Sotheby’s Autumn Fine Jewels Auction Achieves $7.5 Million

Sotheby’s scored more than GBP 6 million ($7.5 million) at its latest London jewelry sale, the second-highest total it has ever achieved in the city.

The top lot in last month’s Autumn Fine Jewels auction was one of several examples of the prices garnered for both signed jewels and high-quality colored gems, the company said Thursday. A Cartier Monture 18-karat yellow gold ring centered with a 6.45-carat unheated Kashmir sapphire and 7 to 8 carats of pear- and marquise-shaped diamonds sold for GBP 431,800 ($534,206), smashing its GBP 90,000 ($111,345) high estimate.

Signed vintage jewels, colored gems and fancy-shaped diamonds led the sale of 236 lots, of which 89% sold, 74% above their high estimates. It was the most successful various-owner jewelry sale in the history of its London location and the second-highest overall, after the 2010 The Duchess of Windsor auction, which fetched GBP 7.9 million ($9.8 million).

“While prices soared in the salesroom for pieces from established jewelry houses…there was simultaneously a strong demand for exceptional-quality stones,” said Nikita Binani, head of jewels at Sotheby’s London. “Color took to the eyes of all our collectors worldwide with strong prices achieved in this sale for sapphires, emeralds and pink diamonds.”

Here are the rest of the top 10 jewels:

Main image: The Monture Cartier sapphire and diamond ring. (Sotheby’s)