15.51-carat Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond Ring.
Photo: Courtesy of Phillips
Auction of the Week: Rare 15.5-Carat Yellow Diamond Sells for $1.1 Million
Rare colorful stones took center stage at Phillips Jewels in Hong Kong, confirming a red-hot market
15.51-carat Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond Ring. Photo: Courtesy of Phillips
Spring has officially sprung, and Phillips in Hong Kong captured the beauty and color of the season with its Hong Kong Jewels sale on March 28. Hitting the block was a dazzling selection of colored diamonds and gemstones, which are in high demand among collectors and continue to be excellent investments.
Among the finest Burmese rubies, Colombian emeralds, red spinels, and Paraiba tourmalines, the show’s star was undoubtedly the 15.51-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond that sold for $1.1 million. Set in a ring, it features a brilliant cut, which is a style of cutting known for resulting in a great loss of material. It is “extremely rare,” according to Phillips, to see brilliant-cut natural colored diamonds, as most gem dealers will opt for a style that yields the greatest carat weight.
Van Cleef & Arpels Turquoise and Diamond Necklace. Photo: Courtesy of Phillips
With 66 lots sold of the 91 lots offered, the auction was sold 73 percent by lot and 76 percent by value. Phillips Jewels worldwide head of jewelry, Benoît Repellin, and head of sale, Louisa Chan, reported that fancy colored diamonds “commanded the sale.” The sale reveals the “resilience of the global demand for rare and important jewels across the board,” they note. Vintage signed pieces also performed well, with a dazzling turquoise and diamond necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels fetching $584,302, exceeding its pre-sale high estimate by nearly four times. “There was also a demand for Burmese rubies, emerald, and sapphire.”
Colombian emerald and diamond ring. Photo: Courtesy of Phillips
4.01-carat Burmese Unheated Ruby and Diamond Ring. Photo: Courtesy of Phillips
Up next is Phillips Geneva Jewels Auction on May 13, which will offer an extraordinary 6.2-carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond ring, expected to sell for $10.5 million to $15 million. The pink diamond ring is classified as Type IIa and features VS1 clarity alongside strong saturation, a very vivid hue, and flawless polish and symmetry. Also on offer is a whopping 280.8-carat Colombian emerald, known as “The Amazon Queen,” which is expected to fetch $1.5 million to $2.6 million, as well as a rare red diamond, known as “The Argyle Phoenix,” estimated at between $1 million to $1.5 million.
Pink diamond to sell at Phillips Geneva in May. Photo: Courtesy of Phillips
Cover: 15.51-carat Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond Ring.
Photo: Courtesy of Phillips
