An exceptionally rare colored diamond will be a highlight of Sotheby’s New York spring Magnificent Jewels sale on April 20. The 7.67-carat type-IIa fancy intense pinkish-orange diamond ring is believed to be the largest internally flawless diamond of this pinkish-orange color graded by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to date. It is estimated to garner between $2.5 million to $3.5 million. Colored diamonds have been commanding record-breaking prices at auction for the past two years, making this stone even more watched. The diamond is just one of the important pieces at the spring sale, which is part of the private collection of winemaker and onetime society doyenne Patricia Kluge. Her vast jewelry collection features a wide range of stylish, important, and collectible pieces, including diamond jewelry and a particularly desirable Cartier sapphire and diamond Panthère wristwatch, circa 1985 ($100,000 to $150,000).
Aside from Kluge’s jewelry, several other jewelry designs from private collections will be offered, including Ann Getty and the estates of Nancy M. Daly and Marlene Dietrich. And, a special collection titled “Always in Style: 150 Years of Artistic Jewels and Magnificent Jewels” will offer signed pieces by Cartier, Daniel Brush, Marcus & Co., Boivin, T.B. Starr, and Giorgio Facchini. These pieces were selected to illustrate how jewelry design evolved under the influence of fashion, society, and world history. Also of note is a group of seven unmounted Kashmir sapphires from a private collector that weigh between 4.29 and 8.73 carats (estimate $1.1 million to $1.5 million).
