< BACK TO NEWS

Two-Stone Ring More Than Doubles Estimate at Sotheby’s

June 4, 2025
Suzanne Watkin

A toi et moi ruby and white-diamond ring smashed its estimates to lead a recent auction at Sotheby’s in London.

The piece features a cushion-cut, 3.88-carat Burmese ruby and an old oval-cut diamond, the band set with brilliant-cut diamonds. It sold for GBP 381,000 ($515,616) at the June 3 Fine Jewelry sale, beating its presale high price of GBP 180,000 ($243,580), according to the auction’s house website.

In total, the auction garnered GBP 3.2 million ($4.4 million), with several lots surpassing their presale estimates. The event also featured pieces from famous design houses, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Bulgari.

Here are the rest of the top five pieces sold:

20th-century chocker featuring a rose-cut diamonds, suspending a large pear-shaped diamond in an openwork surround of old brilliant-cut and cushion-shaped diamonds as well as 12 rows of pearls at Sotheby's image — An early 20^th-century chocker brought in GBP 304,800 ($412,748), more than doubling its GBP 150,000 ($203,124) high price. The piece has a plaque set with rose-cut diamonds, suspending a large pear-shaped diamond in an openwork surround of old brilliant-cut and cushion-shaped diamonds as well as 12 rows of pearls. It contains a total of about 44 carats of diamonds.

Cushion modified brilliant-cut, fancy-light-yellow, VVS2-clarity diamond ring at Sotheby's image — This cushion modified brilliant-cut, 20.04-carat, fancy-light-yellow, VVS2-clarity diamond ring exceeded its GBP 150,000 ($203,124) high estimate, realizing GBP 165,100 ($223,572).

Black Starr & Frost diamond ring at Sotheby's image — This Black Starr & Frost ring features a heart-shaped, 7.42-carat, E-color, SI1-clarity diamond between engraved shoulders set with single-cut diamonds. It fetched GBP 165,100 ($223,572), more than twice its presale estimate of GBP 70,000 ($94,783).

Pendant from the late 19th century bearing an oval-cut, Ceylon sapphire surrounded by cushion-shaped diamonds, with graduated cushion-shaped diamonds in pinched-collet settings along the necklace at Sotheby's image — Sotheby’s sold this pendant from the late 19^th century bearing an oval-cut, 11.44-carat Ceylon sapphire surrounded by cushion-shaped diamonds, with graduated cushion-shaped diamonds in pinched-collet settings along the necklace. It sold within its price range for GBP 95,250 ($128,985)

Main image: The ruby and diamond ring. (Sotheby’s)

Stay Up-to-Date with Rapaport Industry News and Analysis

Sign Up to Newsletters

Join WhatsApp Channel

Two-Stone Ring More Than Doubles Estimate at Sotheby’s

Suzanne Watkin

news@rapaport.com

Auction

Top Stories from Rapaport

Chow Tai Fook storefront in Shenzhen image

Strong Gold Prices Dent Chow Tai Fook Revenue

Decline in sales narrowed over the second half of the fiscal year.

Woman putting a token gumball machine image

The AWDC Is Putting Lab-Grown Diamonds in a Gumball Machine

Organization is also joining forces with others in the industry to create a marketing fund for natural.

Angolan ministry meeting with GIA image

Angola Expands Diamond Reach to GIA and Tiffany & Co.

Country signs memorandum of understanding for future business.

Featured

State of the Diamond Industry: Rapaport and De Beers’ Al Cook Chart the Way Forward at JCK

Annual Rapaport Breakfast focuses on need for transparency and ethical sourcing.