Top Jewels Beat Expectations at Christie’s

The top 10 lots at the recent Christie’s jewelry auction in Paris all sold for above their high estimates.

The lead piece, an unmounted oval-shaped, 22.38-carat Paraiba tourmaline from Mozambique, went under the hammer for EUR 825,500 ($969,647), almost seven times its high estimate. The jewel took the spotlight at the December 17 Joaillerie Paris sale, according to Christie’s.

In total, the auction garnered EUR 8.9 million ($10.5 million), with several lots originating at famous jewelry houses such as Chaumet, Cartier, JAR, and Van Cleef & Arpels.

Here are the rest of the top 10 lots:

Final sale price: EUR 279,400 ($328,094)
Presale estimate: EUR 60,000 to EUR 80,000 ($70,340 to $93,787)
Chaumet designed this necklace in 1947. It comprises 78 round, oval and button-shaped pearls, 76 of which are listed as natural.

Final sale price: EUR 241,300 ($283,349)

Presale estimate: EUR 10,000 to EUR 15,000 ($11,725 to $17,588)

An unmounted emerald-cut, 33.66-carat indicolite tourmaline.

Final sale price: EUR 228,600 ($268,436)
Presale estimate: EUR 55,000 to EUR 65,000 ($64,493 to $76,219)
An Art Deco-designed Cartier piece from around 1925 features a watch face in a round-diamond surround, suspended from old- and single-cut diamonds, round and sugarloaf cabochon sapphires, rubies, emeralds, ring-shaped pierced emerald, red enamel, plaque and sugarloaf cabochon onyx.

Final sale price: EUR 190,500 ($223,302)
Presale estimate: EUR 70,000 to EUR 90,000 ($82,063 to $105,510)
This Van Cleef & Arpels necklace from the 1970s sports a pendant with cabochon coral, drilled coral beads, amethyst beads, and 8.50 carats of round and rose-cut diamonds.

Final sale price: EUR 177,800 ($208,414)
Presale estimate: EUR 25,000 to EUR 45,000 ($29,307 to $52,756)
Another Van Cleef & Arpels lot, from approximately 1970, is a box comprising 13 pairs of interchangeable hoops. They’re made of frosted rock crystal, turquoise, lapis lazuli, amethyst, carnelian, hematite, onyx, tiger’s eye quartz, amber, wood, mother-of-pearl hoops and round diamonds.

Final sale price: EUR 177,800 ($208,414)
Presale estimate: EUR 60,000 to EUR 80,000 ($70,340 to $93,787)
This ring bears a pear-shaped modified brilliant-cut, 8.01-carat, I-color, SI1-clarity, type Ia diamond, with rubies and sapphires along the band

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Final sale price: EUR 165,100 ($193,552)
Presale estimate: EUR 40,000 to EUR 60,000 ($46,893 to $70,340)
A JAR ring centers a round diamond, framed by 2.80 carats of sapphires, with a border of round and single-cut diamond weighing a total of 2.10 carats.

Final sale price: EUR 152,400 ($178,703)
Presale estimate: EUR 60,000 to EUR 80,000 ($70,340 to $93,787)
A pear-shaped modified brilliant-cut, 9.45-carat, I, SI2 diamond is the highlight of this ring, with added round emeralds and colored sapphires on the band.

Final sale price: EUR 152,400 ($178,703)

Presale estimate: EUR 45,000 to EUR 55,000 ($52,756 to $64,493)

These earrings feature oval sapphires, the largest a 34.45-carat Burmese sapphire, as well as 30.20-, 13.71- and 13.23-carat Ceylon stones, with 2 carats of round and tapered baguette-cut diamonds.