84.37 carat colorless, flawless diamond

[MiniMouse]

Apologies, I haven’t been around on the forum for a long while now (trying get over Internet addiction by doing other things). However, I saw a diamond and other gems on Thursday that I just have to tell you about, because I now realize how lucky hubby and I were to see what we saw.

It was hubby’s and my wedding anniversary on Thursday, so we’d booked a night at the Ritz Carlton in Bahrain. When we arrived, we sat and browsed the newspapers in the executive lounge. I noticed a newspaper story about Sotheby’s having a jewelery exhibition in our hotel on that very day. We decided to go and take a look. We weren’t expecting much as we hadn’t seen any advertising for it. However, when we arrived, there were no other ‘customers’ in sight and we were alone with the Sothebys Director, looking at gems and jewelery. We have never seen such huge stones in our lives. I was even allowed to try rings and bracelets on. We saw:

A gorgeous pair of fancy intense yellow cut-cornered diamonds with halos, each earring set with a diamond of 12 carats (GIA certified). Auction guide price US$450,000 - US$550,000.

Rare fancy vivid blue diamond ring, 4.16 carat diamond, framed by brilliant cut diamonds of pink tint, estimate US$3,250,000 - $4,250.000

A gorgeous claw set cushion cut diamond weighing 11.66 carats, guide price US$94,000 - US$137,000.

A marquise shaped diamond weighing 16.18 carats, D color, VVS1 clarity, estimate US$750,000 - $1M.

A pair of diamond pendent earclips set with a diamond in each of 4.81 and 4.75 carats respectively, G color, VVS2 clarity (US$60,000 to $US85,500).

I tried on a diamond bracelet by Boucheron, set with two rows of channel set baguette diamonds flanked by lines of brilliant cut stones, with a guide price of US$40,000 – US$60,000.

However, there were two lots that simply blew us away:

An emerald and diamond bracelet given to Wallace Simpson at Christmas 1935 by Edward, Prince of Wales (who later became King and abdicated for the love of his woman). Auction estimate US$600,000 - $700,000. This was such a historic and sentimental piece.

Last but quite definitely the top lot…. pure perfection….the largest brilliant cut D color, flawless diamond ever to be offered at auction…… an amazing 84.37 carats, accompanied by a GIA report 15692749 – D color, flawless and excellent polish and symmetry. All at a guide price of US$12M to US$16M. We were speechless. It was absolutely gorgeous and so huge that how could anyone think it was real? It was amazing.

Anyone interested in bidding on the above? Take a trip to Geneva for the auction on November 14. There are some wonderful pieces. I just wish I could have afforded SOMETHING!!! Even one of the cheapest lots, a 3 carat colorless and flawless diamond solitaire ring I tried on was beyond our budget.... estimated at a cool US$100,000. Sigh!

 

[MiniMouse]

Not sure how this attachment will turn out, but it''s the catalog entry for Wallace Simpson''s bracelet.

 

[MiniMouse]

I would have loved to have walked away with these vivid yellow diamond earrings, but at a guide price of US$450,000 - US$550,000, I decided I shouldn''t build up my hopes.... hubby isn''t going to surprise me with these for Christmas!

 

[MiniMouse]

Pear shaped fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 4.16 carats, natural color, VS1 framed by brilliant-cut diamonds of pink tint, hoop pave-set throughout with similar brilliant-cut stones, mounted in platinum and yellow gold. GIA report included. Guide price US$3.25M - US$4.25M. Ouch!

 

[MiniMouse]

Anyone for a pair of diamond cuff bangles by Repossi? Guide price US$40,000 - $60,000. They were fabulous in real life, just as gorgeous as in the picture.

 

[MiniMouse]

A nice Cartier marquis diamond weighing a whopping 22.25 carats, between tapered baguette diamond shoulders. GIA report included, stating diamond is D color, VVS2 and additional GIA worksheet stating that the stone is ptentially flawless after repolishing. Guide price US$800,000 - US$1.2M.

 

[MiniMouse]

The Sothebys Sales Director insisted I try this Boucheron bracelet on, and who was I to resist?!!! Good grief, it looked better on my wrist and what was sad was it fit perfectly, but I had to take it off

Guide price a mere US$40,000 - $60,000

 

[MiniMouse]

I wish they'd placed the 84.37 carat diamond next to a golf ball, I seriously think there wouldn't have been much difference in diameter!

