In a Stunning Move, Morphy Auctions Merges with James D. Julia, Inc. by Morphy Auctions

In a Stunning Move, Morphy Auctions Merges with James D. Julia, Inc.

Effective December 14th, 2017, Dan Morphy of Morphy Auctions, proudly announced that he has successfully merged with the renowned international auction company of James D. Julia, Inc., which will become a division of Morphy Auctions.

Morphy Auctions and James D. Julia, Inc. share a common purpose of delighting collectors worldwide with aligned missions and unparalleled customer service standards. Joining forces creates a synergistic team of passionate staff members to better serve our customers and strengthen the antiques and collectibles industry.

Both companies take pride in having the most talented and knowledgeable experts in the industry. One of the biggest advantages to this merger is blending both teams of leading experts to enhance processes, descriptions and valuations.

Morphy Auctions realized annual sales of $35 million within the last year. Within this same time, Julia’s generated $43 million in annual sales; for a combined gross of $78 million. With this combined total of potential annual sales, Morphy Auctions is poised to become one of the largest antique auctions house in North America.

President and founder of James D. Julia, Inc., Jim Julia, has been involved in the auction business for nearly 50 years. He began as a small country auctioneer in Maine but grew the company to an internationally renowned business, which currently consists of 3 divisions; Rare Firearms, Rare Lamps, Glass & Fine Jewelry, and Fine Art, Asian & Antiques.

Morphy Auctions has experienced tremendous growth over the years. The combination of the highly experienced and much acclaimed Julia team together with the outstanding auction team that Morphy has already formed, will make Morphy Auctions the ultimate place to go for rare firearms and important lamp & glass; as well as, toys, dolls, advertising, coin-op, automobilia and petroliana, and all forms of decorative arts.

Dan Morphy, Founder and President of Morphy Auction Company stated, “I have literally spent all my life watching and learning from Jim. With nearly 50 years in the industry, Jim has an undisputed reputation and I admire and will emulate his business approach towards his clients and employees. It is an honor and privilege to have this new association with someone I have considered to be a mentor and leader in the industry.

Over the years, Jim Julia crafted an extraordinary team and unique auction company as a result of his philosophy, business acumen and direct, honest approach with his clients whether they be buyers or sellers. I have always tried to incorporate the same approach. In merging with Julia’s extraordinary team, I intend to make the transition as seamless as possible. The bottom-line is that I not only want to merge Jim Julia’s company and his people but I want to expand the philosophy of our business to include much of what created extraordinary success for Jim.

Jim Julia, Founder and President of James D. Julia, Inc., shared, “I had never considered not being in the auction business and I have, for many years, contended that I, like my father (who passed away at nearly 90 years old this past year), would continue to auction well into my 80s, provided my health allowed it. The limitation in my mind had always been my personal health. But in November of 2016, my wife received a devastating diagnosis of incurable brain cancer. I immediately realized that as much as I loved the people, the antiques, and the excitement of the auction; there was nothing more important in this world to me than my wife, and I elected to devote my time to my wife, Sandy. From November of 2016 until today, my auction company never skipped a beat and has been extremely successful under the leadership of my good friend and CEO, Mark Ford, who continued to lead, improve and expand our company.

A short while ago, Dan Morphy called to speak with me and asked if I would consider selling the company or doing some sort of joint venture. I explained to him that there were 3 things that were incredibly important to me; first, of course, was what was in the best interest of me and my wife, secondly, my obligation to my incredibly loyal and dedicated team of employees, and thirdly, wanting to do what would best serve all of the wonderful consignors and buyers that the company had developed over the years. The ensuing conversations with Dan, and ultimately the deal we were able to put together, allowed me to cover all three of these factors. The employee concern was a highly important one, and with Dan’s likeminded philosophy and practice with his current team; it instilled tremendous confidence in my people as they made their new career commitment to Morphy Auctions. As I said, I also had a concern for all the wonderful consignors and buyers that have followed my company for these many years, and I really wanted to see the core philosophy of my business continue and provide my valued customers with a similar special opportunity as they had experienced with Julia’s. Dan’s approach to adopting many of the key components of my business philosophy gave me a great sense of assurance, confidence and satisfaction in regards to the fact that my customers now and into the future will continue to have a wonderful auction experience as they have for many years with Julia’s.

