A spectacular intense and vivid yellow and orange diamond necklace, along with one of the largest drop-shaped natural pearls so far recorded and a natural Burmese ruby weighing 22 carats are among the dazzling highlights of Christie’s April 20th sale of Jewels at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai. Christie’s, the world’s leading art business, who have been holding regular auctions in the Middle East since 2006, will also be offering Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art at auction on the previous evening, April 19th (separate press release available). 

David Warren, International Director of Christie’s Jewellery department and Head of Jewellery Middle East, commented: “Chic modern jewellery, rare gemstones and carefully chosen examples of work by top Contemporary jewellers, combine to produce an attractive and ‘tailored’ jewellery auction for our Middle Eastern collectors.” 

Diamonds and Gemstones

An impressive suite of diamond and fancy coloured diamond jewellery comprising a necklace with a double swag of graduated diamond flowerheads, with matching earrings, is the highest valued lot in the sale at $450,000-550,000. The earrings and the necklace are mounted with a series of rare Fancy Intense diamonds of yellow and orange hues of impressive size. The necklace converts for use as a tiara and may also be worn as a single row necklace. A spectacular Fancy Brownish Greenish Yellow diamond ring weighing 25.01carats, is another key piece in the sale with an estimate of $280,000-350,000. Also highlighting this part of the sale are two rare cushion-shaped Burmese ruby rings. One weighing 10.03carats and another of 22 carats, they are estimated at $240,000-280,000 and $200,000-250,000 respectively. Unheated Burmese rubies of these large sizes are rare and highly coveted. 

Natural Pearls

Appropriately for the Gulf, Christie’s Dubai sales have often featured fine natural pearls. A spectacular 8-strand graduated natural pearl necklace with a late Victorian diamond clasp, is a highlight of the sale with an estimate of $240,000-280,000. To complement this piece is an important natural baroque drop-shaped pearl weighing 239.7 grains (59.92 carats). This impressive pearl was once part of the collection of Valda Virginia Vaughn Scott, the daughter of an English diplomat and a member of the prestigious Alessi family. Her grandfather and great-grandfather served in the Royal Malta Regiment and the Malta Crown Advocate, and they were in turn descended from the Maltese nobleman, the Marquis di Taflia. This fine provenance also lends itself to the rarity of the pearl, whose size places it as one of the largest natural saltwater pearls so far recorded. It is estimated at US$180,000-250,000. 

Contemporary and Signed Jewels

An imposing oval-shaped sapphire and diamond ring by Van Cleef and Arpels, weighing 30.05 carats and specially commissioned in 1959, is a highlight of this section and is estimated at $80,000-120,000. Among the contemporary jewels which are much admired by Middle Eastern clients is a striking diamond and multi-gem bracelet by Michael Youssoufian. The wide band is mounted with a series of oval-shaped moonstone cabochons interspersed by vari-shaped ‘paraiba’ tourmalines, spinel and tsavorite garnets, accented by brilliant-cut diamonds (estimated: $30,000-40,000). At $9,000-12,000 is an amusing multi-gem ‘Golden Seahorse’ ring by Anna Hu, decorated at the sides with yellow diamonds depicting a `golden seahorse'. Using sapphire, diamond and green garnet to suggest the colours if the ocean, this setting supports an oval-shaped rose-cut blue topaz weighing 24.05 carats.