12-carat diamond ring leads Bonhams' $5.3m jewellery auction

Bonhams saw excellent results at its June 19 jewellery auction in New York, with a brilliant rectangular 12-carat diamond ring selling as top lot.

Diamond ring
The auction joins a list of high profile sales in New York recently



The ring achieved $482,500, more than double its pre-sale estimate. It was consigned from the Beverly Hills collection of Mrs Daniel J Egey, wife of the late steel tycoon.

In total, the auction realised an impressive $5.3m, with 90% of lots sold by value.

While US bidders made up the slight majority of those in attendance, many of the top lots went to telephone bidders from across the world.  

New York is a well-established hub for major jewellery sales, with both a flawless 75-carat white diamond selling for $14.2m and the world-famous pink Princie Diamond selling for $39.3m in April.

As ever, coloured diamonds proved popular in the Bonhams auction, with a 16.03-carat fancy deep yellow diamond ring from the collection of a Florida gentleman realising $290,500.

The trend for art deco jewellery also continued, with a 1923 Oscar Heyman & Brothers diamond and sapphire bracelet more than tripling its estimate to sell from $92,500.

With a striking geometric design, the bracelet features French-cut sapphires and diamonds weighing a combined 24.60 carats.

"This was an extraordinary day and we're very pleased with the results. We are witnessing a renewed strength in the market in all categories," commented Bonhams' head of US jewellery, Susan Abeles.

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter to stay ahead of the latest news and trends in collecting.

Featured products

Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Sale price£399
In stock
Fidel Castro signed certificateFidel Castro Signed Certificate
Fidel Castro signed certificate
Sale price£2,995
In stock
King Henry VIII Autographed DocumentKing Henry VIII Autographed Document
King Henry VIII Autographed Document
Sale price£55,000
In stock