I have always admired Dan, his youth, his energy, his tremendous drive and his success. I knew and did business with Dan before he became an auctioneer and watched him as he entered the auction business and the subsequent dramatic growth he experienced. Dan is a superb leader and this was very clear and obvious during our negotiations about the melding of the two companies.

In transitioning my company to Morphy’s, I will miss the wonderful friends I have developed with consignors and buyers throughout my auctions. I will miss the incredible camaraderie of my auction team and the thrilling and exciting experience of the actual auction. Most importantly, I will miss the satisfaction I received from a job well done. I must also say, selling my company to Dan is a great relief. It now has removed all of my responsibilities in regards to auctions and overseeing the management of a valued team. Now Sandy and I can focus completely on each other. I will transition to Morphy Auctions as a consultant for Dan and the team. Under the circumstances, I could not imagine a better conclusion for my business and for Sandy.”

Both the Morphy Auction Team and the Julia Auction Team will be represented once again at the 2018 Las Vegas Arms Show, January 19th – 21st, 2018.

“We encourage anyone attending the show to stop by the booths and meet our newly blended and expanded Firearms Auction Team,” Dan Morphy concluded.

Julia’s currently has scheduled a Fine Art, Asian & Antiques auction in February of 2018 and their spring Firearms Auction which will take place in March. To facilitate a seamless transition, the Julia team will manage and conduct both sales in Fairfield, Maine, as they have in the past. Morphy’s will hold all future auctions and accept consignments in their Pennsylvania and Nevada locations.

About Morphy Auctions:
Morphy Auctions, the finest destination for a fresh to the market collectables is headquartered in Denver, Pennsylvania. The company also has a satellite office in Las Vegas, Nevada. A full service auction house, Morphy’s presents over 35 premier auctions annually. The company’s three part mission includes ensuring consignor satisfaction with every auction, offering world class customer service that goes above and beyond the call of duty and providing relentless buyer support to create confidence for all clients seeking a trustworthy purchasing experience. Morphy’s team of specialists include the nation’s finest and most recognized experts in popular collectable collecting categories; including advertising, firearms, fine automobiles, automobilia, petroliana, coin operated machines, antiques and decorative arts, dolls, bears, toys and trains, cast iron toys, marbles, jewelry and wrist watches. Morphy Auctions is owned by President and Founder, Dan Morphy, himself a lifelong and passionate collector of antiques, banks, and numerous other categories. Morphy’s has been in business since 2004 and have grown from 2 to over 65 employees in a span of a decade.

Pook & Pook Teams Up With Stuart Kingston Galleries For Oct. 28 Jewelry Auction

Although names like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels were noticeably absent from this years Paris Biennale over a dispute regarding exhibition space, pieces from these high-end jewelers will be showcased at the upcoming Jewelry Auction, a collaboration between Pook & Pook Inc. and Stuart Kingston Galleries, in Stuart Kingstons new Greenville, Del., location on Saturday, Oct. 28 (featuring plenty of jewelry exhibition space).
Clients can expect the same excellent service found at both Pook & Pook and Stuart Kingston and will be treated to an upscale, tax-free experience with over 150 lots of exceptional jewelry. For the animal lover, the sale will feature fearsome jewel-encrusted leopards and dragons, a whimsical frog, as well as a dog, bird, and gazelle decorated with delicate gold and vibrant gemstones. For those with classic tastes, strands of pearls, tennis bracelets, and diamond studs abound. Finally, for those who missed Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels in Paris, consider a tri-colored rolling ring from Cartier in the iconic trinity style designed by Louis Cartier and favored by the Duchess of Cambridge, or a foliage-inspired pin by Van Cleef & Arpels studded with 17 diamonds and 23 sapphires. Also of note are two dazzling diamond rings, one with a brilliant round diamond weighing 2.06 carats flanked by 76 smaller diamonds, the other with an old mine-cut cushion shape diamond weighing 4.84 carats.
Pook & Pook is no stranger to jewelry, having presented several dedicated jewelry collections in the past in addition to fine and decorative arts. Stuart Kingstons 80-year history in the jewelry business makes a harmonious match to Pook & Pook Inc., an auction house that thrives at the forefront of innovation and collaboration, helping to create Bidsquare.com, an improved and vetted online auction program. This collaboration will be yet another opportunity for both houses to continue the tradition of bringing clients a curated selection of jewelry sans sales tax, at a lower cost to buyers than found in New York or Philadelphia.
For exhibition times and dates, call Stuart Kingston Galleries at 302-652-7978. The live auction will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 3704 Kennett Pike, Suite 450, Greenville, Del. Interested bidders are encouraged to contact Pook & Pook Inc. at [email protected] or 610-269-4040 with questions regarding condition reports; online, in-house, phone or absentee bidder registration; or to purchase a printed catalog. The catalog can be viewed online at www.pookandpook.com or www.bidsquare.com.

