Christies Sale of Magnificent Gemstones

Christie’s Geneva is to hold a sale of Magnificent Jewels on 13 November 2012.

There will 350 lots on offer, including colourless and coloured diamonds, Burmese rubies, Colombian emeralds, Kashmir sapphires, natural pearls and signed jewels. The auction is expected to realise approximately $53.6 million.

The sale is highlighted by the historical 76.02 carat, cushion-shaped, D colour, internally fawless Golconda diamond, known as The Archduke Joseph Diamond’.

Arch Duke Daimond

Included in the colored diamond lots are a 12.16-carat fancy pink cushion-shaped diamond ring of VVS2 clarity mounted in platinum and gold which has a pre-sale high estimate of $5 million

and a 70.19-carat fancy vivid yellow rectangular-cut diamond of VS clarity with a pre-sale high estimate of $5.1 million.





Also included in the sale are two brilliant-cut diamonds, each weighing 25.28 carats, of G color and VVS1 clarity, with a pre-sale high estimate of $2.5 million.

Gold and Garnet Cross



Amazing Find is a Beautiful Gold and Garnet Cross

An excessively rare grave has been located in a 1400 year old Anglo-saxon burial site in Cambridgeshire. The grave in Trumpington Meadows contains the skeletal remains of a 16-year-old female Catholic convert lying on an ornamental bed clutching a beautifully worked gold and garnet cross. 

It is thought that the girl, from the 7th century AD, was a member of nobility, persuaded to join the Christian faith after the Pope dispatched  the benedictine monk, St Augustine, known as the ‘Apostle to the English ’, to England in 597AD.  It was Augustines job to convert Anglo-Saxon pagan kings and their families.

Watch these beautiful sparklers from the Hong Kong Jewellery Fashion Show 2012

The Albert Chapman Mineral Collection at the Australian Museum

The stunning Albert Chapman Mineral Collection at the Austrailian Museum. Who would believe rocks could be so beautiful? 

The Beau Sancy Diamond

The Beau Sancy Diamond

The historic Beau Sancy diamond is to be auctioned by Sotheby's at its Magnificent and Noble Jewels sale in Geneva on 15th May 2012.

This diamond is 34.98-carat modified pear, double-rose cut  and is expected to sell for up to $4 million.

Believed to be one of the most fascinating and romantic gems ever to appear at auction, the Beau Sancy has passed through four European royal families.

Southeby's believes that the most likely source of the diamond are the mines of south central India, near the city of Golconda.

The stone derives its name from Nicolas de Harlay, Lord of Sancy  and was acquired in Constantinople during the mid-to- late 1500's. Known owners include France’s King Henri IV, Prince Frederick Hendrick of Orange-Nassau, has sat in the collection of the Queen of England, and served as an ornament in the royal crown of Prussia.

Shown publicly only 4 times in the last 50 years the Beau Sancy will be showcased in Hong Kong, New York, Rome, Paris, London, Zurich and Geneva in the months prior to auction.

New Pink Diamond Found

The biggest pink diamond was discovered at the Rio Tinto Argyle mine. The largest producer of rare pink diamonds in the world creating more than 90% of the global market supply.The 12.76 pink carat diamond is to be sold at an auction following the cutting and polishing process. Richard How Kim Kam, an expert diamond polisher, has worked for Argyle for 25 years. He will start to work on cutting and polishing the pink diamond in Perth today, 22 February 2012 the process is expected to take 10 days. This follows 2 months of careful assessment and planning. The diamond will become a radiant cut stone. Kam has said “I’m going to take it very carefully. I know the world will be watching.” Once the pink diamond is cut and polished it will be graded by international experts then it will be showcased to the world before being sold at the Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender later this year. It is expected that it will sell for up to $10.6 million.

Wallis Simpsons Panther Bracelet sells for $7 Million!



The star attraction of an auction of Wallis Simpsons jewellery this week was the panther bracelet, which sold for an astonishing $7 million after a nail-biting battle between two telephone bidders. This now is the most expensive bracelet ever sold!