Blue Diamond Earrings Score Big at Bonhams

RAPAPORT… A pair of blue diamond earrings fetched just under $1.3 million at
Bonhams’ New York Jewels sale, beating its high estimate.

The set features a marquise-shaped brilliant cut,
fancy-intense-blue diamond with VS1 clarity, weighing 1.81 carats, and an
oval-shaped modified brilliant-cut, fancy-blue diamond, weighing 1.62 carats. Those
stones are topped by two cushion-shaped modified brilliant-cut diamonds
weighing 2.24 and 2.28 carats, and surrounded by marquise and round
brilliant-cut diamonds carrying a total weight of 2.60 carats. The piece sold
for $1.28 million to an anonymous US buyer at Sunday’s auction, beating its
presale high estimate of $1.25 million, Bonhams said Monday.

Jewelry from the estate of former New York Yankees vice
chairperson Joan Steinbrenner also performed well, with all nine lots selling.
Those included an 18-karat gold and diamond Trika bracelet and earrings by
Bulgari, which garnered $25,075, and a cultured pearl and diamond necklace-and-ring
set by Henry Dunay, which brought in $18,825.

Signed jewels proved popular at the sale, with a
rectangular-shaped step-cut, 16.98-carat sapphire Trombino ring by Bulgari
fetching $250,075, just surpassing its $250,000 upper valuation. A pair of
diamond earrings by Cartier sold for $106,325, and a matched citrine and
diamond set by Van Cleef & Arpels achieved $47,575 following a bidding war.

“The sale was well attended, with participation from 26
different countries, and many of the lots exceeded the top end of their presale
estimates,” said Bonhams senior international jewelry director Brett O’Connor.

A ring featuring a pear-shaped modified brilliant-cut,
2.46-carat, fancy-pink-purple, SI1-clarity diamond alongside a pear-shaped
modified brilliant-cut, 2.01-carat, D-color, internally flawless diamond failed to find a buyer. That piece was estimated at $350,000 to $550,000.

Bonhams will feature additional jewels from the estate of
Joan Steinbrenner at its upcoming California Jewels sale on December 12.

Image: The blue diamond earrings. (Bonhams)