Paul Shaub: Artistic Sensibility & Modern Design

Briggs Auction, Inc. is pleased and proud to offer at auction items from the impressive collection of furnishings, fine and decorative arts, and more amassed by Paul Shaub and his wife, artist Josephine Shaub over their lifetime. The Shaubs collected high end modern design furnishings and decorative arts in the 1960s and settled in historic New Castle, Delaware.

Shaub’s life is a rich tapestry of prestigious endeavors. He won multiple prizes in the 1950s from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Baltimore Museum of Fine Arts, Philadelphia Art Alliance and more. He has art represented in many museums including the Smithsonian Museum, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Delaware Art Museum, Boston Museum of Fine Arts and The Library of Congress. Shaub co-authored the children’s book Squeaky the Mechanical Whale with Josephine. He was the co-proprietor the The Packet Press and was a member of the American Color Print Society, The Society of American Graphic Artists and the Philadelphia Art Alliance, where he served as chairman of the Print Committee. Shaub was aslo a designer of exhibits and graphics at the Hagley Museum, a Professor and Director of Professional Studies at the Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, proprietor the Studio 52 in historic New Castle and a free-lance designer.

Known for his wood block prints, the Collection will include original art by by both Paul and Josephine Shaub. Paul focused on seascapes and nautical themed paintings, while Josephine painted horses, birds, and the occasional still life. Other collections cultivated by the Shaubs include a large collection of corkscrews, Native American and African art, vintage tin toys, and more.

A fine collection of original Shaub woodblock prints and Josephine Shaub’s original paintings will be sold Friday, September 22nd. The Shaub Collection also featured prominently in our recent September 15th Modern Design & Decorative Arts Auction.

Auction Preview- Southwest Art

Jackson, WY, is well known and oft visited for its abundant wildlife and incomparable Rocky Mountain scenery, so the fact that it’s home to a world-class auction known for sporting and wildlife art comes as little surprise. This month Trailside Galleries of Jackson and Gerald
Peters Gallery of Santa Fe partner to present the 11th annual Jackson Hole Art Auction, with over 350 lots of both contemporary and historic fine art up for bid in two sessions, beginning at noon on both Friday and Saturday, September 15-16.

This year’s headlining lots include Edgar Payne’s NAVAJO SCOUTING PARTY, a 28-by-34-inch oil estimated to sell for between $400,000 and $600,000. “This is one of the most important Payne paintings I’ve seen come on the market in some time,” says auction partner
Roxanne Hofmann Mowery. “We also have one of his important Sierra Nevada pieces called BLUE SHADOWS,” a 42-by-42-inch oil estimated to sell for $150,000 to $250,000.

“A collector of E. Martin Hennings will find incredible offerings,” Mowery notes. A collection of 25 oil paintings, charcoal drawings, and lithographs, which spans the breadth of the Taos Society of Artists member’s career, includes the 1917 painting TAOS PUEBLO, a 10-by-14-inch oil estimated to sell for $30,000 to $50,000, and SAN FRANCISCO DE ASIS MISSION CHURCH, TAOS, a 10-by-12-inch oil ($20,000-$30,000). Also up for bid are a casting of Frederic Remington’s THE CHEYENNE ($80,000-$120,000) and works by Charles M.
Russell, E.I. Couse, Henry Farny, William Gollings, Carl Rungius, Clark Hulings, Gerard Curtis Delano, W.H.D. Koerner, and one of only three stagecoach works that Arnold Friberg painted during his career.

“One of the signatures of our sale is our wildlife offerings, and this year is no exception,” says Mowery. “We have a number of important paintings by Bob Kuhn,” including AFTER THE SHORT RAINS, a 20-by-48-inch acrylic of a pride of lions resting in the shade of a tree,
which is estimated to sell for between $200,000 and $300,000. Also of note are six significant paintings from the estate of Stanley Meltzoff, known for his sport-fishing and precendent-setting sea-life paintings.

