Jewelry Gift Giving: Ideas for Everyone on Your List

When it comes to buying a gift for that special someone, make certain jewelry is number one on your list. You will surprise and delight her, and your generosity will bring enjoyment for years to come.

For a creative friend, a voucher for a jewelry-making workshop could herald the beginning of an enjoyable new hobby. Places like The Bead Boutique in Miami are popping up all over the country. Add a personal touch by choosing a selection of beads and findings that your friend might use to make her first pieces. They may even be so thrilled that you will receive a jewel of thanks!

For a gal with a penchant for a greener planet, an eco-friendly gift will undoubtedly be appreciated. Not only does buying an estate piece reduce further depletion of the earth’s resources, but it’s spot on trend. Hurry! There are several auction houses having sales this week including Heritage Auctions, Skinner and Sotheby’s. Christies will be offering Elizabeth Taylor’s Collection next week. Hours of fun can also be had trawling antique stores and market stalls for the perfect present. If you’re pressed for time there are now many jewelry designers who incorporate recycled pieces into their designs. We love the necklaces of Elva Fields, who incorporates a “found” object into each of her masterpieces.

Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a diamond. It is most romantic of gemstones and an absolute luxury. A timeless classic such as solitaire stud earrings will captivate the most discerning amongst us. The holidays are also a perfect time for proposals, so if you’re ready, a trip to Tiffany & Co. may make all the difference. There isn’t a woman alive who could honestly say that the sight of a little blue box beneath the tree wouldn’t make them weak at the knees.

 

The Auction Market in Brief

This Fall’s auction sales have posted some impressive results, most surpassing the high estimates and bringing fresh, interesting jewelry to market.

The Doyle New York sale last week showed that Art Deco, Belle Epoque pieces and David Webb are all still hot items. The David Webb necklace, shown here, was part of the Estate of the Honorable Florence Shientag and was sold for $80,500. A Cartier Belle Epoque chocker on a pink velvet ribbon brought $43,750; and a pair of Art Deco Diamond and Jade Earrings by Janesich also went for $43,750.

Sotheby’s recent sale in New York totaled $15,047,802. Highlights included a Natural Pearl Necklace, ranging in size from 4.67mm-10.80mm, which brought $98,500, against a pre-sale estimate of $20,000-30,000; and an Art Deco Ring, circa 1935, featuring a 8.50ct sugarloaf Kashmir sapphire selling for $296,500.

The Skinner sale earlier last month can also boast numerous highlights, including a whimsical Tiffany and Company antique carved moonstone and diamonds “Man in the Moon” brooch which sold for $20,145; and an Art Deco Tiffany and Company Diamond Solitaire which sold for $281,000 against a pre-sale estimate of $75,000-100,000.

What is coming up?

There is a full calendar of auctions for the rest of the year both here and abroad. On the 19^th of October Bonham’s will simulcast a Fine Jewelry Sale in their three US locations. Bonham’s has a wonderful, user-friendly online catalogue and a printable version is also available. The sale features some beautiful antique jewelry, as well as a very impressive collection of unusual Marsh jewelry from the Estate of Margaret Roebling Perrine.

On October 20, Christie’s will auction off The Bulgari Blue as part of their Fine Jewelry Sale. This is the largest triangular shaped fancy vivid blue diamond ever sold at auction. The 10.95ct blue diamond is priced upon request for interested bidders, but is expected to bring in over $12 million. The diamond is set in its original twin stone ring mounting. Its twin diamond is a 9.87ct colorless triangle cut designed by Bulgari in the 1970s for the European collector who is now selling it. More information and the sale catalogue can be found on line at www.christies.com or via the Christie’s iPhone app (recently updated and working fabulously).

On November 20, in London Sotheby’s will sell 20 pieces that once belonged to the Duchess of Windsor, originally offered in the first historical sale of her jewels in 1987. Wrapping up the auction season on December 7, Skinner will host the fourth of their quarterly Fine Jewelry sales in Boston.

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels

 

On December 9^th Sotheby’s will hold a jewelry auction in their Manhattan showroom. The sale contains a collection of magnificent jewelery spanning over a hundred years of jewelry history and several loose stones that are poised to sell at new record prices, including a 30.48ct D, Flawless, oval brilliant cut diamond.

The sale includes some museum quality pieces, both in rarity and beauty. Lot 88 is a pearl, diamonds, enamel and glass brooch by Rene Lalique, circa 1900. The piece features three pinkish-orange glass roses in a cluster framed in red enamel branches, diamond-set branches and button pearls. The shape is very organic and represents nature in all of its splendor and perils, beware of the thorns. The sale also includes a rare and important Fancy Intense Yellow Diamond and emeralds ring (lot 222), by Louis Comfort Tiffany, circa 1910-1915. The full page catalog description of the ring was written by Janet Zapata, renowned jewelry historian and author of many books including The Jewelry and Enamels of Louis Comfort Tiffany.

