Exceptional 6.01 Carat Fancy Intense Orangy-Pink Diamond,
Estimated at $1.2-1.8 Million
Auction to Feature Signed Pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, & Bulgari
Accompanying Online-Only Sale Open for Bidding 28 May-11 June
NEW YORK – 20 MAY 2019 – Phillips is pleased to announce highlights from the upcoming Jewels auction on 7 June in New York. Comprised of over 130 lots, the auction will include a variety of fancy and colorless diamonds, high-quality gemstones, timepieces, and signed pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, and Bulgari, among others. The auction will be led by an exceptional 6.01 carat fancy intense orangy-pink diamond, estimated at $1.2-1.8 million. In addition to the live auction on Friday, 7 June, an online-only sale will run concurrently and will be open for bidding from 28 May to 11 June.
Colored Stones
The rare and fancy intense diamond leading the sale displays a well-saturated and delicate balance of orange and pink color, good clarity, and an exceptional crystalline quality, with its shape and cut also capturing its unique color blend. Natural pink diamonds are amongst the rarest colored diamonds. Even more scarce are pink diamonds over 2.00 carats with good clarity, making gems such as the 6.01 carat diamond highly prized amongst collectors. Natural pink diamonds with unusual modifying colors are sought after for their diversity and personal expression. Orange, purple and red modifiers are extremely rare and desirable, as well. The even distribution and integration of orange and pink colors in this diamond is exceptional and virtually unique with saturation so intense it nears the “vivid” border.
Also among the colored stones in the sale is an important grandidierite, one of the rarest gemstones in the world. Its high clarity, size of 4.78 carats, and exquisite shade of blue-green converge to make it a truly remarkable example of an already precious and scarce mineral. Phillips’ sale also marks the first time that one of these stones will be offered at auction. An important Kashmir sapphire, diamond and platinum ring by Bulgari will also be offered. Since their discovery, Kashmir sapphires have acquired a legendary status for their unmatched rich blue hue, velvet texture, and rarity. Kashmir sapphires constitute a minuscule percentage of the globe’s total sapphire supply and discovering an unheated gem-quality example that surpasses five carats, as in the present example, is a remarkable event.
Signed Jewels
Among the highlights of the signed jewels in the sale is a Cartier art deco emerald, diamond and platinum brooch from example from one of the company’s most fertile and creative periods. The piece was purchased by the family of Charles Broadway Rouss, a self-made millionaire. Arriving in New York City after the Civil War, he built a successful international business as a merchant. The brooch has remained in the same family since its purchase.
Emerging Designers
Phillips is also proud to have the opportunity to include several jewelry designers in the auction who are fairly new to the secondary market, including a stunning ruby, diamond, and gold ring by V.A.K. Fine Jewels. V.A.K., which only produces 125 to 150 pieces annually, invented a stone setting technique that allows the gems to shine from all angles, transforming them into metal-less, flexible parts, adding movement to his designs. Also included in the sale are pieces by jewellery designers Stefan Hafner and Cezua.
Timepieces
The June Jewels auction will also feature an impressive selection of wristwatches by some of the most important makers in the field, including a Van Cleef & Arpels Retro “Cadenas” Wristwatch, 1938; a Cartier gold “Ballon Bleu” wristwatch, circa 2012; an Audemars Piguet diamond and gold wristwatch, 1992; and a Patek Philippe diamond and gold wristwatch, 1999.