$1 MILLION EMERALD SPARKS GREEN FIRE IN RAGO’S DECEMBER JEWELRY AUCTION

Lambertville, NJ: An unenhanced Colombian emerald weighing some 29 carats brought $1,030,000 in Rago’s $4.25 million dollar jewelry auction on December 4, 2016. A pear-shaped diamond of approximately equal size, suspended as a pendant, followed closely at a sale price of $850,000. In all, it was an auction in which the flashiest prices were achieved by serious gemstones and pieces by renowned makers like Cartier and David Webb.

“Property from many fine homes, collectors and estates provided us with beautiful material across a wide spectrum,” said Sarah Churgin, Director of the Jewelry Department, “From Imperial jade to museum quality Ottoman era Armenian jewelry, from top designers such as Cartier to diamonds and gemstones significant in their own right, this was a benchmark sale for us.”

Katherine Van Dell, the jewelry specialist who will head the department as of 2017, when Sarah Churgin transitions to a Rago consultant, agreed. “This auction, to me, marked new territory in terms of what we have offered and what we are capable of achieving for our consignors.”

Total Hammer: $3,454,500
Hammer + buyer’s premium: $4,240,625
Low Estimate: $3,296,750
High Estimate: $4,354,050
Bidders in-house: 156
Bidders on phone: 93
Absentee Bidders: 287
Number of lots: 490

Online bidders: 1,120 from U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, American Samoa, Sweden, Singapore, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, Hungary, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, India, Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.