 

[MiniMouse]

Sorry to bore you all, but finally the write-up about the rough diamond, cut down to 84.37 carats from over 350 carats, which took two years work. (I hope it comes out legible, fingers crossed)

Sorry for the rubbish job I've done in resizing the pics from the catalog. Unfortunately I'm not a computer wizard when it comes to technical stuff such as this.

Hopefully you'll all forgive my excitement at having to show you all these pics, having stumbled upon an exhibition that I never knew was there, only to find the most amazing gems to look at. Hubby and I consider ourselves extremely lucky to have experienced such a wonderful event in real life.

 

[777_LDY]

Wow, even if I couldn''t really afford them (without selling my first born!) it would still be such a wonderful experience to have all those jewels to play with all to myself even for a short time. How wonderful that must have been for you! Thanks for posting pics here, those pieces are amazing.

Not even in my wildest dreams would I imagine those beauties...*sigh*...but here on PS I can dream!

 

[Deelight]

:O WOW is all I can say

I want those earrings they are magnificent

but I would settle for the bangles

Thanks for posting those pictures

ETA: Did anyone else just have to search the GIA cert I know I did

Just for fun or in case anyone is interested in buying the 83ct monster


Light Return Very Good
Fire Very Good
Scintillation Good
Spread
or diameter for weight Excellent

Total Visual Performance 3 - Very Good - Worth buying if the price is right

 

[risingsun]

Thank you for posting these fabulous pieces. I''m breathless and speechless

 

[jewelerman]

mini mouse,
Thanks for the pictures! I am new to this forum and had to post for the first time to thank you for sharing your experiance!I have been in the jewelry and gem trade for many years and never get tired of seeing rare and beautiful pieces in auction catalogs!It is fun to see that another famous piece like the wallis simpson emerald bracelet has come up for auction again(i have been following her collections sale and re-sale since it origanally came up for sale in 1986)This particular emerald and diamond bracelet can be seen in books written on famous people and their collections...elizabeth taylor owns the famous prince of wales pin from the collection and came be seen in her book. I know that the wallis simpson emerald cuff bracelets are also up for auction again.Where can i make a bid on the 84 carat round brilliant?Everyone needs a golf ball sized diamond in their collection! I am going to the auction site right now to make a bid!again,Thanks for the entertaining post and i hope others follow suit when they recieve auction catologs or news paper announcements.

 

[Beacon]

Date: 11/4/2007 6:27:08 AM
Author: MiniMouse
Sorry to bore you all, but finally the write-up about the rough diamond, cut down to 84.37 carats from over 350 carats, which took two years work. (I hope it comes out legible, fingers crossed)

Sorry for the rubbish job I've done in resizing the pics from the catalog. Unfortunately I'm not a computer wizard when it comes to technical stuff such as this.

Hopefully you'll all forgive my excitement at having to show you all these pics, having stumbled upon an exhibition that I never knew was there, only to find the most amazing gems to look at. Hubby and I consider ourselves extremely lucky to have experienced such a wonderful event in real life.

Are you joking! Bore me some more, please !

You are wonderful to post this interesting and extremely gorgeous bunch of photos and write up. I notice a very sweet step cut, on the same page as the Boucheron bracelet, that has a (somewhat) reasonable price for the size. Very nice indeed! Did you see that one IRL?

I too had to go to GIA to check that cert. The D FL RB is 28.93-29.20 mm. ex/ex/ex, OMG. Klonk. I fainted.
Yours is a wonderful post, thank you!

 

[Ninama]

Oh man... I need a cigarette.

 

[angeline]

Date: 11/4/2007 9:24:03 AM
Author: Deelight
:O WOW is all I can say

I want those earrings they are magnificent

but I would settle for the bangles


Thanks for posting those pictures


ETA: Did anyone else just have to search the GIA cert I know I did


Just for fun or in case anyone is interested in buying the 83ct monster



Light Return Very Good

Fire Very Good

Scintillation Good

Spread

or diameter for weight Excellent


Total Visual Performance 3 - Very Good - Worth buying if the price is right

Ha ha Deelight, first thing I did was look at the cert

. Seemd so strange to see such a big number in the carat box.

Thanks so much for sharing these beauties MiniMouse, you''re awesome!

a

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 11/4/2007 10:45:06 AM
Author: risingsun
Thank you for posting these fabulous pieces. I'm breathless and speechless

Me too! Thanks!!!

Also, perfect timing you being at the hotel while the jewels were there

.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

i would have fainted if i were there....i think it''s easy to say you enjoyed your trip!

