Hong Kong – Christie’s is proud to announce the Magnificent Jewels live auction to be held on 23 May, 2021, offering 211 lots. One of the leading highlights is The Sweet Heart – a 4.19 Carat Fancy Vivid Pink VVS1 Diamond Ring (estimate: HK$43 Million – 60 Million/ US$5.5 Million – 7.5 Million), and also a thoughtfully curated selection of dazzling diamonds, coloured gemstones, jadeite, and signed jewels from legendary houses such as Harry Winston, Cartier, and David Webb, among others. Complementing the auction will be the previously announced leading highlight - The Sakura, a 15.81 Carat Fancy Vivid Purple Pink Internally Flawless Type lla Diamond Ring (please see full release here).

COLOURED DIAMONDS

Collectors worldwide are always captivated by the dazzling aura and luxurious flair of coloured diamonds. In addition to The Sakura and The Sweet Heart pink diamonds that lead the sale, also on offer this season is a remarkable grouping of coloured diamonds in hues of yellow, orange, and blue.

COLOURLESS DIAMOND

Colourless diamonds are not uncommon at auction, but very rarely are they offered at no reserve particularly for stones of enormous size. This season, Christie’s is delighted to present a 50.05 Carat D Colour Flawless Type IIA Briolette Diamond Pendant Necklace (estimate: HK$20 Million – 30 Million/ US$2.5 Million – 3.8 Million) without reserve, enticing jewellery enthusiasts with its sparkling allure and an attractive starting bid.

COLOURED GEMSTONES

Rubies have long been associated with royalty, wealth, passion, and power, and command the highest price per carat apart from coloured diamonds.  ‘Pigeon’s Blood’ rubies from Burma in particular have been fetching strong prices at Christie’s global salerooms. A leading highlight this season is a 6.04 Carat Burmese 'Pigeon's Blood' Ruby Ring (estimate: HK$12 Million – 18 Million/ US$1.5 Million – 2.3 Million) mined from Mogok, set to attract heated bidding among collectors. 

Dubbed ‘The King of Diamonds’, Harry Winston handled some of the most significant diamonds and coloured gemstones for almost nine decades. Famed for his passion, discretion, knowledge, and innovation, he developed his trademark technique known as ‘clustering’ in the 1940s. This revolutionary concept is defined by having different cuts of diamonds set with minimal metal and at varying angles, allowing the diamonds to appear to float on top of the wearer. This unique design can be seen in another leading highlight of this sale – a Burmese 'Pigeon's Blood' Ruby and Diamond Necklace (estimate: HK$13.5 Million – 18.5 Million/ US$1.7 Million – 2.35 Million). The perfect combination of glittering rubies and diamonds creates clusters of remarkable brilliance, sure to lure the heart of every jewellery lover.

Emeralds, particularly from the fabled Muzo mines in Colombia, have been performing well at auction due to their exceptional rarity, striking colour, fire and intensity, as well as high degrees of transparency. 

On offer in this sale is The Green Jewels – a pair of 7.32 and 6.46 Carats Natural Colombian No Clarity Enhancement Muzo Emerald Earrings (estimate: HK$8,000,000 – 12,000,000/ US$1 Million – 1.5 Million) which exhibit a matching homogenous lush green colour and possess remarkably rare high clarity, and are complemented by dazzling pink diamonds. 

The earrings are best matched with another notable highlight, a Colombian No Clarity Enhancement Emerald and Diamond Necklace by Cartier (estimate: HK$10 Million – 15 Million/ US$1.25 Million – 1.9 Million). 

Sapphires from Kashmir are almost a legend as they are extremely rare nowadays due to exhausted mines. The ever-growing demand and their ‘blue velvet’ texture and tint, continuously drive intense bidding at auctions. Offered in this sale will be a Kashmir Sapphire and Diamond Bracelet (estimate: HK$6 Million – 8 Million/ US$750,000 – 1 Million) by another famous American jeweler, David Webb. 

Ceylon sapphires are also a collectors’ favourite due to their captivating flair. This sale will present a Ceylon Sapphire and Diamond Rivère Necklace by Etcetera (estimate: HK$5.5 Million – 8.5 Million/ US$700,000 – 1.1 Million). Designed by Etcetera’s founder and renowned jewellery designer Edmond Chin, each unheated Ceylon sapphire is arranged alternatively with a white diamond in the classical manner, and innovatively based with colourless synthetic sapphires by titanium wire and titanium links paved with sapphire melee,  making the gems appear to float above the neck in a cloud of light. 

Burmese sapphires are becoming increasingly rare due to limited mining, and thus they often fetch high prices at auction. One of the sale highlights this season is a 15.32 Carat Burmese ‘Royal Blue’ Sapphire Ring (estimate: HK$2.5 Million – 3.5 Million/ US$320,000 – 440,000) which radiates an alluring midnight blue glow. 

Paraiba tourmaline, a new variety of semi-precious gemstones discovered in Brazil in the late 1980s, has taken the jewellery market by storm in recent years and is now a rising star in auction rooms. Collectors are charmed over by its stunning neon blue colour, high transparency, and luminous brilliance due to the presence of copper in the stones. On offer this season is a 14.20 Carat Brazilian Paraiba Tourmaline and Diamond Ring (estimate: HK$5.8 Million – 8.8 Million/ US$750,000 – 1.1 Million).

JADEITE

Due to limited production in Burma and its continued popularity among Asian buyers, jadeite remains one of the most sought-after gemstones in Asia.

This season, Christie’s is delighted to present three exquisite jadeite pieces that exhibit high translucency and a highly saturated green hue – a Jadeite Bead and Diamond Necklace, with beads of a uniform size and in the same exceptional quality (estimate: HK$26,000,000 – 35,000,000/ US$3.3 Million – 4.5 Million), a remarkably translucent Jadeite Bangle (estimate: HK$3,800,000 – 5,800,000/ US$480,000 – 750,000), and a pair of Jadeite Double Hoop and Ruby Earrings (estimate: HK$2.2 Million – 3 Million/ US$280,000 – 380,000).

Notes To Editors

Public Preview (by appointment - infoasia@christies.com):

Beijing | 16 – 17 April | No. 82 Jinbao Street, Dong Cheng District

Taipei | 1 – 2 May | Taipei Marriott Hotel, No. 199, Lequn 2^nd Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei

Hong Kong | 3 – 8 May | 22/ F, Alexandra House, 18 Chater Road Central

Hong Kong | 21 – 23 May | Convention Hall, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, No.1 Harbour Road, Wanchai

Auction:

Hong Kong | 23 May | Convention Hall, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, No.1 Harbour Road, Wanchai

More information on Christies.com:

10 history-making pink diamonds sold at Christie’s