Colored Diamonds Command Big Price tags at Christie’s Sale

October 18th, 2013 by Noam Flint

A number of natural colored diamonds have been stealing the spotlight in recent weeks. With a multitude of high-profile sales and auctions going on throughout the world, many jewelers and fans of precious stones have been able to gaze upon some truly dazzling gems.

We anxiously waited for it and even wrote about it and it finally occurred – Christie’s New York recently held its Magnificent Jewels auction, and several of the biggest items drew in their fair share of attention and bids. The Oct. 15 sale featured a number of colored diamonds and glamorous gems that rightfully gained a portion of the headlines.

Colored diamonds steal the show

The top seller at the auction was a pink diamond ring that eventually went to Moussaieff Jewellers, a luxury retailer with stores in London and Geneva. At the center of the bauble is an 8.77-carat rectangular-cut fancy intense pink diamond. This stone catapulted the ring to a price of $6.3 million, or $721,200 per carat.

Christie’s New York also sold a 3.81-carat rectangular-cut fancy vivid blue diamond. This spectacular gem brought in a total of $4 million, which is more than $1 million per carat, thanks to its spectacular clarity and coloring. The buyer of this gem requested anonymity, so there’s no telling if the public will get another look at the diamond in a final setting.

Another pink diamond put up for auction by Christie’s was also set in a ring. This 2.47-carat purple-pink stone is cut into a heart shape and is surrounded on each side by a modified heart-shaped fancy intense blue diamond. Those two colored diamonds weight about 1.22 carats and 1.16 carats, respectively, Forbes reported. Although this ring was expected to sell for as much as $1.55 million, it failed to sell, giving many jewelry fans another chance to get a glimpse of the ring in the future.

Other gems sold at the auction

While these colored diamonds were the big-ticket items of the sale, several other precious gems were also sold to the highest bidder. One of the highlights was a brooch that once belonged to Eva Perón, the legendary figure from Argentina. The brooch, which is in the form of an Argentinean flag, featured sapphires as well as white and yellow diamonds.

SEE ALSO: Christie’s New York to auction 3 Colored Diamonds

In total, the Christie’s sale brought in nearly $47 million from fine jewels. Other top lots included a 25.30-carat diamond that commanded $3.1 million, an 18.28-carat diamond that sold for more than $2 million, and a 15.88-carat cushion-cut Kashmir sapphire that drew in more than $1.8 million.