Christie’s International took in $20.8 million on 17 pieces of jewelry from the esteemed collection of the late copper heiress Huguette Clark. The jewelry was sold during the April 17th “Magnificent Jewels” auction in New York, which contained more than 300 lots of fine jewels.
Dubbed “The Reluctant Heiress” due to her reclusive lifestyle, Clark had an eye for unique fine jewelry. The heiress’ coveted “The Clark Pink” ring was the auction showstopper, selling for a whopping $15.7 million. The 9-carat cushion-cut diamond ring took in nearly triple its original estimate, and is currently the most expensive pink diamond sold to date. The staggering tally is all the more impressive considering that the ring was tucked away in a bank vault for seven decades.
Another noteworthy piece for sale was a rare, 19.86-carat colorless diamond ring designed by Cartier. The D-color diamond ring fetched an impressive $3.1 million. Clark’s Tiffany & Co. designed diamond bracelet also bested its pre-auction expectations. The shimmering piece, which dates back to 1915, sold for $266,500.
The Magnificent Jewels auction was a top moneymaker for Christie’s, earning $70.7 million overall. Clark’s jewelry collection alone earned the second-highest auction total for private jewelry, and it doubled pre-sales estimates. Despite the impressive total, the auction fell short of the record-breaking $137.2 million in earnings from the sale of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor last year.