Pink Diamond Ring Beats Estimate at Bonhams

RAPAPORT... A fancy-pink diamond ring by Meister was the top seller at the Bonhams London Jewels sale, garnering GBP 838,750 ($1.1 million).The piece, with a step-cut 3.62-carat center stone and designed in 1968 by Meister, exceeded its high estimate of GBP 750,000 ($989,417) at the November 12 auction, Bonhams said last week. A diamond brooch from the collection of Dame Joan Collins, designed by Van Cleef & Arpels, fetched GBP 122,750 ($161,892), more than six times its high valuation. It was part of a collection of the actress's jewels that saw 100% of items find buyers, with the final sales total three times higher than the auctioneer had estimated. A portion of the proceeds from Collins's jewelry will be donated to the Shooting Star Children's Hospice, of which she is a patron.Other notable items at the auction included a sapphire and diamond ring, which fetched GBP 144,000 ($189,865) against a high estimate of GBP 100,000 ($131,851), and a three-stone diamond ring, which brought in GBP 100,250 ($132,179), nearly doubling its estimate.In total, the auction achieved GBP 3.8 million ($5 million), with Bonhams selling 75% of items on offer."Despite [the auction] taking place behind closed doors, the bidding remained spirited and the results demonstrate that high-quality pieces with extraordinary provenance continue to captivate buyers around the world," said Jean Ghika, global head of jewelry for Bonhams.Correction, November 16, 2020: The pink diamond ring that led the sale was not part of the collection of Joan Collins. An earlier version of this article said that it was. Image: The pink-diamond ring from the collection of Joan Collins. (Bonhams)