Submitted by aarAdmin on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 00:00
The rare Willows 35.73-carat yellow sapphire pendant – the largest ever offered at an Australian auction – sold for a staggering $122,000 in Melbourne on May 12 through Sotheby’s Australia.
Chairman Geoffrey Smith said the yellow sapphire was exceptional and achieved $3414 a carat.
“The stone captivated people from Australia and around the world,” he said.
With a significant number of international registrations, the auction attracted strong telephone bidding.
A fancy yellow 13.81-carat round brilliant cut diamond claw-set in an 18-carat gold ring was typical of the international telephone interest and changed hands for $231,800 on a $100,000-$150,000 catalogue estimate.
Other significant diamond results included a platinum 4.94-carat diamond ring which sold for $58,560 and a 6.555-carat emerald-cut diamond for $57,340 – more than double the lower estimate.
