8ct. Bulgari Blue Diamond to Lead Christie's NY

RAPAPORT... A Bulgari diamond ring will lead next month's Christie's NewYork auction with a presale estimate of $13 million to $18 million. The cushion-cut, 8.08-carat, fancy-vivid-blue piece will gounder the hammer at the Magnificent Jewels sale on December 5, the auctionhouse said last week. The stone is one of a number of colored diamonds on offer,including a heart-shaped, 15.56-carat, fancy-intense-pink diamond-pendant necklaceestimated at $9.5 million to $12 million. Christie's will also offer a pair of earrings weighing acombined 77.71 carats from the 187.7-carat Diavik Foxfire, North America's largestknown gem-quality rough diamond. The earrings are valued at $1 million to $3million, with the buyer getting something extra for the money: a trip to theDiavik diamond mine in Canada's Northwest Territories, where Rio Tintounearthed the stone in 2015. Other notable lots include a 28.70-carat, D-color,VVS2-clarity, type IIa diamond ring from the estate of art collector LeeVandervelde. Proceeds from the piece, estimated at $1.5 million to $2.5million, will benefit the Los Angeles-based Children's Hospital and Children's Institute. An Old European-cut, 15.19-carat, D-color, internally flawless diamond ringwill also go under the hammer with a presale estimate of $1.5 million to $1.8million. An 8.09-carat fancy-vivid-yellow diamond ring by Gillot& Co. will also be up for auction, as will signed pieces from Bulgari,Cartier, Harry Winston, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, SuzanneBelperron and Ren?(C) Boivin. The auction house will preview the jewels between November30 and December 4, ahead of the sale. Image: The 8.08-carat Bulgari blue diamond ring. (Christie's)