Exceptional rare blue diamond led Christie’s New York Jewelry Sale on June 11. These rare gems have become the hottest item in auction circles after the historic Wittelsbach blue diamond set the record for the most expensive jewel ever sold at $24.3 million back in December 2008. The 6.29 carats fancy intense blue pear-shaped diamond, estimated at $3.3 - $5.5 million, was sold for $3.55 million.
Buyers were also offered a spectacular colored diamond pendant necklace that suspends two fancy intense blue pear-shaped rose-cut diamonds of 5.01 and 2.03 carats, spaced by a fancy intense pink hexagonal-cut diamond of 3.01 carats.
Natural blue diamonds are among the rarest of colored diamonds and their color comes from the presence of minute amounts of the element boron incorporated within the crystal lattice of the stone during the crystallization process, occurring over 100 million years ago. Blue diamonds belong to the extremely rare Type IIb category of diamonds and are semi-conductors of electricity; an attribute which makes them unique among other diamonds.
The selection of colored diamonds continued with a pear-shaped fancy light pinkish purple diamond ring of 8.10 carats, a pair of earrings with alternating rectangular-cut fancy brownish orangey pink diamonds and yellow diamonds or a pair of emerald and diamond earrings by Cartier.
The sale also featured an elegant emerald and diamond ring designed by Joel Arthur Rosenthal (JAR), who is regarded as one of the world’s most influential contemporary jewelry designers. The ring is set with a sugarloaf cabochon emerald of 16.27 carats and possesses a sculptural quality with its sense of movement and light.
Other auctioned items in the collection included pieces representing the Antique, Belle Epoque, Art Deco, Retro and contemporary periods of jewelry-making. The New York jewelry auction totaled $11.4 million in sales.