A Very Merry Christie’s: The Most Valuable Auction Jewels of 2024 

Top 10 most-valuable jewels at Christie's and Phillips auctions image

Among the auction houses, Christie’s is one of the biggest players, generally holding several of the top spots for jewels with the highest prices fetched at auction. But this year, the company smashed it out of the ballpark, grabbing nine of the 10 spots on the list, with seven of those passing their high estimates. 

Garnering mind-blowing prices from Hong Kong and Geneva to New York, these are the jewels that raked in the highest prices at auction. 

The top 10: 

Fancy-intense-pink diamond ring at Christie's image
Called the Eden Rose, this ring is set with a round brilliant, 10.20-carat, fancy-intense-pink, internally flawless, type IIa center stone. It has a surround of eight pear brilliant-cut diamonds ranging from 0.73 to 3.11 carats and two marquise brilliant-cut diamonds weighing 1.02 and 2.24 carats. Surpassing its $12 million high estimate, this piece brought in $13.3 million at the Magnificent Jewels sale at Christie’s New York on June 11. 
Fancy-vivid-pink loose diamond at Phillips image
This 6.21-carat, fancy-vivid-pink, VS1-clarity, type IIa diamond led the May 13 Geneva Jewels Auction: Two at Phillips, where it achieved $12 million, within its estimated range. 
Cushion brilliant-cut, fancy-intense-blue, diamond ring at Christie's image
At the Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels auction on December 10, this cushion brilliant-cut, 5.72-carat, fancy-intense-blue, VVS1-clarity diamond ring scored $8.8 million, beating its $8 million upper price. 
Emerald Aga Khan brooch at Christie's image
Setting a world record for the most expensive emerald ever sold at auction was the Aga Khan brooch, which garnered $8.8 million against a high estimate of $7.9 million at the November 12 Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva. The piece can also be worn as a pendant, and contains a square-shaped, 37-carat Colombian emerald surrounded by marquise-shaped diamonds. The jewel — which French-born Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, a former activist and UN diplomat, originally commissioned from Cartier Paris in 1960 as a gift to his wife — first hit the auction block in 1969 at the inaugural jewelry sale at Christie’s Geneva.  
Multi-gem Cartier necklace at Christie’s image
This multi-gem Cartier necklace led the May 27 Magnificent Jewels sale at Christie’s Hong Kong. The India tutti frutti piece shot past its $4.9 million top price to fetch $8.7 million
Pair of earrings named the Oriental Sunrise at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction image
Taking the sixth spot is a pair of earrings named the Oriental Sunrise, which were offered at the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale on October 29 in Hong Kong. The set contains two oval mixed-cut, fancy-vivid-orange-yellow diamonds, one weighing 12.20 and the other 11.96 carats, as well as white diamonds. It brought in $8 million, within its presale range. 
Unmounted fancy-intense-yellow diamond at Christie’s image
An unmounted 202.18-carat, fancy-intense-yellow diamond, known as the Yellow Rose, led the May 15 Magnificent Jewels sale at Christie’s Geneva. The pear modified brilliant-cut, SI1-clarity stone went for $6.7 million, well above its $4.4 million high estimate. It also earned a record at the auction house for the second-highest price for a stone of its color and size. 
Necklace featuring Burmese rubies, and pear and marquise-shaped diamonds at Christie’s image
This necklace featuring 26 oval-shaped Burmese rubies ranging from 1.27 to 5.38 carats, and pear and marquise-shaped, D- to F-color diamonds from 1 to 1.21 carats, sold for $6.4 million at the October 29 Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels auction at Christie’s. The sale price fell within estimates. 
Ring containing oval pigeon’s blood Burmese ruby and diamonds at Christie's image
At the May 27 Magnificent Jewels sale at Christie’s in Hong Kong, this ring containing an oval modified mixed-cut, 8.01-carat, pigeon’s blood Burmese ruby and diamonds doubled its $3.2 million upper price to realize $6.4 million
Van Cleef & Arpels Maharaja necklace containing three pear brilliant-cut diamonds at Christie's image
Van Cleef & Arpels designed this Maharaja necklace containing three pear brilliant-cut diamonds weighing 25.5, 11.24 and 11.13 carats. The jewel, which can be transformed into seven necklaces, three bracelets, a brooch and four pairs of earrings, took the second spot at the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva on November 12, beating its $5.7 million high estimate to make $6.2 million

Main image: Some of the top 10 most-valuable jewels at auction this year. (Christie’s/Phillips)

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