LONDON.- For the third consecutive year,
Bonhams continues as market leader for jewellery in the UK.
The past year has been a landmark year for fine jewellery at Bonhams. A new world record was set and the company secured nearly half of the market share of UK sales.
In April, Bonhams London sold an extremely rare fancy deep-blue diamond ‘Trombino’ ring by Bulgari weighing 5.30 carats for £6.2million and set a new world record price for a blue diamond at $1.8million per carat.
Blue diamonds are very rarely seen on the market and fancy-coloured blue diamonds are among the most valuable and sought-after in the world. They are structurally very pure and account for less than one per cent of all diamonds mined. They have delighted royals and celebrities over the centuries, with the most famous blue ‘Hope Diamond’ bought by King Louis XIV of France in the late 17th Century.
In December, Bonhams London sold the largest collection of jewellery ever to be auctioned by a living author. Forty stunning jewels from the collection of worldwide best-selling author Barbara Taylor Bradford made over £1.22million in less than one hour.
Every one of the 40 breathtaking jewels was given to the author during her 49-year-long marriage to her film and TV producer husband Robert Bradford and reveals the story of her marriage.
The top lot in the collection was a spectacular 14.07 carat diamond single-stone ring by David Morris which was sold for £446,500. It given to Barbara as birthday present by husband Robert – “When you wear this, you don’t need any other jewellery,” he told her.
With over 40 jewellery auctions a year, including three fine sales held at the magnificent new headquarters in London’s Bond Street, Bonhams has more dedicated jewellery auctions than any other international auctioneer. It also maintains its position in the secondary market at Knightsbridge where it continues to take the lion’s share.
Long known as a respected force in the global market place, Bonhams has now proved its dominance as UK market leader for jewellery.
