HONG KONG.- Sotheby’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Autumn Sale 2016 will take place on 4 October at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The sale will bring to the market an extraordinary selection of signed vintage jewellery and iconic designs by renowned brands including Harry Winston, Bulgari, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, highlighted by the cover lot of the auction -- an Important Emerald and Diamond Demi-Parure by Bulgari. These are complemented by a selection of diamonds, superb natural coloured gemstones, pearls, and jadeite jewels. Approximately 195 lots estimated in excess of HK$513 million / US$65 million* will be offered.
QUEK Chin Yeow, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia and Chairman of International Jewellery, Asia, said, “This upcoming Jewellery Autumn Sale is a carefully-curated auction offering some of the beautiful iconic designs from famous jewellery houses to appeal to our discerning collectors. Included too are best coloured gemstones, including precious Kashmir sapphires, Colombian emeralds and Burmese rubies available on the auction market today.”
SALE HIGHLIGHTS
SIGNED VINTAGE JEWELLERY AND ICONIC DESIGNS
A masterpiece of true opulence, this Magnificent Diamond Necklace, Harry Winston (Est. HK$ 42 – 48 million / US$5.4 – 6.2 million, Lot 1798) combines elegant and delicate design with exceptional stones and exquisite workmanship. Designed as a cascade of diamonds, the nine graduated pear-shaped stones at the front, all D colour and Internally Flawless, have been meticulously selected to match the standard of quality that is paramount to the Harry Winston brand. The necklace displays the signature Winston flair; with a distinctive arrangement of diamond clusters and shaped stones of complementary sizes and remarkable brilliance. Of fringe design, the diamonds are mounted in platinum and weighs approximately 177.51-carats in total.
For me calling at Bulgari’s shop is like visiting the best exhibition of contemporary art. -Andy Warhol
The cover lot of the sale, an Important Emerald and Diamond Demi-Parure, Bulgari (Est. HK$4.6 – 8 million / US$595,000 – 1,040,000; Lot 1709), encompasses perfectly the in-vogue glamour of the celebrated Italian brand with its meticulous selection of gemstones, majestic design and masterful craftsmanship. The design of the necklace, although absolutely contemporary, shows Bulgari’s interest in the maison’s own heritage by re-visiting their great neck-chain-and-pendant ornaments of the 1970s. The lavish display of gems, emerald and diamonds carefully chosen for their matching colour and clarity in a time-consuming process, shows the great expertise –and endurance– of Bulgari’s gemmologists. The necklace comprises of three graduated step-cut emeralds weighing 12.00, 10.14 and 6.91-carats, and the earrings are each set with a step-cut emerald weighing 6.01 and 5.92-carats respectively. The demi-parure is offered in two stamped Bulgari cases and is presented with original design drawings; fitting for the most discerning jewellery aficionado.
Combining exquisite designs, artisanal craftsmanship and scarce supply, signed vintage jewellery from renowned design houses are highly sought after at auction. A vintage, early 20th century Belle Époque Ruby and Diamond Necklace (Est. HK$ 1.6 – 2 million / US$ 207,000 – 258,000, Lot 1738) is presented at this autumn sale. Suspending a fringe of rubies embellished with old-European and rose-cut diamonds, the latticework is accented with diamond garlands and similarly-set rubies. The rubies and diamonds weighing approximately 13.00 and 3.00 carats in total respectively, and the necklace is presented in a fitted case.
DIAMONDS
Only one in ten-thousand diamonds mined has a trace of colour, and of these, pink diamonds represent a very small percentage. One of the rarest among fancy coloured diamonds, pink diamonds are highly sought after in the auction market and the demand has driven prices to remarkable levels. In November 2010, Sotheby’s Geneva sold a 24.78 carat fancy intense pink diamond for US$ 45.6 million, which set the record as the most expensive singe jewel to sell at an auction at the time. This autumn, a 6.59-Carat Fancy Intense Purple-Pink Diamond and Diamond Ring (Est. HK$41 – 50 million / US$5.3 – 6.5 million; Lot 1794) will appear in the Sotheby’s Hong Kong saleroom. Evoking a sense of romance and femininity, this pear-shaped 6.59-carat fancy intense purple-pink, internally flawless diamond is set to enrich any judicious jewellery collection.
Yellow diamonds owe their colour to the presence of nitrogen in the diamond structure. Pure yellow diamonds with no modifying hues are relatively rare and decidedly sought after. Featuring the lively and saturated golden yellow colour, this 10.81-Carat Important Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond and Diamond Ring (Est. HK$8.6 – 12 million / US$1.1 – 1.5 million, Lot 1704) will highlight this season’s coloured diamonds collection. The diamond is embellished with circular-cut diamonds, mounted in 18 karat white and yellow gold.
The kaleidoscopic range of coloured diamonds is complemented by a superb selection of colourless stones embodying the finest attributes in a diamond: D colour, flawless clarity, excellent cut, polish and symmetry (Triple Ex) and the most chemically pure Type IIa quality. Among them is a 28.88-Carat Superb and Auspicious Unmounted Diamond (Est. HK$34.5 – 42 million / US$4.5 – 5.4 million, Lot 1787, pictured right) and a stepcut 13.60-Carat Diamond Ring, Cartier (Est. HK$11 – 14 million / US$1.4 – 1.8 million, Lot 1707).
