NEW YORK — Christie’s Magnificent Jewels featuring The Azure Blue totaled $49,689,850, achieving 100% sold by lot and 149% sold vs low estimate. The sale saw robust global participation, with bidders and buyers coming from 58% Americas, 21% APAC, and 21% EMEA, underscoring the truly international reach of the auction.
Leading the auction was The Azure Blue, a 31.62‑carat Fancy Blue Diamond, which realized $8,371,000. Another major highlight was the 5.04‑carat Fancy Vivid Blue Marquise Brilliant‑Cut Diamond which achieved $8,127,000.
Colored stones continued to perform exceptionally well. Sapphires were among the standouts of the day, led by an Exceptional Sapphire and Diamond Ring, which sold for $2,271,000 after spirited bidding from nine telephones, multiple online bidders, and competition in the room, nearly four times its low estimate. An Attractive Graff Sapphire and Diamond Ring achieved $1,778,000, more than three times its low estimate, while an Important Sapphire and Diamond Ring realized $2,149,000.
The sale also featured several important private collections, including The Joanna Carson Collection: A Legacy of Glamour and Giving, where an Attractive Sapphire and Diamond Ring sold for $508,000, surpassing its low estimate of $50,000 by more than ten times. A Pair of Impressive Sapphire and Diamond Pendant Earrings from the same collection realized $457,200 against a low estimate of $100,000, and an Emerald and Diamond Ring sold for $368,300 against a low estimate of $50,000.
Additional important collections featured in the sale included: Exceptional Jewels from the Collection of Bridget Rooney Koch, with three significant lots. Among them, A Pair of Superb David Morris Ruby and Diamond Pendant Earrings realized $1,422,400, doubling their low estimate. Property from the Collection of Irene Roosevelt Aitken was highlighted by An Important Van Cleef & Arpels Retro Diamond and Gold Bracelet, which realized $317,500. From the Collection of Gay Hugo‑Martinez, an Elegant Art Deco Diamond Bow Brooch sold for $241,300, tripling its low estimate of $80,000.
The top lot from The Collection of Lorinda Payson de Roulet was an Exceptional Antique Natural Pearl and Diamond Brooch, which sold for $1,244,600.
Claibourne Poindexter, Head of Jewelry, Americas, comments: “Achieving 100% sold is a powerful testament to the appetite of today’s collectors and to the exceptional, carefully curated assemblage presented in this sale. From rare blue diamonds to extraordinary sapphires and rubies, the strength of demand across categories — particularly colored stones — underscores the global enthusiasm for jewels of beauty, rarity, and provenance. As ever, Christie’s is honored to serve as a steward of important private collections, bringing their stories and treasures to an international audience of passionate collectors.”
(Press Release)
