during the auction, including a Burma spinel and diamond ring with a dazzling oval-shaped spinel weighing 8.84 carats. The ring realized $106,250, breezing past its $70,000-$90,000 pre-auction estimate. Other colored gems that performed well included a Paraiba tourmaline and diamond ring that sold for $30,000 and a Paraiba-type tourmaline and diamond necklace with a pear-shaped greenish-blue tourmaline weighing 5.76 carats. The necklace brought $32,500.
No Heritage jewelry auction is complete without a curated selection of elegant creations by the world's most renowned designers "the true elite of the elite," as Burgum says and the fall sale was no exception. Among the highlights was a Ceylon purple sapphire and diamond ring by Bvlgari, the centerpiece of which is a mesmerizing cushion-shaped pinkish-purple sapphire weighing 10.67 carats. The bold and beautiful ring brought $87,500.
And from Oscar Heyman, there was a spectacular necklace and bracelet duo: An Art Deco-style diamond and platinum bracelet sold for $52,500, and a circa 1980 necklace a glorious spiral of platinum, gold and 24.81 carats of diamonds realized $62,500. The necklace is so sensational, in fact, that it's displayed on the title page and an interior page of Oscar Heyman: The Jewelers' Jeweler by Yvonne Markowitz and Elizabeth Hamilton.
Van Cleef & Arpels made a fine showing as well, with a floral-inspired, circa 1950s diamond, platinum and gold necklace that sold for $56,250, as did Cartier, with a diamond and gold necklace that brought $41,250, a retro 33.50-carat aquamarine ring that realized $27,500 and a pair of Art Deco diamond and multistone clips that sold for $21,250.
Other auction standouts included a charming Tiffany & Co. Belle Époque brooch that sold for $38,750 and a Tiffany & Co. Croisillon bracelet by Schlumberger Studios that realized $15,000.