Christie's Online Jewelry Auction Sells Out

RAPAPORT... Christie's garnered $1.4 million from its Jewels Online sale, selling 100% by value.An emerald and diamond necklace from Graff's Icon collection was the top lot, fetching $52,500, against a high estimate of $15,000, the auction house said Friday. The piece contains 71 round diamonds weighing a total of 2.99 carats and 11 pear-shaped, and nine round, emeralds. A pair of emerald and diamond earrings from the same collection brought in $43,750, well above its $30,000 upper presale valuation. Some 81% of items on offer beat their high estimates, with an "unprecedented" number of online buyers, Christie's noted. Bidders from 31 countries participated, a 99% increase in unique visitors compared to the same sale in 2019, and a 46% rise compared to February's online sale. "We worked collaboratively to enhance our digital educational offerings to include refreshed online collecting guides, videos, and interviews with specialists to better virtually connect with our audiences," said Caroline Ervin, specialist for e-commerce jewels at Christie's Americas. "The extraordinary engagement is a testament to our meaningful client relationships and digital initiatives, and the strong results are attributed to the thoughtful curation of the sale, which featured a wonderful selection of spring-inspired jewelry by celebrated designers."Other notable items included a Graff ring set with a pear-shaped, 1-carat diamond and 112 round diamonds weighing a total of 1.60 carats, surrounded by 113 round rubies. The jewel fetched $35,000, exceeding its high estimate of $18,000. Jewelry by designer David Webb also proved popular, including a pair of diamond and multi-gem earrings and a gold necklace, both of which sold for $35,000, more than four times their low estimates. Pieces by Verdura and Tiffany also performed well, Christie's noted.Christie's will hold its next online jewelry sale from April 28 to May 8. That auction includes a yellow-diamond ring-and-earrings set, sapphire and diamond heart earrings by Graff, and a ruby and diamond necklace, each estimated at HKD 150,000 to HKD 250,000 ($19,354 to $32,257).Image: The emerald and diamond necklace from Graff's Icon collection. (Christie's)