A ruby necklace was the star of a recent Sotheby’s auction in Paris, where it sold for more than double its high estimate.
The necklace, featuring a cushion-shaped, 3.12-carat, pigeon’s blood Burmese ruby, took the top spot at the March 26 Fine Jewelry sale, where it surpassed its EUR 300,000 ($322,946) top price to bring in EUR 609,600 ($657,035), according to Sotheby’s. In total, the auction garnered EUR 7.2 million ($7.8 million).
Many items at the sale, which included pieces by top design houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Cartier, and Chaumet, topped their upper estimates.
Here are the rest of the top 10 items from the sale:
This ring, featuring a pear-shaped, 17.48-carat, G-color, VS1-clarity diamond, brought in EUR 546,100 ($589,418), surpassing its EUR 500,000 ($539,626) upper price tag. A Van Cleef & Arpels necklace, with three rows of briolette-cut diamonds and a brilliant-cut diamond clasp, exceeded its EUR 400,000 ($430,833) upper estimate to achieve EUR 482,600 ($519,637). This 1950s-era Boucheron ring contains a Kashmir sapphire within a brilliant-cut diamond surround, in a gold rope twist design mount. It sold for EUR 285,750 ($307,737), beating its top presale price of EUR 240,000 ($258,540). Featuring a rectangular step-cut emerald between tapered baguette diamond shoulders, this ring banked above its high estimate of EUR 150,000 ($161,489) to sell for EUR 254,000 ($273,454). Bearing an oval-shaped, 6.60-carat, fancy-vivid-yellow, internally flawless diamond, this ring went under the hammer for EUR 228,600 ($246,195), within its presale price tag. These Van Cleef & Arpels earrings feature rectangular step-cut, fancy-yellow, VVS2-clarity diamonds weighing 10.06 and 10.15 carats, dangling from removable flowers that are pavé set with brilliant-cut diamonds. They brought in EUR 228,600 ($246,195), within their presale estimate. This Cartier set comprises a necklace with a row of graduated natural pearls, with a clasp set sporting oval and baguette diamonds, and matching pearl earrings. It sold for EUR 165,100 ($177,670), over its EUR 100,000 ($107,625) high price. This Chaumet brooch, created in 1929, previously belonged to a French noble family. Designed as a buckle topped with a rectangular motif that has an articulated tie, it is set with circle-cut and cushion-shaped diamonds. The piece brought in EUR 158,750 ($170,899), exceeding its EUR 100,000 ($107,625) upper price tag. This Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet contains a graduated line of alternating brilliant- and rectangular step-cut diamonds. It went for EUR 152,400 ($164,094), nearly double its EUR 80,000 ($86,149) high estimate.
