Decade 2010-2019
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Koons Jewels Blue diamond White diamond Russia Time pieces New watches OnlyWatch Patek Philippe Mountains in China Modern China Cui Ruzhuo
See also : Koons Jewels Blue diamond White diamond Russia Time pieces New watches OnlyWatch Patek Philippe Mountains in China Modern China Cui Ruzhuo
White Diamond
1
2011 - 118 Carats Flawless
2013 SOLD for HK$ 240 MHK$ by Sotheby's
The diamond sold by Sotheby's on October 7, 2013 is D Type and Flawless, and weighs 118.28 carats. It fetched HK $ 240M.
It is oval cut from a 299 carat rough stone discovered in 2011 in a deep mine of southern Africa whose detailed location is not revealed. Its polishing and symmetry are considered excellent by the gemological laboratories.
It is oval cut from a 299 carat rough stone discovered in 2011 in a deep mine of southern Africa whose detailed location is not revealed. Its polishing and symmetry are considered excellent by the gemological laboratories.
2
2010s the Winston Legacy
2013 SOLD for CHF 26M by Christie's
Botswana's mines are operated jointly by the government and by De Beers, with all the precautions that you can imagine. Indeed the small town of Jwaneng was founded in 1982 as a closed community only accessible by permission of the government.
Because of this relatively recent operation, fabulous gems are still waiting to be discovered. The modern art of diamond will do the rest, as technological advances now enable to cut diamonds of perfect shape and symmetry.
Consider an example from the past. The Cullinan, extracted in Transvaal in 1905, was a gem of 3,106 carats. Nine major diamonds were cut from it, including the pear shaped Great Star of Africa achieved at 530.2 carats after eight months of preparation for adorning the British Royal sceptre.
On May 15, 2013, Christie's sold for CHF 26M a perfect diamond (type IIa, D color, flawless). It is pear shaped at 101.73 carats representing an excellent yield for that rough stone of 236 carats extracted in Jwaneng. Its polishing required 21 months of work. It was named the Winston Legacy after the sale.
The new wonder from Jwaneng was in its time the biggest perfect diamond ever presented at auction. Although having no other history than its discovery and preparation, its price per carat, US $ 270K, is consistent with the price recorded by Christie's in 2012 on the Archduke Joseph.
Because of this relatively recent operation, fabulous gems are still waiting to be discovered. The modern art of diamond will do the rest, as technological advances now enable to cut diamonds of perfect shape and symmetry.
Consider an example from the past. The Cullinan, extracted in Transvaal in 1905, was a gem of 3,106 carats. Nine major diamonds were cut from it, including the pear shaped Great Star of Africa achieved at 530.2 carats after eight months of preparation for adorning the British Royal sceptre.
On May 15, 2013, Christie's sold for CHF 26M a perfect diamond (type IIa, D color, flawless). It is pear shaped at 101.73 carats representing an excellent yield for that rough stone of 236 carats extracted in Jwaneng. Its polishing required 21 months of work. It was named the Winston Legacy after the sale.
The new wonder from Jwaneng was in its time the biggest perfect diamond ever presented at auction. Although having no other history than its discovery and preparation, its price per carat, US $ 270K, is consistent with the price recorded by Christie's in 2012 on the Archduke Joseph.
2011 Popeye by Koons
2014 SOLD for $ 28M by Sotheby's
The series of the Celebrations brought to the art of Koons a universal language and a flawless and inimitable technique, with its pure colors in transparent coating onto a perfectly polished stainless steel. A come back to American kitsch was tempting. Koons highlighted Popeye.
This is a clever choice. The image of Popeye, created in 1929, is recognized worldwide. This character has a gruff and whimsical behavior that appeals to Americans. He is never completely caught by his stupidity offset by a large dose of sentimentality.
Popeye would not exist without his spinach box, which provides him with oversized forearms and an invincible strength. Koons notes that spinach transforms this character same as art transforms the reality of life. Popeye is the precursor of these superhuman heroes led by Superman who managed to brighten the Americans at the height of the Great Depression.
His name is an allusion to his pirate eye. Meanwhile, the pop art has gone. Koons offers a sign of connivence to pop art that is indeed a tribute to his predecessors Warhol, Lichtenstein and Mel Ramos.
As for the Celebrations, the figure has two dates, from design to completion. This 2 m high Popeye, dated 2009-2011, was edited in four units plus one artist's proof.
One of them was sold for $ 28M by Sotheby's on May 14, 2014. Please watch the video prepared by the auction house.
