Once restricted to the coffers of European monarchs, Mughal emperors, Indian rajas and noblemen, precious stones have gone through a long and interesting history to make their way into the vaults of the public. Saffronart’s two-day ‘Online Auction of Fine Jewels and Watches’, which concluded on April 20, saw successful bids for watches, coloured gemstones and collectibles, at a total sale value of ₹2.14 crores.
Lot 24 Patek Philippe Women's gold and diamond wristwatch
Lot 24: Women’s Gold and Diamond Wristwatch by Patek Philippe led the sale at ₹28.4 lakhs; it’s pre-sale estimate was ₹28 to 38 lakhs. Highly coveted watch brands in the sale also performed well, including Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, Franck Muller, and Bvlgari, fetching ₹53.3 lakhs for the category.
Lot 3 Emerald and diamond ring
Collectibles, including Lot 45: Set of 34 Lapel Pins and Lot 102: Diamond Studded Minaudière by Van Cleef & Arpels, fetched multiple bids. The auction featured many pieces set with diamonds, the birthstone for the month of April. An exquisite emerald and diamond choker went under the hammer for ₹12,09,846, while a beautiful pair of pearl and diamond rings sold at ₹10,63,750. Included among the items that were up for auction was a pair of Forevermark diamond earrings worn by Dylan Penn, actor Sean Penn’s daughter, at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Party last year. The top ten lots that witnessed fierce bidding featured high quality coloured gemstones including emeralds, tanzanite and rubies.
Lot 20 Emerald, pearl and diamond choker
“The auction was a success in the category of jewels, collectibles and watches. The competitive bidding for lots featuring coloured gemstones showed us that buyers were serious about acquiring quality gems. Design was another key element: pieces with classic flair and easy-to-wear designs performed really well. The watches, lapel pins and minaudière also saw multiple bids come in, indicating that collectibles and signed pieces always attract interest,” said a spokesperson.
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 "Lot No.69-Diamond Necklace Saffronart online auction")
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