Sotheby's to Sell Rare 5ct. Blue Diamond

RAPAPORT... A ring with a 5-carat, fancy-vivid-blue diamond center stone and white diamonds will headline Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite fall sale in Hong Kong. The Ai diamond, named after the Chinese word for love, is estimatedat $12.5 million to $15.3 million, the auction house said last week. Several pieces by designer Wallace Chan will also go underthe hammer, including a pair of conch pearl, gem and diamond pendantearrings, valued at $281,000 to $408,000; a tanzanite, chalcedony and diamondring, estimated at between $128,000 and $230,000; and gem-set, jade-and-diamondpendant earrings carrying a presale estimate of $70,500 to $109,000. Other notable items include two jadeitebangles with a high estimate of $895,000, and a pair of fancy-vivid-yellow-diamond and white-diamondearrings valued at $4.9 million to $6.1 million. Designs by Bulgari,Van Cleef & Arpels and David Morris will feature in the sale as well. Sotheby's will preview the jewels from September 28 toOctober 2, followed by the auction on October 3 at the Hong Kong Convention andExhibition Centre. Image: Wallace Chan conch pearl, gem and diamond pendant earrings. Credit: Sotheby's.