“We are also known for our new offerings by contemporary artists,” Mowery notes. “Last year Bonnie Marris’ painting was estimated to sell for between $20,000 and $30,000, and it sold for over $140,000, a world record for her.” This year, Marris brings BORN TO BE WILD, a 36-by-48-inch oil of a mother bear and two cubs estimated to go for $25,000 to $35,000. “For the first time we have a painting by Mark Maggiori,” Mowery adds. RIDERS IN THE STORM, a 34-by-46-inch oil, is estimated to sell for between $15,000 and $20,000. “And a fabulous Jenness Cortez, who is known for her homages to historic artists,” she adds. “A NEW WORLD references a large Frederic Remington in it.” Other contemporary offerings include works by William Acheff, T. Allen Lawson, Luke Frazier, and Robert Bateman.

Previewing for the Friday session opens at 10 a.m. on Thursday, and the Saturday session lots are on view beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday. “The sale itself has become a destination auction,” Mowery sums up. “People love to come to the sale because it’s held during the Fall Arts Festival, when there are major shows at galleries and the museum. It’s a very fun event.” —Laura Rintala

Hill 2017 Season Opener- September 20th

Fine selection of Nippon / Porcelain, Art Glass, Cut Crystal, Collectibles ( Hat pins etc.), Art (Carved Carousel Horses etc) and so much more!!

Of the numerous items of interest in this auction we would be remiss if we did not point out the rare and wonderful example of Tiffany & Co. art glass with elaborate and unusual silver mounts. The bulbous glass body features iridescent thread-like applied glass decoration on a gourd-shaped form. It has a sterling silver footed base as well as a sterling silver dotted and flared neck.

Another lot worthy of note is the particularly nice example of Nippon porcelain with shimmering coralene decoration. There is much to get excited about in the category of Nippon ware but this piece, in particular, is exceptionally fine. It features a tapered body with blue, yellow, and pink gradient ground and coralene white flowers and foliage. The neck and the base have cobalt blue ground accented in gilt designs.

We are pleased to continue with offerings from a prominent Florida coin and currency collector. One of the many great currency offerings one notable exception it the rare, large size, United States National Currency $10 bill. This happens to be the only known example of this variety of this particular note. It comes from the First National Bank Of North East Pennsylvania, series 1882, Charter Number 4927.

Copley Fine Art Auctions Holds Record-Setting $4.7 Million Sporting Sale

Thomas Chambers (1860-1948), Wood Duck Drake, c. 1900, Sold for $270,000
(Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC, www.copleyart.com)

On July 27 and 28, Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC (copleyart.com) held the most successful decoy auction of all time, with an outstanding average price per lot of over $27,000 per decoy. This almost doubled the average price per lot from the sale of the Distinguished Collection of Dr. James M. McCleery held in 2000.

Featuring the Donal C. O’Brien, Jr. Collection of Important American Sporting Art and Decoys, Sessions I and II set numerous world records, signaling the decoy market is back to full strength.

John English (1848-1915), Pintail Drake, c. 1880, Sold for $246,000
Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC, www.copleyart.com

Lot 6, a pinnacle wood duck by Canadian carver Thomas Chambers (1860-1948) set the first high water mark, selling for $270,000, a record for the carver and also a record for any Canadian maker.

The John English (1848-1915) pintail drake sold for $246,000, shattering the old record for the maker, and becoming the highest priced decoy ever to come out of the Delaware River region.

The Canada goose by Charles E. “Shang” Wheeler (1872-1949) shot to $198,000, smashing the world record for this important carver as well as for the Connecticut region.

Charles E. “Shang” Wheeler (1872-1949), The Mackey-Wheeler Goose, c. 1935, Sold for $198,000
Copley Fine Art Auctions, LLC, www.copleyart.com

Overall, the blockbuster auction brought $4.7 million. The O’Brien Collection, with a 100% sell-through rate, was Copley’s first “white-glove” sale, a true rarity in today’s auction market and a remarkable achievement for the nation’s leading decoy and sporting art auction house. Great decoys with strong provenance and exceptional form carried the day, leading to Copley’s most successful sale in the company’s eleven-year history.Copley Fine Art Auctions
65 Sharp Street
Hingham, Massachusetts

About Copley Fine Art Auctions

Copley Fine Art Auction experts provide a host of services for collectors: Appraisals, including trusts and estates; auction, gallery, and private sales; collections management; custom framing and restoration. Whether you’re a new or seasoned collector, we are happy to discuss options for the formation, development, or sale of a collection encompassing our specialties. We work with private collectors, museums, and corporations nationwide, and have helped form many leading collections. In addition, we offer advice regarding personal property for trusts, estates, and private clients to aid fiduciaries, executors, advisors, and collectors.

