Peace of Light Diamond Brings In $13.6M at Christie’s

A 126.76-carat diamond was the star of the most recent jewelry sale at Christie’s in New York, where it sold for $13.6 million.

The auction house offered the pear brilliant-cut, D-color, internally flawless, type IIa stone, previously owned by the Zale family, without reserve at Magnificent Jewels on June 7. Christie’s had set a presale estimate of up to $15 million for the diamond. In total, the auction fetched $50.7 million, Christie’s said Wednesday.

The auction house also held a separate, consecutive sale for the jewels of Anne Eisenhower. In total, pieces from the collection belonging to the granddaughter of former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower raked in $11.5 million.

The highlight of that auction was a ruby and diamond bracelet by Van Cleef & Arpels, named Jarretière, which actress Marlene Dietrich previously owned and wore in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1950 movie Stage Fright. The bracelet garnered $4.5 million, meeting its top estimate.

Here are the rest of the top lots from the Magnificent Jewels auction:

A cushion mixed-cut, 71.27-carat Burmese sapphire and diamond pendant sold for $4.6 million, within its original price range.

This Chaumet Art Deco necklace from the Rothschild collection contains nine square- and emerald-cut Colombian emeralds ranging from 2.96 to 10.28 carats, and diamonds weighing between 1.20 and 3.07 carats. The piece, which dates to 1930, went for $3.6 million, beating its $3 million high estimate.

The auction house sold this cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut, 2.97-carat, fancy-vivid-blue, VS1-clarity, type IIb diamond ring for $3.1 million, within its expected price range.

A ring bearing a cushion modified brilliant-cut, 4.01-carat, fancy-intense-pink, VVS1-clarity diamond surrounded by pink and white diamonds brought in $2.2 million, falling within its presale price range.

This Verdura ring, featuring a pear brilliant-cut, 2.55-carat, fancy-intense-blue, VS2-clarity diamond and a cushion-shaped Burmese ruby, achieved $1.8 million, meeting estimates.

Main images: The Light of Peace diamond and the Anne Eisenhower ruby and diamond bracelet. (Christie’s)