June 11th saw the Joaillerie Paris Auction take place at Sotheby’s in France. Originally scheduled for June 10th, some technical difficulties led to its postponement by a day. For me, that one day’s wait meant that my anticipation and expectation went up a decibel or two!
I followed four lots from this auction, each one featuring stunning pearl jewelry pieces. These included a lovely natural pearl and diamond necklace from the 1930s (Lot 22) a pair of beautiful cultured pearl and diamond earrings by Boivin, 1940 (Lot 250), a gorgeous strand of natural pearls (Lot 278), and a natural pearl and diamond ring (Lot 279).
Lot 22 consisted of a platinum necklace set with two detachable pendants, each set with a drop shaped natural pearls (of saltwater origin). The pearls were light grey in colour with lovely pink overtones and a soft lustre. Estimated to sell for € 20,000-30,000, once the bidding started, the bids kept climbing and the necklace sold for €56,250. Almost twice the upper limit of the original estimates!
Lot 250 was a pair of exquisite cultured pearl and diamond earrings by Boivin, circa 1940 (from the time when Madame René Boivin was at the helm of the House of Boivin). A delicately and realistically articulated floral design, these earrings consisted of stylized knots of pavé-set diamonds culminating in swinging acorns, set with lustrous white cultured pearls and brilliant-cut diamonds. Starting with an estimate of €11,000- 13,000, these earrings in fact sold much above the estimates, at €23,750!
Lot 278 was the one I was most interested in! A natural pearl and diamond necklace, with fabulous mixed coloured pearls of saltwater origin. Alternating with the pearls, beads set with rose cut diamonds allow the beauty of the pearls to shine through. The bidding for this lot was very exciting! The estimate placed the sale price between €100,000-150,000, but from the get-go, it seemed that the bidding would not be limited to this upper limit. The bids kept climbing, online bids against phone bids and so it went on. When the lot was closed and the sale was announced at €480, 500, the sale price was almost three times the estimate, nearly half a million Euros!
Finally, Lot 280 was another piece of jewelry that really had me entranced. A natural pearl and diamond ring from the 1930s, featuring a near-round natural pearl of brownish- grey colour and impressive dimensions of approximately 15×14 mm (rounded up slightly by me). A natural pearl of this size, shape and colour is difficult to come by. As expected, the bidding left the estimates of €9,000-12000 far behind. The lot closed at a sale price of €56,250, almost five times the estimate!
Live auctions are fun to follow, even if you are doing it online. There is a certain sense of thrill and excitement as each lot comes up for auction and then as the bidding begins, the real magic starts.
If you haven’t checked out Sotheby’s Joaillerie Paris results, please do so. But there is their Important Jewels Online auction currently live in New York, where you are sure to find some irresistible treasures!
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