Sotheby's to Sell 119ct. Sapphire in Hong Kong

RAPAPORT... Sotheby's will sell a 118.88-carat, royal-blue, unheated Burmese sapphire in Hong Kong next week, the largest of its kind the auction house has offered in 20 years. The cushion-shaped stone, surrounded by pear-shaped diamonds weighing a total of 16.06 carats, will lead the October 7 Magnificent Jewels sale, Sotheby's said Monday. A pear-shaped, 4.84-carat, fancy-vivid-blue, internally flawless diamond ring is also set to go under the hammer. The piece, which also features two brilliant-cut diamonds, each weighing 1.10 carats, has a high estimate of $8.5 million.Also up for auction are a pair of pendant earrings featuring brilliant-cut, fancy-intense-blue diamonds weighing 1.95 and 1.63 carats. Those stones suspend two pear-shaped, D-color, internally flawless, type IIa diamonds weighing 5.95 and 5.24-carats. The set has a presale value of up to $4.6 million.In addition, Sotheby's will feature a cushion-shaped, 6.41-carat, pigeon's blood Burmese ruby ring surrounded by French-cut white diamonds. The jewel, which was designed and mounted by Hong Kong-based jeweler Forms, carries an upper estimate of $2.9 million. Meanwhile, a ring containing a cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut, 18.68-carat, fancy-light-purplish-pink diamond is set to fetch up to $2.2 million at the Hong Kong sale."The jewelry market has proven to be highly resilient, with our clients in Asia eyeing the best quality jewels on offer," said Wenhao Yu, Sotheby's deputy chairman of jewelry for Asia. Sotheby's will showcase the pieces in Hong Kong from October 3 to 6 prior to the sale.Image: The 118.88-carat Burmese sapphire and the 6.41-carat pigeon's blood Burmese ruby. (Sotheby's)