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Sotheby’s Auction to Include Rihanna’s Designs for Chopard and a Rare Fancy Blue Diamond

The Geneva High Jewelry Sale also includes stunning pink and yellow diamonds and pieces from Bulgari, Boucheron, and Cartier

By Rena Gross
Colorful statement necklace designed by Rihanna for Chopard with matching ornate earrings featuring intricate beadwork and vibrant patterns.
Lot 588. Photo: Courtesy Sotheby’s

Rihanna doesn’t just sing “shine bright like a diamond.” She collaborated with Chopard on jewelry that is one of the highlights of the Sotheby’s Geneva High Jewelry Sale. The multitalented music mogul debuted the turquoise, tsavorite, and pink and yellow sapphire-adorned collar necklace, pendant earrings, and bracelet on the red carpet at Cannes in 2017. Her colorful designs pay tribute to the holiday of Carnival and Barbadian culture.

Cushion-cut blue diamond with a radiant sparkle placed on a surface with long shadows, from the Sotheby’s High Jewelry auction in Geneva.
Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond. Photo: Courtesy Sotheby’s
Pink pear-shaped diamond against a white background, showcasing its intricate facets and brilliant sparkle from the Sotheby’s High Jewelry auction in Geneva.
Pink pear-shaped diamond. Photo: Courtesy Sotheby’s

The selection from the Rihanna Loves Chopard collection are not the only sparklers in the High Jewelry auction. Blue diamonds are a source of public fascination, and this sale features a remarkable example: a 6.03-carat fancy blue from the Cullinan mine in South Africa. There is also a collaboration between Sotheby’s and De Beers that includes two flawless pink diamonds from the Jwaneng mine headed to the block. Further colored diamonds will also be available.

Gold Bulgari cuff bracelet with ruby and diamond accents in a geometric design, from the Sotheby’s High Jewelry auction in Geneva.
Bulgari. Photo: Courtesy Sotheby’s

Vintage, antique and modern jewelry pieces in the sale are likewise exciting. Consider the Art Deco Laloche Frères ruby and diamond cravate necklace from around 1928, previously in a private collection. It’s a rare style, and a pair of matching earrings are in the sale as well. Multiple gorgeous works by the likes of Cartier, Bulgari, and Boucheorn are also in the High Jewelry auction.

Elegant Laloche Freres necklace with diamonds and pink gemstones arranged in an intricate design, from the Sotheby’s High Jewelry auction in Geneva.
Lacloche Frères. Photo: Courtesy Sotheby’s

Colored gemstones are also prominently featured. There’s one loose stone of particular note: the 100+ carat “Peacock of Ceylon,” which comes by its quintessential namesake blue naturally—no heating here—and is one of the largest sapphires to reach the market in recent times.

The Sotheby’s Geneva High Jewelry Sale will take place on May 12 at 2:00 PM CEST.

A polished, deep blue sapphire gemstone with intricate facets, set against a neutral background, from the Sotheby’s High Jewelry auction in Geneva.
The Peacock of Ceylon. Photo: Courtesy Sotheby’s
Elegant necklace with diamond accents and large green emerald teardrops, displayed against a white background, from the Sotheby’s High Jewelry auction in Geneva.
Emerald and Diamond Necklace. Photo: Courtesy Sotheby’s