Top Jewels that Didn’t Sell at Auction in 2025

2025-12-29 Featured

This year’s auctions saw several high-value jewels withdrawn or going unsold.

Some of the pieces included magnificent colored gemstones and diamonds, like the Golconda Blue and Glowing Rose, as well as jewels from famed designers such as Van Cleef & Arpels.

These were the top 10 most valuable jewels that didn’t make the auction block:

Auction house: Christie’s
Presale estimate: $50 million
Sale: Magnificent Jewels, May 14, Geneva
The Golconda Blue diamond ring from JAR features a pear-shaped, 23.34-carat, fancy-vivid-blue diamond. The owner withdrew it from sale, instead selling it to a family member, according to Christie’s.

Auction house: Sotheby’s
Presale estimate: $20 million
Sale: High Jewelry, November 12, Geneva
Sotheby’s removed the Glowing Rose — a cushion brilliant-cut, 10.08-carat, fancy-vivid-pink diamond mounted in a ring — from its November Geneva sale. “Following discussions with the consignor, the lot was withdrawn prior to the sale,” a spokesperson from the auction house told Rapaport News.

Auction house: Poly Auction
Presale estimate: HKD 58 million ($7.5 million)
Sale: Magnificent Jewels, October 7, Hong Kong
A jadeite necklace with a clasp featuring rubies and diamonds that was originally expected to lead the sale was withdrawn, according to Poly Auction

Auction house: Phillips
Presale estimate: CHF 3.1 million ($3.5 million)
Sale: The Geneva Jewels Auction: IV, May 12, Geneva
This 53.14-carat, fancy-vivid-yellow, internally flawless diamond pendant, suspended from a round brilliant diamond, didn’t find a buyer, according to Phillips.

Auction house: Phillips
Presale estimate: $1.6 million
Sale: New York Jewels, June 12, New York
A ring featuring a radiant-cut, 3.03-carat, fancy-intense-pink diamond went unsold.

Auction house: Sotheby’s
Presale estimate: $1.5 million
Sale: Fine Jewelry auction, December 11, New York
This unmounted cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant-cut, 3.63-carat, fancy-vivid-purple-pink, I2-clarity diamond failed to sell at the auction.z

Auction house: Phillips
Presale estimate: CHF 1.3 million ($1.5 million)
Sale: The Geneva Jewels Auction: IV, May 12, Geneva
A ring from Van Cleef & Arpels centering a 7.11-carat Kashmir sapphire framed by diamonds remained unsold

Auction house: Poly Auction
Presale estimate: HKD 10 million ($1.3 million).
Sale: Magnificent Jewels, October 7, Hong Kong
This ring with a cushion-shaped, 5.21-carat Burmese ruby in a marquise, pear and circular-cut diamond surround was withdrawn.

Auction house: Poly Auction

Presale estimate: HKD 9.5 million ($1.2 million)

Sale: Magnificent Jewels, October 7, Hong Kong

A ring featuring a rectangular-shaped, 27.16-carat Colombian Muzo emerald framed by rectangular-shaped yellow diamonds, circular-cut pink diamonds and white diamonds didn’t find a buyer.