Monday, October 29, 2007
A Sparkling Auction at Christie’s: BLING
I would like to take a moment to introduce you all to Couture Cult's very first correspondent! Covering all things FETCH & FABULOUS in NYC, Amelia Posada! My best friend and fellow fashionista, I hope you guys get to love her! Her first story for us is, OF COURSE, covering a jewel auction held at Christie's...
A Sparkling Auction at Christie’s
By Amelia Posada
The stakes were high as bidders from around the globe took part in one of the most anticipated auctions of the season at Christie’s yesterday, where buyers had the chance to bid on some rare and important jewels, as well as some items from the estate of the late actress Lucille Ball.
Private dealers, jewelry connoisseurs, and spectators packed into the saleroom at Christie’s annual fall “Magnificent Jewels” auction and within the first 45 seconds of the sale, the first item – a pair of silver candlesticks by Buccellati, had jumped from $4,000 to $10,000.
The sale started promptly at 10am, and the room was buzzing with chatter as the bidding wars began with Christie’s employees bidding by proxy for people via telephone and internet, vying with bidders in the audience.
The total in sales for the day was $38,878,650, the highest selling item going for $2,885,800 and the lowest selling item, a colored diamond ring, going for $1,375.
The most anticipated sale of the day was an extremely rare blue diamond ring, a 5.07-carat rectangular cut “fancy” stone within a pave-set pink diamond, which sold for the highest price of the day to an anonymous buyer over the phone. The blue diamond was simply described as having been the “property of a gentleman”. It was the last sale of the day.
Twelve items from the estate of Lucille Ball were auctioned off, including five pendant necklaces, two watches, two rings, a retro diamond and gold evening bag and matching cigarette case, selling for a combined total of $331,000. Part of the proceeds went to the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center, in Jamestown, NY.
The “Magnificent Jewels” sale is one of the most important and widely anticipated auctions of the year at Christie’s and the sale was very successful.
“It was an amazing, incredible sale,” said Kate Swan, a Christie’s spokeswoman. “We were so pleased; it was a packed room. The jewelry market, the diamond market in particular, is so strong, and it was such a great, great sale, we are all very pleased.”Labels: accessories, from me to you, new york
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