This is a clever choice. The image of Popeye, created in 1929, is recognized worldwide. This character has a gruff and whimsical behavior that appeals to Americans. He is never completely caught by his stupidity offset by a large dose of sentimentality.
Popeye would not exist without his spinach box, which provides him with oversized forearms and an invincible strength. Koons notes that spinach transforms this character same as art transforms the reality of life. Popeye is the precursor of these superhuman heroes led by Superman who managed to brighten the Americans at the height of the Great Depression.
His name is an allusion to his pirate eye. Meanwhile, the pop art has gone. Koons offers a sign of connivence to pop art that is indeed a tribute to his predecessors Warhol, Lichtenstein and Mel Ramos.
As for the Celebrations, the figure has two dates, from design to completion. This 2 m high Popeye, dated 2009-2011, was edited in four units plus one artist's proof.
One of them was sold for $ 28M by Sotheby's on May 14, 2014. Please watch the video prepared by the auction house.
CUI RUZHUO
1
2013 The Grand Snowing Mountains
2016 SOLD for HK$ 307M by Poly
Cui Ruzhuo is a connoisseur and keen collector of fine calligraphy and painting works from the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties to modern masters. He is a doctoral tutor at the China Academy of Art in Beijing.
Cui assembles polyptychs composed of vertical panels painted in line and wash on paper in his signature finger ink technique. A single monumental work may occupy a full wall in an exhibition.
His themes appeal to the Chinese sensitivity. His favorite is the unlimited landscape of snowy mountains, eternally indifferent to men.
A set of eight panels made in 2005 for a total size of 202 x 988 cm was sold for HK $ 77M by Christie's on May 28, 2013, lot 1347.
Another Landscape in snow, painted in 2006, was sold for HK $ 184M by Poly on April 7, 2014, lot 2017. This ink and color on paper is an unfragmented hand scroll 64 cm x 36 m plus a frontispiece.
The Grand Snowing Mountains, inspired by Jiangnan, was painted in ink and color on paper by Cui Ruzhuo in 2013. It was sold by Poly on April 7, 2013 for HK $ 236M, lot 2314, just after being prepared as a set of eight mounted panels 292 x 143 cm. It is illustrated in the 2015 post sale release.
A similar example, or possibly the same after rework, was sold by the same auction house on April 4, 2016 for HK $ 307M from a lower estimate of HK $ 150M as a mounted set of six for an overall 300 x 870 cm, lot 1213.
Cui assembles polyptychs composed of vertical panels painted in line and wash on paper in his signature finger ink technique. A single monumental work may occupy a full wall in an exhibition.
His themes appeal to the Chinese sensitivity. His favorite is the unlimited landscape of snowy mountains, eternally indifferent to men.
A set of eight panels made in 2005 for a total size of 202 x 988 cm was sold for HK $ 77M by Christie's on May 28, 2013, lot 1347.
Another Landscape in snow, painted in 2006, was sold for HK $ 184M by Poly on April 7, 2014, lot 2017. This ink and color on paper is an unfragmented hand scroll 64 cm x 36 m plus a frontispiece.
The Grand Snowing Mountains, inspired by Jiangnan, was painted in ink and color on paper by Cui Ruzhuo in 2013. It was sold by Poly on April 7, 2013 for HK $ 236M, lot 2314, just after being prepared as a set of eight mounted panels 292 x 143 cm. It is illustrated in the 2015 post sale release.
A similar example, or possibly the same after rework, was sold by the same auction house on April 4, 2016 for HK $ 307M from a lower estimate of HK $ 150M as a mounted set of six for an overall 300 x 870 cm, lot 1213.
2
2017 Twelve Screens of Landscape
2017 SOLD for RMB 240M by Poly
A mounted set of twelve elements 216 x 76 cm painted in 2017 by Cui Ruzhuo was sold for RMB 240M by Poly on December 17, 2017.
It is illustrated in the post sale report shared by The Value. The reported title, Twelve screens of finger ink landscape, refers to the Cui's signature painting technique.
It is illustrated in the post sale report shared by The Value. The reported title, Twelve screens of finger ink landscape, refers to the Cui's signature painting technique.
3
2019 Rafting in Wind and Rain
2023 SOLD for RMB 230M by Yongle
Rafting in wind and rain, ink and color on paper 395 x 255 cm painted in 2019 by Cui Ruzhuo, features a boat brought home in harsh condition in a mountain surrounding.
It was sold for RMB 230M by Yongle on February 24, 2023.
It was sold for RMB 230M by Yongle on February 24, 2023.
