Asia Dominates Christie's 2010 Jewelry Sales

Christie’s released more details on its 2010 jewelry sales late last week. Rappaport’s Diamonds.net put together an easy-to-read list. There’s a lot of talk about the effect of the Asian buyer on the art market. Christie’s numbers show that art is still dominated by the US and UK. But jewelry is another story. Christie’s worldwide total for 2010 was $426 million; $163 million of that came from sales in Hong Kong. That’s nearly 40% of sales.

Of these top ten lots, Christie’s identifies six as being won by Asian private buyers. That’s 60%. The proportion may be higher. The remaining for lots were listed as anonymous:

The Perfect Pink, a 14.23-ct. rectangular cut, fancy intense pink diamond ring, which sold for a record $23 million in Hong Kong, was the most expensive jewel ever sold at an auction in Asia;

The Bulgari Blue, a two-stone triangular-cut fancy vivid blue diamond of 10.95 carats and a 9.87- carat, triangular-cut diamond, which sold for $15.7 million in New York, took top auction price per carat for a blue diamond;

A single strand jadeite beaded necklace sold for $7.2 million in Hong Kong;

A 49.61-carat Kashmir sapphire and diamond bracelet by Cartier sold for $6.9 million in Hong Kong, a world auction record for any bracelet;

A 6.89-carat rectangular-cut fancy vivid purple-pink diamond was sold for $6.9 million in New York;

A 40.2-carat rectangular-cut D flawless diamond sold for $5.1 million in Geneva;

A 155.17-carat total circular cut diamond rivière sold for $4.7 million in Geneva;

A 5.01-carat heart shaped fancy vivid blue diamond ring sold for $4.7 million in Hong Kong;

A pair of fancy deep blue heart-shaped diamonds of 2.48-carat and 2.03-carat suspending a pair of 10.12-carat and 9.64-carat pear-shaped diamonds, sold for $4.4 million in Hong Kong:

A heart-shaped 28.28-carat internally flawless diamond sold for $3.7 million in New York.