Phillips New York Auction Achieves $4.2M

A variety of signed jewels, Art Deco pieces and diamond jewelry performed well at Phillips New York, with the top-selling item bringing in $571,500.

The piece, a 1938 Art Deco Starfish brooch by French jewelry house René Boivin, realized just over its low estimate, Phillips said Tuesday. It contains a large cushion-shaped sapphire surrounded by old-, circular- and single-cut diamond-set rays further accented by circular-cut sapphires and blue enamel. In total, the June 13 New York Jewels auction of 141 lots achieved $4.2 million. 

The number-two item, a pair of 18-karat yellow gold earrings with circular-cut diamonds weighing approximately 11.59 and 11.07 carats, fetched $279,400, just missing its high estimate.

The next two lots were Bulgari necklaces from a private collection that sold well above their presale estimates.

The first was a three-row 18-karat yellow gold necklace with oval and brilliant-cut diamonds joined by fancy-shaped links set with carré- and brilliant-cut diamonds. That jewel went for $228,600, smashing its $120,000 upper estimate.

The second was an 18-karat yellow gold piece with triangular links set with brilliant-cut diamonds. It garnered $165,100, more than double its $70,000 high presale price tag.

Meanwhile, a diamond Rivière necklace mounted in platinum sold for $127,000, within its expected range.

Art Deco jewels by Boucheron and Suzanne Belperron also performed well, the auction house said. A Boucheron necklace designed as a moving staircase with each link set with a circular cut diamond, mounted in platinum, fetched $95,250, nearly double its $50,000 high estimate.

A Suzanne Belperron silver collar necklace from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Simcox Swensson achieved $69,850, nearly four times its $18,000 upper presale price. The Swensson collection of 48 jewels, mostly from French jewelry houses and from the Art Deco period, brought in $1.15 million.

However, the top lot going into the auction failed to find a buyer. It was a 44.89-carat, fancy-intense-yellow diamond of VVS2 clarity, mounted on an 18-karat yellow gold ring, carrying an estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million.

Image: The René Boivin starfish brooch. (Phillips)