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The Top Jewelry Auctions At Sotheby's in 2014

Sotheby's, a global auction business, offers clients fine jewelry and art that can't be found elsewhere. Their clients are discerning and only want the best that the jewelry market has to offer. This year, there have been several record-breaking and remarkable auctions around the world showcasing the most unbelievable jewelry pieces on earth.

 Photo by Ana Ulin (Flickr) Caption: Sotheby's London Auction House Photo by Ana Ulin (Flickr) Caption: Sotheby's London Auction House

March 26, 2014, Sotheby's London

On March 26, Sotheby's London's "Fine Jewels" sale saw a diamond vanity case with gems set in enamel sell for $109,218.46 when its pre-sale estimate was only $12,000 to $19,000. Also included in the auction were antique jewels that sold for remarkable prices. Some of these include a 19th century fancy intense yellow diamond ring, which sold for double its estimated price at $47,832, and 18th century diamond pendant earrings for $65,770. There were many pieces from the Art Deco period between the 1920s and 1930s as well.

April 7, 2014, Sotheby's Hong Kong

The beginning of April brought a Sotheby's Hong Kong auction called "Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite," a fabulous auction including a jadeite bead necklace with a Cartier clasp. Selling for a record-setting $27.4 million, the necklace was only expected to bring in $12 million. This Hutton-Mdivani necklace includes 27 beads, which are excellent in color and translucency with fine texture and proportions. The piece was purchased by The Cartier Collection. Another breathtaking piece was a cushion-shaped oval Burmese Mogok ruby by Cartier. It weighed in at 29.62 carats and included diamonds as well. It sold for $7.34 million, which set a world record for a ruby. The entire auction brought in a total of $106.6 million for the Hong Kong auction house.

April 29, 2014, Sotheby's New York

Sotheby's New York had a record-setting auction for price per carat for a sapphire in its "Magnificent Jewels" auction at the end of April. A Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring went for $5,093,000, which is $180,731 per carat. It was estimated to sell for between $4 million and $5 million. This square emerald-cut stone by Oscar Heyman & Brothers is surrounded by 32 baguette diamonds and is in a platinum mount. The highest-grossing sale of the auction was a 15.23 carat orange/pink diamond coming in at $6.1 million, which is $400,590 per carat.

May 13, 2014, Sotheby's Geneva

At Sotheby's Geneva's "Magnificent Jewels & Noble Jewels" on May 15, the Graff Vivid Yellow diamond by Graff set a world record for yellow diamonds, selling for $16,347,347. The entire auction took in a total of $141,492,079. A private collection by Flora Sassoon tripled the pre-sale expectations, and a gold and diamond necklace belonging to Jacqueline Auriol and by Van Cleef and Arpels sold for $276,203, which was 12 times its pre-sale estimate. Also included in this auction were signed and private collection period jewels including the Victory Diamond, which is a 70.33 carat grade D flawless cushion diamond.

September 23, 2014, Sotheby's New York

Two diamond pieces sold for above their pre-sale estimates at the "Important Jewels" auction at Sotheby's New York in September. There was a set of diamond pendant earrings that went for well above their estimate at $1,505,000. A platinum and diamond ring sold for $965,000. There were many modern classics as well as period jewels at the sale. Once piece that was one of the more rare pieces sold was Cartier's Belle Epoque garland bracelet. There were Art Deco David Webb diamond earrings encased in beautiful enamelwork and a Schlumberger Oiseau de Paradis brooch with beautiful colored gems. Two pieces that were the highlights of the sale were a Colombian emerald in a vintage J.E. Caldwell setting and a 9.13 carat marquis-shaped diamond that was internally flawless and had D color.

October 7, 2014, Sotheby's Hong Kong

The "Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite" sale in Hong Kong in October included an 8.41-carat fancy vivid purple/pink diamond that was mounted by Sotheby's Diamonds and was supposed to fetch between $12.8 million and $15.4 million, but it wound up being purchased for $17.8 million. This set the world auction record for a vivid pink diamond. Also in the auction was a multi-colored jadeite Guan Yin ornament and the Ballerina Butterfly brooch designed by Sarah Jessica Parker and Cindy Chao. The sale brought in $75 million total.

Sotheby's has 90 different locations in 40 different countries with salerooms and private galleries, and it conducts 250 different auctions in many different categories each year. With several other auctions to take place in the months of November and December, Sotheby's is proving to be a very productive jewelry auction house for 2014.