Sotheby’s hosted the Magnificent Jewels & Noble Jewels auction in Geneva which fetched a total of $164.5 million, the highest ever total for a various owner jewelry auction. Records were broken throughout the sale with the Sunrise Ruby being the top lot of the auction. The exceptional and immeasurably rare 25.59-carat Burmese stone went under the hammer for over $31 million, more than double the pre-sale estimate. It set the world record for a Ruby at auction as well as for any jewel by Cartier, both in total price and per-carat price. The cushion-shaped pigeon blood color ruby is set in a ring between shield-shaped diamonds weighing 2.47 and 2.70 carats. It also got crowned as the most expensive colored gemstone that is not a diamond.

Another jewel that set a new record in Geneva is the sapphire and diamond brooch by Cartier. The piece of jewelry boasts of a 30.23-carat sapphire from Kashmir that fetched $6.3 million, a new record price for a Kashmir sapphire jewel. The cushion-shaped sapphire is nestled amongst pear- and marquise-shaped diamonds weighing a total of approximately 42.35 carats.

A 1930s diamond tiara from the house of Cartier was estimated to sell at $300,000 – $500,000 but the final hammer went down on a whopping $2.6 million. The stunning tiara features geometric design, set throughout with circular-cut diamonds and surmounted by a graduated series of thirty-one collet-set diamonds.





Sotheby’s