2017, Shopping Feature, FiveStory New York, ‘9 Secret Spots of the Upper East Side’

FiveStory New York
“9 Secret Spots of the Upper East Side”
by Claire Distenfeld
June 22, 2017

The George Glazer Gallery is one of nine “fun facts, spots and secrets about the Magical and enchanting Upper East Side” featured in an online article at fivestoryny.com. Here’s what they wrote about us: “File this under: Things that people no longer think they need and thus become a covetable luxury and should be in every home : Globes and Maps…and the best store for this on the planet is George Glazer Gallery.”

35th Annual Derby Day Raises $325,000 for Recreation Therapy at Shepherd Center

It was a party replete with fancy hats, seersucker suits, mint juleps and lots of fun. Shepherd Center’s annual Derby Day – the largest attended and longest-running fundraising event in Shepherd Center history – celebrated its 35^th year on May 6 with a record-breaking crowd of more than 1,300 guests.

For 35 years, the Shepherd Center Junior Committeehas hosted Derby Day. To honor this legacy, many past co-chairs and Junior Committee founders reunited at Derby Day to celebrate this special milestone. As soon as the gates opened at 2 p.m., guests flowed in to the horse rink dressed in their race-day best seersucker suits, spring dresses and hats. Each guest enjoyed a big-screen broadcast of the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby while sipping on mint juleps. Attendees loved the live music by Glow the Show Band, lawn games, including corn hole and a wine toss, as well as posing at the Derby-themed photo booth.

Sponsors were treated to their own VIP experience with exclusive access to Chastain Horse Park’s Clubhouse. Patrons and guests enjoyed the culinary delights of tenderloin, pulled pork barbecue, pasta salad and decadent desserts provided by Avenue Catering. Just after 6:30 p.m., the crowd gathered near the stage and big screens to cheer for their favorite horses.

Just before Almost Dreaming won the race, Derby Day Co-Chairs Brit Eames and Will Thies announced the winners of the Derby Day women’s hat contest and Derby Day men’s outfit contest. The live auctioneers, Robert Ahlers and Jason Brooks, mastered the mic as the emcees for the live auction.

The silent and live auctions offered something for everyone with college football-themed corn hole boards, dazzling jewels, and getaways near and far, which raised a record-breaking $70,000! The day was truly filled with food, fun and fast horses!

The 35th annual Derby Day, combined with the outstanding fundraising efforts of the 2016-2017 Shepherd Center Junior Committee, raised $325,000 for Shepherd Center’s Recreation Therapy program, which helps people with a temporary or permanent disability caused by injury or disease to lead healthy and active lifestyles as independently as possible through the use of recreation activities, providing education, skill development and community reintegration opportunities.

Memorial Day, May 29th, by Darin

Amid the haze of the BBQ smoke and the sounds of splashing swimming pools, picnics and frivolity, the unofficial beginning of summer comes on Monday, May 29th, observed in the United States as Memorial Day, designated to honor our fallen veterans who have served and died in defending the freedoms we enjoy in the United States.

Much history surrounds the origins of our current Memorial Day observance, primarily the history of the observance called Decoration Day, commonly thought to have originated in Illinois by veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic in 1868, which was celebrated on May 30, because that was a time when flowers were in full bloom and could be used to decorate the graves of Civil War veterans. Alternatively, another story refers to the original Memorial Day term as having been used in the south, by families of Confederate soldiers who died in the war.

Our current Memorial Day was legislated by Congress in 1968 (give or take 100 years since the original observance), and designated as the last Monday in May.

