By Catherine Dayrit with National Jeweler
Pearl prices fell earlier this year amid poor economic conditions, but experts say both prices and demand are rising as supply adjusts and the category gains fashion fans.Design Trends: A new generation is eyeing pearls, thanks to the emergence of boldly colored pearls, which began with "chocolate" pearls and moved on to vivid green and blue "peacock" hues, says Kathy Grenier of the Cultured Pearl Association of America (CPAA), also citing sterling silver with pearls and long, versatile strands.Supply and Demand Issues: While the prized Japanese akoya enjoys greater demand than its Chinese counterpart, supplies of both have suffered. Chinese akoya farms were hit hard by typhoons, including Typhoon Pabuk in 2007, resulting in tremendous losses, says Peter Bazar, vice president of the CPAA and president of Imperial. And while Japanese akoyas continue to be dogged by pollution, the industry is paying attention to Mikimoto, which announced in August that its new successful akoya farming venture in Ainoshima, Japan, heralded a new advance in Japanese pearl production. Production is limited, but if the process is deemed an improvement, it will be adopted, Bazar says.Interest remains in Tahitian and South Sea pearls, but the volume demand is less, says pearl purveyor Betty Sue King of King's Ransom.Price Points: While poor demand led farm levels to plummet precipitously over the first half of this year, prices are now rising fast as supply adjusts to the market, says Bazar.At the entry level, freshwater pearls remain a major option. Pollution and overproduction have led to a proliferation of low-quality freshwaters on the market. Yet high-quality versions, competing in size with akoyas and even South Sea varieties, provide value for those seeking a big look for less, says Sea Hunt Pearl owner Jack Lynch, adding that Tahitian pearl prices decreased earlier this year and that the sector saw a few Tahitian pearl farmers go out of business. With limited supply, both demand and prices for Tahitians are expected to increase.
Source: National Jeweler
www.dillonpearl.com
Friday, October 23, 2009
32-carat Annenberg astonishes at auction
An anonymous buyer paid $7.7 million for the 32.01-carat Asscher-cut Annenberg Diamond at Christie's on Wednesday. The stone features D color and flawless clarity.
New York--In an event Christie's is terming "an auction to remember," an anonymous buyer paid $7.7 million for the 32.01-carat D-flawless Annenberg Diamond on Wednesday, well surpassing the stone's estimated sale price of $3 million to $5 million.The diamond, owned by philanthropist Leonore "Lee" Annenberg, who died in March at the age of 91, was mounted in a ring by Manhattan jeweler David Webb.Its sale set a new, world-record auction price of $240,000 per carat for a colorless diamond, according to Christie's.
Overall, Christie's "Jewels: The New York Sale and the Annenberg Diamond" and "Rare Jewels and Objets d'Art: A Superb Collection" held on Wednesday in New York City, totaled $46.5 million and achieved a combined sell-through rate of 85 percent by lot and 94 percent by value.In a press release, Rahul Kadakia, head of jewelry at Christie's New York, said the activity at the auction defied these recessionary times."For three-and-a-half hours, between 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 at Christie's, it was as if the recession never happened," he said.
"Virtually every lot exceeded its estimate, and the $7.7 million Annenberg Diamond astonished even the most seasoned diamond dealer. It was an auction to remember. And if this were not enough, the sale started again at 2:30 p.m. and continued until 7:00 p.m., giving collectors opportunity to acquire exceptional masterpieces from the superb collection of Rare Jewels and Objets d'Art."Also sold on Wednesday was a 16.33-carat circular-cut diamond with E color and flawless clarity, purchased by a private Asian dealer for $1.6 million, or $97,000 per carat.
Among the pieces exceeding estimates were a belle epoque diamond and rock crystal bow brooch by Cartier, which was expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000, but was purchased by a member of the U.S. trade for $1.1 million, and a Harry Winston emerald and diamond necklace, circa 1956, expected to fetch between $500,000 to $700,000 that sold for $950,500.
Source : National Jeweler, October 22, 2009
www.dillonpearl.com
New York--In an event Christie's is terming "an auction to remember," an anonymous buyer paid $7.7 million for the 32.01-carat D-flawless Annenberg Diamond on Wednesday, well surpassing the stone's estimated sale price of $3 million to $5 million.The diamond, owned by philanthropist Leonore "Lee" Annenberg, who died in March at the age of 91, was mounted in a ring by Manhattan jeweler David Webb.Its sale set a new, world-record auction price of $240,000 per carat for a colorless diamond, according to Christie's.
Overall, Christie's "Jewels: The New York Sale and the Annenberg Diamond" and "Rare Jewels and Objets d'Art: A Superb Collection" held on Wednesday in New York City, totaled $46.5 million and achieved a combined sell-through rate of 85 percent by lot and 94 percent by value.In a press release, Rahul Kadakia, head of jewelry at Christie's New York, said the activity at the auction defied these recessionary times."For three-and-a-half hours, between 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 at Christie's, it was as if the recession never happened," he said.
"Virtually every lot exceeded its estimate, and the $7.7 million Annenberg Diamond astonished even the most seasoned diamond dealer. It was an auction to remember. And if this were not enough, the sale started again at 2:30 p.m. and continued until 7:00 p.m., giving collectors opportunity to acquire exceptional masterpieces from the superb collection of Rare Jewels and Objets d'Art."Also sold on Wednesday was a 16.33-carat circular-cut diamond with E color and flawless clarity, purchased by a private Asian dealer for $1.6 million, or $97,000 per carat.
