Throughout 2020, 48 lots sold over $1m and global jewelry sales achieved an overall sell-through of 84%. There was global participation with bidders hailing from 74 countries and a meaningful reach to new audiences with 32% new buyers.Online sales were at an all-time high with 143% increase in the amount of online sales; 38% increase in lots sold online; and a 241% increase in the value of online jewels sales YoY. In June 2020, Christie’s established the record for a jewel sold in an online auction with a 28.86 Carat, D Color Diamond, achieving $2,115,000.
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The top lot for Christie’s Jewels for the year was a fancy intense blue, marquise-cut, internally flawless, diamond ring of 12.11 carats, which sold in Hong Kong in July for $15,870,815. In the November Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale, a new auction record price per carat was established for a fancy purplish-red diamond, set into a ring by Graff. The 1.05 carat stone sold for CHF2,760,000, translating into price per carat at $2,640,000.
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In the
December New York Magnificent Jewels sale, the top lot of the sale was an extraordinary
Kashmir sapphire and diamond bracelet of 43.10 carats surrounded by D color internally flawless diamonds that was purchased for $6,030,000
by
Harry Winston to add to their Legacy Collection.
New strides were made for
Jewels Online sales with online sales expanded to every major sale site. In addition to Hong Kong and New York, for the first time this year, online Jewels sales were hosted in Paris, London, and Geneva. Making our digital footprint as global as our auction footprint. These sales were met with strong results, as seen with the
first-ever online Magnificent Jewels Online sale from Geneva,
which sold 89% of all lots and 100% by value, attracting over 1,500 bids from around the globe.
Overall, the department hosted 17 online sales including the curated Jewels Online sales, Summer Sparkle, the inaugural diamond online sale, and Iconic Designs; alongside charitable online auctions including Together for Children | #Sparkle Together; and Diamonds that Care: A Charity Auction.
Christie’s Jewels also supported collections with charitable initiatives including Jewels offered in loving memory of Lana Chenko-Haddad to benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children, the ASPCA, and Breast Cancer Research; Property from the Collection of Athena Blackburn Sold to Benefit Charitable Causes; and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, which achieved a combined total of over $2million for charitable online sales and collections.
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