Largest Single-Owner Jewelry Auction in Phillips History Includes Rare Diamond, Sapphire Items

Phillips will offer over 150 pieces of jewelry from a single Middle Eastern collector this fall. With a total auction estimate of USD 12 million to $17 million, this is the largest single-owner jewelry auction in Phillips’ history. Necklaces, brooches, rings, bracelets, and earrings comprise the sale, including a combination of luxury and everyday jewels.

The owner credits his passion for collecting priced jewels to his first piece— an Omega watch gifted by his father. For the next 30 years, the collector assembled a treasure trove of rare diamonds, Zambian emeralds, sapphires, and other gemstones from around the world. The collector acquired these pieces from various sources, including museums and exhibitions. Bidders can now consider a selection of rare gems from this collection.

Phillips will present an important ruby and diamond ring in this sale. The 18-karat white gold ring features a cushion-shaped Mozambique ruby weighing 9.01 carats. This stone shows no indication of thermal treatment. A bevy of oval-shaped diamonds together weighing 4.44 carats surrounds the center ruby. The estimate for this item is $1,000,000 to $1,100,000.

For many years, Southeast Asia, Australia, Brazil, India, and Myanmar together produced the world’s highest-quality rubies. In 2012, the Mozambican government opened up 30,000 hectares of the Namanhumbir deposit to mining corporations. The popularity of Mozambique rubies has only risen ever since.

These highly crystalline rubies are deep red and slightly orange in their shade. The key difference between Burmese rubies and Mozambique rubies is the heat treatment from which the latter is free. The Mozambique ruby can be distinguished by an expert based on the higher concentration of iron, extreme brilliance, and transparency. Top-quality Burmese rubies have fetched record-setting prices at several auctions; however, the scarcity of these stones may be responsible for the increase in demand for Mozambican rubies.

Luxury jewelry and watchmaking brand Jacob & Co. prioritizes creativity and uniqueness in its philosophy. A superb diamond ring by Jacob & Co. is available in Phillips’ upcoming jewelry auction. The ring features a cushion-shaped fancy vivid orange-yellow diamond weighing 5.06 carats at the center. The stone has SI2 clarity and comes with a certificate of authenticity from Jacob & Co. Two cushion-shaped diamonds rest on either side of the main stone, weighing 1.02 and 1.03 carats, respectively. This piece is estimated to fetch between $200,000 and $330,000.

High-quality untreated sapphires have been touted as a safe investment for their long-term value. Untreated blue sapphires are rare to find and remain more valuable than other gemstones. For many years, the most sought-after location to source these gemstones has been Burma. Burmese sapphires cost twice that of a sapphire mined in Madagascar or Sri Lanka.

In this upcoming jewelry auction, Phillips will offer a matching sapphire and diamond necklace, ring, and earring set. The set features unheated blue sapphires sourced from Burma. The necklace alone includes 19 oval and 11 cushion-shaped sapphires weighing a total of 82.73 carats. The ring and earrings are encrusted with oval-shaped sapphires. The entire set has a presale estimate of $150,000 to $200,000.

Described as “the most comprehensive collection of jewels ever to come to Phillips” by Graeme Thompson, Worldwide Head of Jewelry at Phillips, the sale will present some of the most precious gemstones on Earth. The event is scheduled to take place in Hong Kong on November 27th, 2021 at 4:00 PM HKT (3:00 AM EST). Visit Phillips to learn more and register to bid.

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