焦点 JNA January/February 2023 | 17 diamond rivière necklace, which were snapped up for US$8.8 million and US$6 million, respectively. In November 2022, Christie’s offered jewellery pieces from an impeccably curated collection of Hong Kong actress Rosamund Kwan. The collection, featuring a variety of gemstones and jewellery pieces by Cartier, Buccellati, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Louis Vuitton and Boghossian, captivated an international audience and achieved over US$11 million. Signed jewels also drew attention at Sotheby’s auctions, including a Van Cleef & Arpels turquoise parure and the Les Oiseaux Libérés’ diamond, emerald, sapphire and motherof-pearl bracelet and earrings by Cartier. According to Kim, rarity and provenance are high on the list of buyers when bidding for jewellery items. “We are consistently seeing a drive for the most collectible pieces that are getting harder to find,” she noted. “Pink diamond demand has increased since the closure of the Argyle diamond mine in Australia, and specimens with a strong saturation paired with good clarity are usually one of a kind.” Interest in Kashmir sapphires, Burmese rubies and Colombian emeralds without treatments are similarly on the uptick as these gems become scarcer by the day. Vickie Sek, chairman of jewellery department at Christie’s Asia Pacific, said results of its major auctions demonstrate the perpetual charm of refined jewellery pieces and extraordinary gems amid global uncertainties. “In addition, they demonstrate the allure of singleowner collections that have been passionately assembled by an individual with a sophisticated eye and a superb sense of style,” noted Sek. Gems and vintage jewellery The Hong Kong government’s decision to loosen up pandemic regulations last year allowed more international clients to travel to Hong Kong for auction previews, according to Charlene Lau, head of department at Phillips Jewels in Hong Kong. “We have seen more clients participating in our November 2022 fall auction compared to our June auction, resulting in a 125 per cent increase from the previous season,” disclosed Lau. Ruby, sapphire and emerald remained “very resilient,” with stellar performances by top-quality gemstones. Among the highlights of Phillips Jewel’s offerings last year were an emerald and diamond ring (HK$1.03 million/ US$131,755); a fancy intense pink diamond and diamond ring (HK$ 7.14 million/US$913,350); a fancy vivid yellow diamond ring (HK$2.39 million/US$305,729); and a 26.12carat unmounted round brilliant-cut diamond (HK$19.61 million/US$2.5 million). Stewart Young, Bonhams director of jewellery and head of department, Asia, also attested to solid market demand for diamond, ruby, sapphire and jadeite. Paraiba tourmaline is also a rising star in the auction world. At its Hong Kong and Jewels and Jadeite sale in June 2022, Bonhams sold a rare Paraiba tourmaline and diamond ring of 5.09 carats for HK$2.96 million (around US$378,657) and a 63.01-carat Paraiba tourmaline and diamond ring for HK$1.38 million (approximately US$176,536) in November last year. “Exceptional stones still attract collectors and connoisseurs and generate high prices at auction,” remarked Young. “We also see increasing prices and extremely strong results for fancy colour diamonds while larger-carat gemstones with high degree of clarity are still highly sought after.” Young likewise cited robust buyer interest in heritage names such as Cartier, Tiffany & Co and Van Cleef & Arpels. Bonhams successfully auctioned off a privately owned collection of exceptional Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co pieces in Hong Kong last November, achieving HK$8 million (about US$1.02 million). The 11.15-carat Williamson Pink Star diamond sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong for US$57.8 million 重11.15克拉的Williamson Pink Star钻石在香港苏富比以5,780万美元成交 Exceptional stones still attract collectors and connoisseurs and generate high prices at auction. We also see increasing prices and extremely strong results for fancy colour diamonds while larger-carat gemstones with high degree of clarity are still highly sought after. – Stewart Young, Bonhams director of Jewellery &Head of Department, Asia
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