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New York, NY—The spring auction season was another record-breaker for both house totals and major diamonds, but also featured many pieces that sold for less than $10,000—well within the price reach of ordinary luxury jewelry buyers.

The biggest newsmaker was Christie’s sale of the 35.65-ct. Princie Diamond, a fancy intense pink cushion cut that sold to an anonymous bidder for $39.32 million ($1.135 million per carat) during its New York Magnificent Jewels sale on April 16. The diamond, a Type IIa from India’s famed Golconda Mine, set the new record as the most costly jewel ever sold at Christie’s.

The second highest sale of the day, $4,435,750, was for a rectangular-cut D color diamond of 30.32 carats, or $146,300 per carat.

A superb marquise-cut D color diamond ring by Harry Winston fetched $3,259,750, and a three-strand natural pearl necklace fetched $1,131,750. The combined total sale of more than 290 jewels was $81,358,700, marking the highest various owner jewelry sale total in the United States. 


Said
Rahul Kadakia, head of jewelry for Christie’s in the Americas and Switzerland, “A major event took place in the global auction industry with the record breaking sale of The Princie Diamond at Christie’s New York. Aside from Christie’s sale of the legendary Collection of Elizabeth Taylor, this was the most successful jewelry auction ever held in the United States and Christie’s was proud to have orchestrated the sale of such an historic gemstone.”

Sotheby’s New York Magnificent Jewels auction netted a total of $53,490, 938, a new record for a spring jewelry auction there. It sold 82.4% by lot. The top lot of that sale was a 74.79 ct. D VVS1 pear shape diamond, type IIA, which fetched $14,165,000, beating top estimates by more than $2 million. The diamond set a record for any white diamond sold in the Americas, and is one of the very few D-color pears above 50 carats to be auctioned in decades.

Other top lots: a platinum and diamond ring netted $3,189,000, and a platinum, emerald, and diamond brooch fetched $2,909,000.

But apart from the requisite stratospheric mega-jewels that make auction news, there were a number of pieces attainable by the ordinary jewelry shopper. For example, at Christie’s, a gold and ruby butterfly clip by Buccellati sold for $3,500, a gold necklace by Cartier fetched $8,750, a citrine and gold bracelet, $7,500, a set of diamond, amethyst, and citrine jewelry fetched $5,625, and a diamond, gemstone, and synthetic gemstone brooch sold for $4,375. A diamond and multicolor sapphire brooch from Oscar Heyman Bros. (top of page) sold for $13,750.

A Buccellati clip, left, and diamond, gemstone, and synthetic gemstone brooch, right, sold at Christies for less than $5,000 apiece.

Meanwhile, at Sotheby’s, an 18k gold, turquoise, and diamond brooch sold for $3,750, while three lots—a diamond and synthetic ruby ring, an 18k white gold, coral, and onyx brooch, and an 18k gold, diamond, and citrine ring—sold for $5,000 each. 20 more lots sold for less than $10,000.

Sotheby's sale featured an 18k gold, diamond and turquoise brooch that sold for $3,750, left, and an 18k gold, yellow sapphire, onyx, diamond ring and earring set, right, that fetched $6250.