DALLAS, TX.- On Monday, Sept. 29, Heritage’s Fall Fine Jewelry Signature® Auction soared to a $9,220,693 finish, making it the largest Fine Jewelry auction in company history. It was also Heritage’s longest Fine Jewelry auction, clocking in at just under 12 hours as more than 1,900 bidders from across the globe competed for the event’s 500-plus lots.
Leading the auction was a rare fancy dark brown-greenish yellow diamond that realized $625,000 against a high pre-auction estimate of $150,000. The 41.54-carat cushion-shaped stone, set in a platinum ring with 18k gold prongs, represents the second-largest recorded example of a hydrogen-rich “whiskey-colored” diamond. As noted in the Spring 2010 issue of Gems & Gemology, the historically significant specimen belongs to the rare Type 1aAB group, exhibiting high hydrogen and nitrogen concentrations.
“This is a museum-worthy jewel for the connoisseur of natural diamonds and rare phenomena,” says Jill Burgum, Heritage’s Executive Director of Fine Jewelry. “The winning bidder has acquired a remarkable and resplendent treasure.”
The sale of the showstopping stone resulted in applause throughout the auction room.
Also surpassing its high estimate was a dazzling 12.55-carat diamond ring that realized $300,000, doubling its pre-auction expectations. The marquise-shaped center stone, flanked by tapered baguette-cut diamonds, falls at the top of the near-colorless range, offering a bright, icy-white appearance.
The ring was one of more than 60 lots from a prominent Dallas estate. Other highlights from that collection included a Burma ruby and diamond necklace that sold for $75,000, a Van Cleef & Arpels Colombian emerald and diamond bracelet that realized $65,625 and a diamond necklace that brought $60,000. Another standout lot from the Dallas estate was a Ruser Burma ruby and diamond ring that also sold for $60,000. Known as “Jeweler to the Stars” in the 1950s and ’60s, William Ruser and his Beverly Hills salon once courted the top celebrities of the day, including Loretta Young, Joan Crawford and Claudette Colbert.
The auction’s connections to Hollywood’s Golden Age continued with a nature-inspired jewelry suite that once belonged to silver-screen star Irene Dunne and realized $275,000 in Monday’s event. Attributed to renowned American jeweler Paul Flato, the enchanting convertible suite was inspired by 19th-century French naturalism and features two sculptural leaf clusters set with an array of colored and near-colorless diamonds. Another celebrity highlight was the Bvlgari bracelet that once belonged to Shirley Temple Black. Featuring star sapphire and star ruby cabochons, the bracelet sold for $87,500.
Other auction highlights included several dazzling diamond rings, including a 5.34-carat marquise-shaped stunner that realized $150,000, a 4.41-carat emerald-cut beauty that brought $100,000, a 7.53-carat diamond ring by Bvlgari that realized $93,770 and a 4.30-carat diamond ring that sold for $65,625. Yellow diamond rings also performed well, including an exceptional solitaire ring featuring a 10.05-carat stone as its striking and radiant centerpiece. That ring realized $100,000.
Also reaching the six-figure mark was a spectacular 3.15-carat unmounted Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline that sold for $106,250. Revered for their neon brilliance and scarcity, Brazilian Paraiba tourmalines remain among the most sought-after colored gemstones in the world.
Other colored gemstones that caught bidders’ attention included the 7.92-carat oval-shaped sapphire in the center of a striking Harry Winston ring that realized $106,250, a Van Cleef & Arpels Burma star ruby and diamond ring that realized $75,000, a Ceylon yellow sapphire and diamond ring that brought $68,750 and a 2.46-carat unmounted Burma ruby that realized $62,500.
Another highlight was the auction catalog’s cover lot: a diamond-encrusted Panthère de Cartier ring that brought $87,500. Dotted with emeralds and sapphires, the ring is crafted from 18k white gold and features the sculpted form of Cartier’s iconic panther motif.