My Month of May Tradition

As has become my personal May tradition over the last few years, I re-watch HBO’s “Band of Brothers” miniseries, which was first broadcast in 2001. The series is based on the book by the same name, written by Stephen Ambrose in 1992. The story chronicles the WWII journey of E (“Easy”) Company, of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Although portions of history are ‘dramatized’ for effect, the story is based on actual events, and depicts the lives of several “Easy” veterans, whose personal interviews are the prologue to each episode. In the final episode, we learn their identities. Although the acting, writing, cinematography and production are excellent, the most significant aspect of the series is the characters themselves. These men were willing to give their lives in defense of their country, surely, but in defense of their brethren, their brothers-in-arms in the battles they faced. Parachuting into Normandy, facing overwhelming forces and extreme cold (along with low supplies, including minimal ammo) in the Ardennes forest, attacking a fortified enemy position at Foy, Belgium and discovering a Nazi concentration camp are all actual experiences faced by the company.

In Perspective

When considering the issues today that seem to ruffle so many feathers, most of those issue pale in comparison to the struggles that were faced by these men of the Greatest Generation- real life-and-death stuff. They were wounded, and begged to return to the line. They had little food, but shared what they had with whomever was in their foxhole. They were lost from their companies and partnered with the first American soldier they could find, to try to stay alive. One of their company was lost in a fight from which “Easy” was forced to retreat, and a small group takes it upon themselves to return under cover of darkness (unauthorized by the CO) to search for their brother.

So is it really newsworthy to discuss what the President’s wife wears to a particular event? Is it really distressing that one’s favorite choice to win a “reality” TV show lost the voting? Why make the effort to write a rude comment to someone else’s inane posting on social media?

How far removed we are from days of wartime rationing, from rallies hosting wounded veterans to sell war bonds to support the war effort, and from the inability to immediately communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world.

Today’s war is fought with government money (from our tax dollars), by volunteers in mountains and in areas where the enemy can be around every corner. These days, for us in this country as we see our men and women in armed service, the war on terrorism and the battles against evil dictatorships are so pervasive in the 24-hour news cycle, we’re all a little numb to it. Just because today’s fighting men and women are serving in isolated areas (compared to the Pacific and European theatres of WWII) their sacrifice is no less significant than the sacrifices made by those who’ve served in any past conflict or war that defended freedom. Let us always remember and honor those who serve, and memorialize those who have served and died.

National Moment of Remembrance

Monday, May 29th, is also the The National Moment of Remembrance, as established by Congress, which asks Americans, wherever they are at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day, to pause in an act of national unity for a duration of one minute. I urge you, wherever you are and whatever you are doing, to take just one minute to thank God for our fallen warriors who have given their lives for this country, and to encourage others around you to do the same.

The Gospel of John, chapter 15, verse 13, records that Jesus said, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” That’s one of the reasons I watch Band of Brothers every year, because these men lived this out- they were willing to die for their friends, their brothers, and for those of us who now benefit from their heroism and their sacrifices. For me, this brings some perspective, when considering what I am willing to sacrifice, and what issues are of real importance to me, as might benefit the good, for my brothers… my friends.

Enjoy Memorial Day, celebrate, barbecue, enjoy the company of family and friends. Just make some time to remember, and pray for, those that fought to secure your ability to do those things. May God bless you.

Joseph DuMouchelle Achieves More Than $100,000 Per Carat For An Emerald At May 24 Jewels & Timepieces Auction

Important colored gemstones ruled the sale, which included six natural Colombian emeralds and fetched a total of $1.78 million

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwired – May 26, 2017) – Estate jewelry auction house Joseph DuMouchelle achieved more than $100,000 per carat for an emerald at its May 24th sale, which included a total of six natural Colombian emeralds as well as unheated Burma, Kashmir and Ceylon sapphires and unheated Burma rubies and spinels. A 3.30ct natural Colombian emerald achieved $104,166 per carat, setting a near-record price per carat for an unmounted Colombian emerald and definitively setting a record price per carat for a Colombian emerald of its size.

“What is interesting is that these emeralds are relatively small when compared to some of the emeralds that have broken records for price per carat in past auctions,” says president and founder Joseph DuMouchelle. “Other important emerald sales have all dealt with stones of 8 carats or higher and more commonly of 15 carats or higher — but the highest price per carat of an emerald in yesterday’s sale was only 3.30ct. I think the results prove that quality is just as important as quantity when it comes to rare and important colored stones.” The record for price per carat for an emerald is held by Elizabeth Taylor’s 23.46ct Colombian emerald in a Bulgari pendant, which fetched $280,000 per carat in 2011.

Joseph DuMouchelle is now accepting items for its upcoming June 2017 auction.