NATURAL COLOURED GEMSTONES
This sale showcases rare and exquisite natural coloured gemstones including sapphires and rubies. In October 2014, Sotheby’s Hong Kong achieved consecutive per-carat records for Kashmir sapphires – first with the 12.00 carat Cartier sapphire ring at US$193,975 per carat, and then with a 17.16 carat sapphire at USD$236,404. A year later, at the Hong Kong Autumn sales in October 2015, the current per-carat world auction record was set at USD$242,145 per carat when the 27.68 carat The Jewel of Kashmir sapphire sold for HK$53 million / US$6.7 million - a testament to the insatiable desire for sapphires of this prestigious pedigree.
‘The Pride of Kashmir’, an Exceptional and Very Rare 20.22-Carat Sapphire and Diamond Ring (Est. HK$ 30 – 45 million / US$ 3.8 – 5.8 million; Lot 1799) showcases an incomparable blue colour which excels brilliantly under any light. Gübelin describes the gem as “possess[ing] a velvety richly saturated and homogenous colour, combined with a high degree of transparency, and a finely proportioned cut”. Set with an oval sapphire weighing 20.22-carats, the gemstone is flanked by two trilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in platinum and 18 karat yellow gold.
Also on offer is an Exquisite and Very Fine 21.72-Carat Sapphire and Diamond Ring, Van Cleef & Arpels (Est. HK$ 17.5 – 25 million / US$ 2.3 – 3.2 million; Lot 1795). Set with a cabochon sapphire weighing 21.72-carats and decorated with old-mine-cut diamonds and mounted in platinum, the gemstone displays a rich, luxurious blue velvety colour that epitomises the peak of the Kashmir mine’s output.
A 5.07-Carat Important Ruby and Diamond Ring (Est. HK$15 – 18 million / US$1.9 – 2.3 million; Lot 1797) is centred on an unheated Burmese ruby of outstanding purity in a saturated ‘pigeon blood red’ primarily found in rubies from the famed Mogok Valley, the most prestigious origin for this gemstone. The ruby is surrounded by four pear-shaped diamonds weighing 7.56 carats in total.
NATURAL PEARLS
Natural pearls are amongst one of the most prized of all jewels. Due to their alluring beauty and rarity, pearls have always been considered symbols of power, beauty and elegance. Of all the pearls, natural black pearls are the rarest and have been the prized possession of the world’s royalty and nobility. In 2015, Sotheby’s Hong Kong set the world auction record for any natural grey pearl necklace, selling The Cowdray Pearls for US$5.3 million. Classic, timeless, and extremely chic, this Autumn, Sotheby’s is delighted to present ‘The Black Beauty’, a Very Rare Natural Pearl, Diamond and Black Onyx Necklace (Est. HK$ 16 – 19 million / US$ 2.1 – 2.5 million; Lot 1796). Composed of forty-one graduated natural grey pearls of approximately 14.85 to 5.85mm, alternating with faceted diamond beads and black onyx rondelles, the necklace is completed with a marquise-shaped diamond clasp.
JADE
Among the various forms of jewellery that could be carved from a jadeite boulder, bangles and bead necklaces command the highest value, mainly due the immense wastage during the cutting process. Jadeite bangles are hololiths that are carved from a single piece of stone. For a bangle to be durable as a piece of jewellery, the boulder must be almost free of fissures and inclusions. This Highly Important Jadeite Bangle (Est. HK$50 – 70 million / US$6.5 – 9 million, lot 1790) of high translucency and a vivid emerald green colour is a rare example of jadeite of the best quality. Fine jadeite bangles of such calibre are exceedingly scarce, so much so that they are a rarity even at international auctions. In April 2014, Sotheby’s Hong Kong sold a highly important oval Guifei bangle for HK$43.8 million, setting the world auction record for any jade bangle. Two years on at this Autumn auction, Sotheby’s is honoured to present this bangle of truly exceptional quality that will surely captivate discerning jadeite collectors around the world.
Nephrite is one of the two distinct minerals recognised as jade, the other being jadeite. White nephrite, also known as white jade, is considered to be the most valuable nephrite and can be carved into a variety of exquisite jewellery pieces. Sotheby’s is proud to present two pairs of white jade bangles from the Qing Dynasty, the first being a Pair of Carved Dragon Nephrite Bangles (Est. HK$200,000 – 280,000 / US$25,800 – 36,100, Lot 1635, pictured right), and the other a Pair of Nephrite Bangles (Est. HK$160,000 – 240,000 / US$20,700 – 31,000, Lot 1636) of rope-twist pattern. It is rare for bangles to survive intact as a pair, owing to breakage, and especially rare that they date from the Qing Dynasty. The pair of dragon bangles references archaistic motif and design, with one similar pair belonging to collection of the National Palace Museum of Taiwan, whilst the rope-twist pattern bangle has a design precedent of a bangle sold by Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 1988, belonging to Barbara Hutton, American socialite, heiress and philanthropist.
BY ROYAL DESIGN
This Light Pink Diamond, Gem-set and Diamond Brooch, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia (Est. HK$780,000 – 950,000 / US$101,000 – 123,000, Lot 1754), is a highlight piece by Royal design. Formerly senior vice president of the Jewellery Department at Sotheby's, Prince Dimitri is the founder, president and creative director of the New York-based jewellery firm Prince Dimitri Company. “Jewellery should always be playful, I find. It’s more chic”, stated His Royal Highness. This multifaceted gem-set and diamond brooch embodies this philosophy, at once showcasing sophistication in the carefully curated collection of gemstones and playfulness in the spirited, dynamic design. Of paisley design, the brooch centres a pear-shaped light pink diamond weighing 4.36-carats
