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Articles from (PAID ONLY) DIAMONDS LOOSE - FANCY COLOR (133 Articles), (PAID ONLY) DIAMONDS LOOSE - FANCY CUT (122 Articles)
The Winston Blue set a new world auction record price per carat for a blue diamond
New record set for jewellery sale – then broken!
 3.4 k views | Posted May 20, 2014 | By Stephanie Chan • Staff Journalist
In what appears to be an increasingly competitive sector, more auction
records have been set, with one for the highest total achieved in a
jewellery sale exchanging hands within a single day.
Last week, Sotheby’s made US$141.5 million (AU$151.2 m) at its Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva, breaking the world record that Christie’s had set in December 2012 with its US$137.2 million (AU$146.6 m) Elizabeth Taylor sale.
However, the next day, Christie’s reclaimed its record, drumming up a total of $US154.2 million (AU$164.7 m) at its Magnificent Jewels auction that was also held in Geneva.
During the Christie’s auction, the largest flawless vivid blue diamond, named The Blue, sold for $US23.8 million (AU$25.4 m) to Harry Winston. The price paid by the jewellery brand, which was purchased by Swatch Group in 2013, set a world auction record price per carat for a blue diamond. Weighing 13.22 carats, the diamond has now been renamed The Winston Blue.
Commenting on her purchase, Swatch chair and Harry Winston CEO Nayla Hayek said, “In January 2013 we purchased Harry Winston, and since then, my ambition has been to acquire the most desirable and unique gems. When Christie’s announced they were offering the largest flawless fancy-vivid blue the GIA [Gemological Institute of America] had ever graded, I had to buy it.”
The sale also set an additional four world auction record prices; a light pink diamond at $US10 million (AU$10.7 m); a blue-green diamond at $US8.6 million (AU$9.2 m); an alexandrite at $US1.3 million (AU$1.4 m); and a pink sapphire at $US2 million (AU$2.1 m).
Although Sotheby’s lost one record, it still holds a number of others that were set in its recent Geneva auction.
The sale of the 100.1-carat Graff Vivid Yellow ring for $US16.3 million (AU$17.4 m) broke two world auction records at once – the record for a yellow diamond and for a jewellery piece by the London-based jeweller Graff Diamonds.
A number of new record auction prices per carat were also established, including: a round, colourless diamond that sold for US$246,710 (AU$263,627) per carat; a fancy pink diamond that sold for US$601,228 (AU$642,554) per carat; and a fancy light pink diamond that reached US$393,071 (AU$420,195) per carat.
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