Big Kashmir Sapphires

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

All along this fall, connoisseurs of gems were waiting for diamond sales. Beautiful diamonds, of big size according to their colors, have been offered by Sotheby's and Christie's. The trend of the past two years showed an undeniable attraction of buyers for this category of jewelry. But buyers did not come, or they no longer wanted to accept the prices charged by vendors, which is leading to the same result.

The surprise came at Geneva on November 20 when Christie's sold at 4.2 MCHF fees included a Kashmir sapphire weighing 42 carats. It had been estimated 3.4 MCHF. It was mounted on a ring in white gold and surrounded by two half-moon diamonds and a circle of tiny diamonds.

Lot 434 of the sale at Sotheby's in New York on December 9 is a cushion shaped Kashmir sapphire weighing 27 carats. It is mounted on gold and platinum from about 1900 as a brooch, amid an opulent double circle of 38 diamonds. The total weight of diamonds is over 10 carats.

This jewel is estimated $ 1.8 million.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Our sapphire remained unsold. This result is added to the failure of the sale of the emerald necklace which was the subject of a previous article.

My view is reinforced: the jewels that were designed a century ago and more do not meet the current fashion and are difficult to sell.

This remark does not apply to the sale of gems isolated or simply mounted on a ring.