The most stunning high jewellery pieces at Hong Kong’s VIP spring auctions: diamonds, rubies, sapphires and jadeite dazzle on prize pieces from Cartier, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels and Tiffany & Co.
- Sotheby’s Hong Kong’s 50th anniversary luxury evening and Poly Auction’s Magnificent Jewels and Important Watches Sale kicked off the season – but there’s much more bling to come
- May brings Christie’s Hong Kong’s Magnificent Jewels Spring Auction, Bonhams’ Hong Kong Jewels and Jadeite sale and Phillips’ Jewels and Jadeite auction
As if to celebrate nature’s lively renewal, vibrant colours and dazzling designs from international brands have considerably animated the live spring auctions of high jewellery in Hong Kong.
Reopened borders and normalised travel have made a positive impact on luxury goods consumption in Hong Kong, particularly by well-heeled individuals from mainland China. At local auction previews held recently, sophisticated, expensively dressed Mandarin speakers could easily be noted avidly checking out the superb jewellery pieces on offer.
Pent-up demand from affluent mainland Chinese has helped lift the prices for top-grade jadeite pieces. At Sotheby’s Hong Kong’s 50th Anniversary Luxury Evening Auction: The Exceptionals in April, the Emperor’s Treasure, a magnificent necklace comprising 43 imperial green jadeite beads, ranging from 11.55mm to 13.05mm in diameter with a clasp encrusted with rubies and diamonds, fetched HK$61.5 million. At Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels: Part I auction, an exquisite pendant with a carved jadeite piece accented with diamonds went for HK$23.44 million.
Jadeite has a symbolic significance to Sotheby’s high jewellery auctions held in Hong Kong. “This magnificent green gem not only reflects Asia’s cultural significance, it was also the first jewellery category that Sotheby’s offered in the region almost five decades ago,” said Wenhao Yu, chairman, jewellery and watches, at Sotheby’s Asia.
A piece using this rare gemstone also achieved a world record at Poly Auction’s Magnificent Jewels and Important Watches Sale in April. A “magnificent imperial jadeite bangle” commanded HK$60 million, a new world auction record for the jadeite bangle category. Cylindrical, measuring 73.48mm by 52.72mm by 10.51mm and carved from the highly coveted “old pit mine” jadeite, it displays exceptional translucence and colour saturation.
Few designs with coloured gemstones are as iconic as Cartier’s Tutti Frutti pieces. At Sotheby’s The Exceptionals auction, a Cartier Tutti Frutti bracelet watch fetched HK$11.9 million, while a Tutti Frutti set of necklace and earrings was sold for HK$25.9 million.
The appeal of well-known brands and coloured gemstones was equally strong to bidders at Poly Auction’s spring sale. A Van Cleef & Arpels’ ring topped with a rare 23.49-carat Burmese royal blue sapphire, accented with diamonds, was sold for HK$8.88 million, the auction’s second highest price, while a ring with a 13.09-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond by Tiffany & Co. realised HK$6.6 million.