The sale would not be complete without some stunning pieces by Cartier, the famed French jewelry house that is celebrating its 100^th anniversary in the United States. Finally, offered for sale is a collection of jewelry and fabulous Cartier handbags from the late Brazilian model and philanthropist, Lucia Moreira Salles, which includes the three rings shown here designed by JAR.

Sotheby’s website is also quite spectacular and easy to navigate. It hosts a new e-catalog where each lot is photographed and can be examined up close, with a condition report available at a click of the mouse. I looked at the online catalog before I had the book and found it more captivating. The photographs are the same color and quality as the catalog, but the e-catalog features each lot separately, so no jewel is overshadowed by another that it might share a page with in the catalog. The public exhibition will be held in New York the week prior to the sale.

32 Carat Diamond Sells for Record Price at Christie’s

 

October 21st, at Christie’s in New York, an anonymous buyer paid $7.7 million for a ring set with a 32.01carat square emerald-cut D flawless diamond, which had belonged to the late Mrs. Leonore Annenberg. The mounting was designed by David Webb and was composed of two pear-shaped diamonds weighing 1.61ct and 1.50ct.

The diamond itself is spectacular: very large and perfect by most standards. The diamond also had a provenance, a history of ownership, which is impressive. The diamond had been owned by the philanthropist Leonore “Lee” Annenberg, purchased on the occasion of her 90^th birthday. While the name is familiar to most of us, the true depth of the generosity of the late Honorable and Mrs. Walter H. Annenberg is astounding. The Annenberg Foundation has donated an estimated $4.2 billion dollars to cultural, educational and medical institutions. Among these gifts was a $500 million donation to public education, one of the largest gifts in philanthropic history. In 2002, upon Ambassador Annenberg’s death, the couple’s collection of Impressionist art, valued at $1 billion, was given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

It appears that in this tough economic climate there is still a market for rare, collectible gemstones. This year has seen several record setting sales, including the previous record for a 30 carat D flawless diamond, which was set this year in Geneva in May; and a 7.03ct rare blue diamond which sold at Sotheby’s for $9.5 million.

Weekend Bonus Brief: Blue Diamond Sells for Record Price

This week the diamond and jewelry industry is buzzing from a record setting sale of a blue diamond. An internally flawless, vivid blue diamond was sold for $9.5 million dollars on May 12, at Sotheby’s in Geneva. This amount is the highest price per carat paid for any gemstone at auction.

From approximately every million carats of diamonds mined, only about one carat is fancy color diamonds. From those fancy colored diamonds only a fraction of a percent represents the annual production of natural blue diamonds. The blue color comes from the rare presence of boron within the diamond’s crystal structure.

The rectangular brilliant cut diamond sold at Sotheby’s weighs 7.03ct., and is accompanied by a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Diamond Grading Report. This report is an industry standard for a diamond’s credentials. The report identifies the diamond’s hue; in this case it is blue without any color modifiers (such as grayish blue), making the stone an even more rare specimen. The report also lists the stone’s color saturation as vivid, a “fancy” grade, which is the highest possible. Finally, the stone has a clarity grade of “internally flawless”, meaning very nearly free of any flaws with no internal inclusions. This is indeed a very rare stone.

The stone’s seller, Petra Diamonds, reportedly mined the stone last year from the Cullinan Mine in South Africa, which the company owns. For more photos of the blue diamond and amazing photos of diamond mines visit www.petradiamonds.com . Finally, while this diamond has reportedly gone to an anonymous buyer, perhaps to a private collection, remember that you, as an American taxpayer, own some colored diamonds, too: rare and amazing gemstones are on view every day at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C..

Weekend Bonus Brief: Buying at Auction

Auctions, at houses big or small, can be an exciting and entertaining way of purchasing jewelry. Next week there will be three major jewelry sales in New York. Bonham’s, Christie’s and Sotheby’s will all be having auctions. They produce beautiful, glossy color catalogs, hold preview exhibitions and frequently have lectures or offer more information online regarding the sales.

Auction catalogs are often beautiful publications, a great collector’s item for any jewelry enthusiast. As well as being an invaluable tool for those interested in purchasing at the auction, the catalog is a wonderful book full of jewelry from all periods to return to again and again. Each item, or lot, will have a number, description and usually a photograph.

Be sure to attend the preview. If you find a lot that you would like to purchase have a specialist speak to you about the piece(s) that you are interested in. Examine the item closely, try it on, look for any damage…anything because once you have bought it, it is yours. If you cannot look at the piece in person, send someone you trust, or at the very least request a condition report.

Set a budget before the sale. While you will not purchase an item involuntarily by scratching your nose, be sure you know how much you want to bid before you start raising your paddle. Know exactly what the buyer’s premium is and make sure to calculate this into your final bid price. Sales taxes will also apply. If you do your homework there will not be any surprises when you get your bill.

After the sale, the results will be posted on line, and mailed to you if you have purchased a catalogue. These are a good reference to help you value a similar piece that you might own or as an indicator of the price of something that you might have your eye out for in a future sale!