Diamonds Lead $2.9M Heritage Auction

RAPAPORT... A heart-shaped diamond ring was the top seller at a recent online sale by Heritage Auctions, while a Tiffany & Co. brooch sparked a heated bidding war.The 3.55-carat, D-color, internally flawless, type IIa diamond garnered $112,500 at the May 3 Spring Fine Jewelry auction, which saw participation from nearly 900 bidders, the Dallas, Texas-based auction house said last week. A marquise-shaped, 3.34-carat, D-color, VVS1-clarity, type IIa diamond also proved popular, beating its high estimate by more than $20,000 to fetch $106,250.Other notable items include an emerald-cut, 8.02-carat, fancy-yellow diamond bracketed by triangular-shaped diamonds. That piece went for $75,000, as did a platinum ring by Wachler featuring a round brilliant-cut, 3.91-carat, E-color, VS2-clarity diamond, which achieved nearly twice its high valuation.Meanwhile, a Tiffany & Co. brooch with an oval-shaped, 12-carat tourmaline in the center - surrounded by diamonds and yellow and blue sapphires in a firework design - inspired a bidding frenzy, Heritage noted. The jewel, created in 1993, sold for $62,500, nearly eight times its high estimate.However, a ring containing a pear-shaped, 1.38-carat, fancy-blue-grey diamond flanked by pear-shaped, D-color, internally flawless diamonds weighing a total of 1.41 carats failed to find a buyer. That piece had been set to lead the sale, with a presale estimate of $350,000.Image: The heart-shaped, 3.55-carat diamond. (Heritage Auctions)