HOLLYWOOD JEWELS BRING RECORD SALE
Christie’s October sale of Fine Jewels in Los Angeles, a rare array of jewelry collections from Hollywood stars, garnered $3.2 million, a record Los Angeles sale. With a standing-room-only crowd and telephone bids from around the world, Christie’s sold 93% of the 198 lots offered.
The auction featured the jewels of Ginger Rogers, Audrey Meadows, Gene Tierney and Dinah Shore, beloved stars of the silver screen from the 1930s through the 1950s.
The top sale of the day was a 7.06-ct. D VS1 oval-cut diamond ring with a pave-set diamond mounting from Ginger Rogers’ estate. The ring was estimated at $70,000 to $90,000 and sold for $129,000.
In addition, Patricia G. Hambrecht, Christie’s managing director for North and South America, announced that Christie’s will establish a headquarters in Beverly Hills, Cal., next year. “This evening’s very successful sale, following upon past strong results for Christie’s in California, reinforces our confidence in the West Coast as a future center for sales and establishes a strong platform for 1997,” she said.
RINGS FEATURED AT WILLIAM DOYLE AUCTION
Rare colored gemstone and diamond rings were the stars of the show at William Doyle Galleries’ sale of Important Estate Jewelry in September. Sales totaled $998,190.
A diamond and emerald passerby ring, signed and numbered by Cartier, far surpassed its presale estimate of $12,000 to $18,000 and sold for $26,450. The platinum ring features a 3.46-ct. octagonal-cut diamond and an octagonal-cut emerald.
Rings continued to achieve the highest prices at the sale: a natural sapphire and diamond ring brought $28,750 and a ruby and diamond ring brought $21,850. A diamond solitaire engagement ring set with a 6.01-ct. brilliant-cut diamond sold for $20,700.
ULYSSE NARDIN SALE MARKS ANTIQUORUM ANNIVERSARY
Antiquorum Auctioneers, the Geneva-based auction house known for its sales of watches, marked its 150th anniversary in October with a special sale of Ulysse Nardin chronometers and watches. The sale also featured more than 450 lots of wrist watches, pocket watches, chronometers and clocks by popular makers and a selection of 18th to 20th century horological books. The sale brought in about $5 million.
The top lot of the Ulysse Nardin offerings was a silver and gold presentation chronometer with minute repetition and chronograph made for the Chicago Exhibition of 1893. The chronograph sold for $87,301.
CHRISTIE’S HONG KONG SALE TOTALS $6.5 MILLION
More than 100 years in Western jewelry was represented at the sales of Important Jewelry and Watches and Jadeite Jewellery Without Reserve at Christie’s Hong Kong in September. The sales earned a total of $6.5 million.
The top lot was a suite of Burmese ruby and diamond jewelry for which a private Asian buyer paid $358,251. All of the 10 top lots of the day sold to Asian and European private buyers.
Christie’s sold all the lots of a special selection of jadeite jewelry from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) and more modern jewelry.
DIAMONDS, PEARLS POPULAR AT SKINNER AUCTION
A ring centered with a 13.06-ct. emerald-cut diamond flanked by a single straight baguette was the top lot of Skinner’s September sale of fine jewelry in Boston, Mass. The ring sold to a telephone bidder for $48,300 and helped to boost total sales to $743,222.
Diamonds and pearls were especially popular at the sale. Another emerald-cut diamond ring brought $27,025, while a diamond bow brooch brought $23,000. A pair of baroque pearl and diamond earrings reached $23,000, and an Edwardian pearl and diamond suite of a necklace and ear pendants brought $19,550.
A quirky hatpin collection featured more than 150 pieces of Edwardian and Art Nouveau styles. An Art Noveau sapphire and enamel hatpin was the top of the lot, selling for $2,990.