Among the pieces exceeding estimates were a belle epoque diamond and rock crystal bow brooch by Cartier, which was expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000, but was purchased by a member of the U.S. trade for $1.1 million, and a Harry Winston emerald and diamond necklace, circa 1956, expected to fetch between $500,000 to $700,000 that sold for $950,500.
Source : National Jeweler, October 22, 2009
www.dillonpearl.com
Friday, July 24, 2009
Rare Diamonds from Argyle, Annenberg Go Up For Auction
Forty-three pink diamonds from the Argyle mine will hit the road as part of a worldwide tender tour. Argyle Diamonds are usually bought by jewelry connoisseurs, private collectors and celebrities. Meanwhile, the Annenberg Diamond is scheduled to be auctioned during Christie's Jewels: The New York Sale on October 21, 2009.
The square emerald-cut diamond is described as a 32.01-carat, D color, flawess stone, mounted as a ring and flanked by two pear-shaped diamonds of 1.5 carats and 1.61 carats. The ring, part of the collection of Leonore Annenberg, was designed by David Webb. Christie's estimated its value between $3 million and $5 million.
The square emerald-cut diamond is described as a 32.01-carat, D color, flawess stone, mounted as a ring and flanked by two pear-shaped diamonds of 1.5 carats and 1.61 carats. The ring, part of the collection of Leonore Annenberg, was designed by David Webb. Christie's estimated its value between $3 million and $5 million.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Another Success for Christie’s
Another Success for Christie’s
NYChristie’s New York's small, 184-lot, end of season sale on June 11 sold 91 percent by lot and 86 percent by value. The auction tallied up $11,367,875, with diamonds making a strong showing. The top lot — a pear-shaped fancy intense internally flawless 6.29-carat blue diamond — sold for $3,554,500. The highly touted blue diamonds were the stars of the show, with a 3.28-carat modified rectangular-cut fancy dark gray-blue diamond selling for $386,500, the fifth biggest lot. Two blue rose-cut diamonds, however, failed to sell.
Rapaport TradeWire - Friday, June 19, 2009
NYChristie’s New York's small, 184-lot, end of season sale on June 11 sold 91 percent by lot and 86 percent by value. The auction tallied up $11,367,875, with diamonds making a strong showing. The top lot — a pear-shaped fancy intense internally flawless 6.29-carat blue diamond — sold for $3,554,500. The highly touted blue diamonds were the stars of the show, with a 3.28-carat modified rectangular-cut fancy dark gray-blue diamond selling for $386,500, the fifth biggest lot. Two blue rose-cut diamonds, however, failed to sell.
Rapaport TradeWire - Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Christie's London Jewels Sale Tops $6M
Christie's London Jewels Sale Tops $6M
Christie's Jewels: The London Sale was 84 percent sold by lot and garnered a total of $6.1 million (GBP 3.7 million). The top lot was a 44.14-carat circular-cut, fancy yellow, SI1 diamond set in an art deco mount, which fetched $865,324, or $19,600 per carat. A 10.09-carat, cushion-shaped, F, VS2 diamond sold to an Asian private for $414,064, and a 4.99-carat brilliant-cut, F,VS2 diamond sold to a member of the U.S. trade for $135,460.
Rapaport TradeWire - Friday, June 12, 2009
Christie's Jewels: The London Sale was 84 percent sold by lot and garnered a total of $6.1 million (GBP 3.7 million). The top lot was a 44.14-carat circular-cut, fancy yellow, SI1 diamond set in an art deco mount, which fetched $865,324, or $19,600 per carat. A 10.09-carat, cushion-shaped, F, VS2 diamond sold to an Asian private for $414,064, and a 4.99-carat brilliant-cut, F,VS2 diamond sold to a member of the U.S. trade for $135,460.
Rapaport TradeWire - Friday, June 12, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Christie's Hong Kong Jewels Sale Tops $33M
Christie's Hong Kong jewelry sale reported strong results, with 90 percent of the lots sold for a total of $33,067,728. The top lot, a diamond pendant set with two pear-shaped, D, flawless, type IIa diamonds of 20.7 carats and 10.02 carats, sold for $3,328,182 to an Asian private. Other diamond highlights included a number of lots that sold for more than $1 million apiece. A rectangular-cut, 15.02-carat, D, flawless type IIa diamond sold for $1,670,526, or $111,200 per carat.
Rapaport TradeWire - Thursday, May 28, 2009
Rapaport TradeWire - Thursday, May 28, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
7.03ct Blue Diamond Sells for More Than $1M per Carat
Sotheby’s sale of a 7.03-carat, fancy vivid blue, flawless cushion-shaped diamond fetched almost $9.5 million, or $1,349,752 per carat in Geneva. The winning bidder wished to remain anonymous. Sotheby's noted that this blue diamond beat out the previous most expensive fancy vivid blue diamond sold at auction, and that the sale was a world record for the sale of any diamond at auction in terms of value per carat. Sotheby's total sale of magnificent jewels in Geneva was $35,762,327 and was 76.9 percent sold by lot.
www.dillonpearl.com
www.dillonpearl.com
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