DALLAS, TX.- A flawless, colorless Type IIa heart-shaped 3.55 carat diamond became the object of one buyer's affection Monday, selling for $112,500 to top Heritage Auctions' Spring Fine Jewelry Auction. It was among a number of rarities to shine during a sale with enough sparkle to attract nearly 900 bidders worldwide to finish past the $2.9 million mark.

Also among the event's top lots: an unmounted, marquise-shaped, 3.34 carat diamond. The GIA Type IIa diamond, absent any impurities, sold for $106,250 in the sale, more than $20,000 above its high estimate. A third GIA Type IIa diamond – pear-shaped and weighing 3.01 carats – realized $56,250.

It should come as no surprise these three gems were among the standouts in the event given the standard they set for buyers of singular stones. After all, says Jill Burgum, Senior Director of Fine Jewelry at Heritage Auctions, their extraordinary scarcity – they make up but 1-2% of all the known earth-grown diamonds – makes them highly coveted.

"And to offer three exceptionally rare Type IIa diamonds in one auction," she says, "was beyond exciting."

So, too, offered in the sale Monday was an emerald-cut fancy yellow diamond weighing 8.02 carats set in a platinum ring. The piece, featuring triangular-shaped diamonds weighing a total of approximately 1.00 carat, ended at $75,000. That's the same amount realized for a Wachler platinum ring featuring a round brilliant-cut diamond weighing 3.91 carats, surrounded by embedded square brilliant-cut diamonds weighing a total of approximately 0.90 carat. The latter's sale price was nearly twice its high estimate.




A dazzling lot which shattered pre-auction expectations was the 18k gold brooch from Tiffany & Co., made in 1993. This explosive Fireworks design features as its centerpiece an oval-shaped tourmaline weighing approximately 12.00 carats. The entire piece sparkles, thanks to the full-cut diamonds, weighing a total of approximately 6.50 carats, and round-shaped yellow and blue sapphires, weighing a total of approximately 11.50 carats.

The brooch opened Monday at $23,000, at which point a bidding war ensued. And after more than two minutes of a heated back-and-forth between bidders on the phone and on HeritageLive!, the brooch sold for $62,500. That was nearly eight times its high pre-auction estimate.

Another brooch, this one an iconic and highly sought-after Lion's-paw-shell offering from Verdura, likewise exceeded estimates Monday when it realized $56,250, befitting a piece bejeweled with full-cut diamonds weighing a total of approximately 1.55 carats and sapphire cabochons.

David Webb shined in the Monday event, with several of his Animal Kingdom creatures selling above their pre-auction estimates. Among them a gold giraffe bracelet with full-cut diamonds weighing a total of approximately 2.30 carats with ruby cabochons realized $45,000, more than twice its low pre-sale estimate.

"The cornerstone of the auction was The Jewelry Collection of a Lady, which offered a broad spectrum of designer branded jewels," Burgum said. "We were honored to present this selection which elicited an exciting bidding frenzy."

Future auctions of fine jewelry include monthly Friday Night Jewels Online auctions, June 4 and July 9.

Consignments for the Sept. 27 Jewelry Signature Auction are welcomed by July 13.