Featuring the Dancing Sun and the Chrysler Diamond
LIVE AUCTION: 8 June 2021 ONLINE AUCTION: 20 May – 4 June 2021
Christie’s New York announces the June 8 auction of Magnificent Jewels and the preceding Jewels Online sale from May 20 to June 4. The auction includes a significant selection of colored diamonds, colorless diamonds, and gemstones, along with signed pieces by Bvlgari, Cartier, Graff, Harry Winston, JAR, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels. Estimates range from $10,000 to $3,500,000. An exhibition by appointment will be held at Christie’s New York from June 4-7.
The June 8th auction is led by an incredible discovery, The Dancing Sun, a fancy intense yellow diamond of 204.36 carats, VVS2 clarity ($3,500,000-5,500,000). The Dancing Sun is the largest polished diamond mined in North America. This exceptional stone, along with six additional diamonds (Lots 62-67) ranging from 14.52 to 1.06 carats, were cut and polished from the largest gem quality rough diamond unearthed in North America. Weighing 552.74 carats, the rough was uncovered in 2018 from the Diavik Diamond Mine, owned and operated by Arctic Canadian Diamond Company Ltd.
Also headlining the sale is The Chrysler Diamond, a magnificent pear-shaped diamond of 54.03 carats, D color, Internally Flawless ($3,500,000-4,500,000). The story of this exceptional stone began in 1958, when Harry Winston purchased what was then known as the Louis XIV Diamond from the estate of Thelma Chrysler Foy, daughter of Walter Chrysler, railroad and automotive executive and namesake of New York City’s iconic Art Deco skyscraper. First set in a tiara and exhibited at the Musée du Louvre (1962) the diamond was sold by Winston in 1963, along with a 61.80 carat diamond, to Mrs. Eleanor Loder. Recut by the current owner, who acquired the pair in 1983, the diamonds were referred to as the Geminis and included in Notable Diamonds of the World. Now mounted in a necklace, the Chrysler diamond is poised to continue its distinguished heritage at auction that is aptly held in New York City.
Specially featured is an important selection of Jewels by JAR: Property from an Important West Coast Collection. Spanning almost 20 exquisite creations, the section is led by a pair of natural pearl and diamond earrings ($700,000-1,000,000). JAR’s superior craftsmanship and his daring sense of proportion are what set him apart from any other. Mr. Rosenthal’s passion for perfection and unmatched innovation earned him a retrospective at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2013, the first living jeweler to be granted this honor. Three jewels from the present collection, Lots 150, 152 and 154, were featured in this prestigious exhibition.
Additional diamond highlights include The Flawless Match, a superb colored diamond and diamond ring made up of a fancy vivid blue pear-shaped diamond of 2.52 carats and a pear-shaped diamond of 2.43 carats, D color, Internally Flawless, Type IIa ($2,500,000- 3,500,000); a fancy intense purplish pink diamond of 2.58 carats ($200,000-300,0000); a rare fancy gray-blue diamond ring of 4.10 carats ($250,000-350,000); and an emerald-cut diamond of 11.93 carats, G color, VS2 clarity, by Harry Winston ($250,000-350,000).
The sale is rounded out by a superb selection of contemporary designs including jewels by Carnet, Lorraine Schwartz, and a dedicated section Timeless Elegance: A Selection of Graff Jewelry (Lots 22-61) with select lots offered without reserve. Laurence Graff is considered a world leader in the jewelry trade, one of the most significant forces in retail, and a market maker in the auction world. Not since Harry Winston has an individual handled more of the most famous diamonds in the world. The selection offered in the sale embodies the timeless elegance of Graff, with effortlessly chic designs that feature top quality diamonds and gemstones.
The Jewels Online sale (May 20-June 4) features a broad selection of fine jewels and iconic designs by Bvlgari, Cartier, David Webb, Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co., JAR, and Van Cleef & Arpels.