 

[marcy]

MiniMouse, what an awesome experience. I am so glad you got to see and touch some of these "gems".

 

[LadyAmythyst69]

Date: 11/4/2007 2:26:28 PM
Author: Ninama


Oh man... I need a cigarette.

Lol! That''s how I feel too. I would have loved to have seen that blue in real life...

 

[Kaleigh]

MiniMouse,
Thanks for all these amazing pics, such wonderful pieces!!

Hope you had a great anniversary!!

 

[MiniMouse]

Thank you everyone, I''m glad you all appreciated seeing these pieces, even if it wasn''t in real life for you all. I am embarrassed to admit that i didn''t quite realise the enormity of what I was seeing, until after we had left the exhibition and I started to browse through the auction catalog. I have seen estate jewelery in the past, but I always felt the stone quality of a lot of pieces left a lot to be desired (old stones, low clarity, poor cut etc, etc), so I must admit, I wasn''t expecting much from this auction. However, in hindsight, the name SOTHEBY''S should have been a very big clue!!! Now that I''ve read the catalog, I wish I could go back and take another look and appreciate everything so much more, but the exhibition was only for one day

As for the 84 carat diamond, I feel awful because although it was gorgeous and huge, it just didn''t look real, only because it was so unusually huge!

Jewelerman - I''m glad you enjoyed what I uploaded. As a jeweler you will no doubt appreciate the quality and rarity of all these pieces (unlike me when I first saw them!!!). As well as enjoyment, I did feel a sense of sadness too, as many of these pieces has sad histories and also became available due to death of owners etc. That I find sad.

Beacon - I do remember seeing step cut diamond rings, but I am not sure whether it''s was the 9.22 carat one posted on the same page as the Boucheron bracelet. They were all very large stones. I was mesmerized by a cushion cut stone, which was in the 11 carat range. My husband insisted that I try on a necklace which consisted of a 9 carat pear diamond with a heavy string of diamonds (must have been no less than half a carat for each diamond) all the way around the neck. It was simply stunning and looked gorgeous on. Unfortunately it''s not listed in the catalog that we were given, so I''m kicking myself for not finding out more about it. One thing I am certain about though, it won''t be in my Christmas stocking!

What shocks me most of all is how perfect all the stones were. I have never seen a display like it. So many enormous rocks and colorless and perfect. Simply amazing.

I''d personally love to see these types of gems in a jewelery museum, so that more people could see them. I fear that most are bought by wealthy investors, who merely place these gems in safety deposit boxes with just the odd exposure to the world on ''special occasions''. That seems a crying shame. I''d happily give a good home to any one of those pieces, and show it to the whole world without going anywhere near a safety deposit box

.

I feel quite overwhelmed by what we saw, it really feels like it was a dream. I will e-mail the Sotheby''s Director and thank him for spending time with us. We were in awe of their jewelery.

 

[jewelerman]

good day everyone,
Is it true that when you are a new member to the pricescope forum that all forum members get together and buy you a welcome gift from the Southbys auction catolog?Im not to picky(ya right)and i think that the ruby on the introduction page of the web site is the perfect gift for this new member of the forum.Check out the great jewels in this auction!NOW i want to buy something new!Thanks minimouse for the heads up on the auction catalog!this is the best jewelry site!

 

[sagewren]

Fabulous! Thanks MiniMouse


. . . . new member

. . . . all forum members get together and buy a welcome gift from the Southbys auction catolog


Excellent suggestion!!

 

[Nicrez]

Sotheby''s often exhibits their internation auction items at different locations. Their Geneva Auction items (including the 84ct+ diamond were on display in Hong Kong, Dubai and NY) Always look on the website for the preview dates for the local viewings of their jewlery, and if you decide to see them (they are FREE to view and handle some) you can also enquire about what other international auction items are being displayed that preview as well.

FYI: Same goes for Christies and other major auction houses with more than one office. Just recently at the Magnificent Sale at Christie''s items from the London, Paris, Hong Kong, Geneva and Dubai auctions were exhibited in NY. Personally a bigger fan of the Geneva antiques and the Hong Kong rarities than the massive stones and modern settings of the Dubai pieces. Paris was a bit disappointing, although London had a few classic Cartier pieces that were quite exceptional.

Really for gem lovers, look for auction Houses near you to preview the pieces. It''s always quite an experience! If you REALLY are into it, try volunteering to work the previews. Some pay (barely) but think of what you would be DOING...