2014 The Blue Moon of Josephine
2015 SOLD for CHF 49M by Sotheby's
The ground continues to unearth important diamonds. Yet, the discovery announced by Petra Diamonds in January 2014 of a 29.62 carat blue gem from the much famous Cullinan mine in South Africa aroused a particular interest in the diamond community.
The new diamond is fancy vivid blue without inclusion, which is already a great rarity. It was purchased by Cora International, headquartered in New York, which processed it. This fancy vivid blue cut to 12.03 carats is the largest internally flawless blue diamond in cushion shape.
Once completed, it revealed even more exceptional qualities. Its ocean blue color is perfect without a secondary hue. It has no fluorescence. An exposure to ultraviolet radiation generates an intense orange-red phosphorescence that persists for about twenty seconds, a sensational feature which is known only to a few blue diamonds of absolute purity.
It is a masterpiece in both its size and features. It was named The Blue Moon in reference both to its shape and to the saying 'Once in a blue moon' that means a total rarity. It seems inconceivable to find better in its class, especially since the production of the Cullinan mine tends to decrease.
The Blue Moon was sold for CHF 49M from a lower estimate of US $ 35M by Sotheby's on November 11, 2015, lot 513. Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's. Its record value at US $ 4M per carat rewards its absolute purity generating the phosphorescence effect.
It is now referred as the Blue Moon of Josephine.
The new diamond is fancy vivid blue without inclusion, which is already a great rarity. It was purchased by Cora International, headquartered in New York, which processed it. This fancy vivid blue cut to 12.03 carats is the largest internally flawless blue diamond in cushion shape.
Once completed, it revealed even more exceptional qualities. Its ocean blue color is perfect without a secondary hue. It has no fluorescence. An exposure to ultraviolet radiation generates an intense orange-red phosphorescence that persists for about twenty seconds, a sensational feature which is known only to a few blue diamonds of absolute purity.
It is a masterpiece in both its size and features. It was named The Blue Moon in reference both to its shape and to the saying 'Once in a blue moon' that means a total rarity. It seems inconceivable to find better in its class, especially since the production of the Cullinan mine tends to decrease.
The Blue Moon was sold for CHF 49M from a lower estimate of US $ 35M by Sotheby's on November 11, 2015, lot 513. Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's. Its record value at US $ 4M per carat rewards its absolute purity generating the phosphorescence effect.
It is now referred as the Blue Moon of Josephine.
2016 necklace by De Grisogono
2017 SOLD for CHF 33.5M by Christie's
Since the depletion of Golconda, the finest pure diamonds of Type IIa are extracted in Austral Africa : South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Angola.
The arrival on the market of exceptional pieces of very recent extraction certainly demonstrates improvements in the techniques of prospecting, but also in the preparation of perfect diamonds.
On November 14, 2017, Christie's sold as lot 505 for CHF 33.5M a diamond type IIa, D color, Flawless clarity. Weighing 163.41 carats, it is the largest perfect white diamond ever offered at auction and one of the largest ever inspected by the GIA. This performance is not the result of chance but of the involvement of the best specialists in the world.
The steps are told in detail by Christie's in the featured post.
The rough stone is extracted in Angola in February 2016. Weighing 404 carats, it is promising while being far from the records. Its quality is confirmed in New York by spectrography. For several weeks a team of experts researches the defects of the crystal.
Its bean form is not directly usable. In June, the world's best diamond cleaver with more than 50 years of experience cuts the stone in two halves from the middle. The polishing in emerald cut lasts six months, facet after facet.
They must now design a piece of jewelry highlighting this unprecedented wonder. The diamond is brought in December 2016 to De Grisogono in Geneva, which designs an asymmetrical necklace of emeralds and diamonds in 44 cm length. The jewel entrusted to Christie's then travels around the world before returning to Geneva for its auction sale
The arrival on the market of exceptional pieces of very recent extraction certainly demonstrates improvements in the techniques of prospecting, but also in the preparation of perfect diamonds.
On November 14, 2017, Christie's sold as lot 505 for CHF 33.5M a diamond type IIa, D color, Flawless clarity. Weighing 163.41 carats, it is the largest perfect white diamond ever offered at auction and one of the largest ever inspected by the GIA. This performance is not the result of chance but of the involvement of the best specialists in the world.
The steps are told in detail by Christie's in the featured post.
The rough stone is extracted in Angola in February 2016. Weighing 404 carats, it is promising while being far from the records. Its quality is confirmed in New York by spectrography. For several weeks a team of experts researches the defects of the crystal.
Its bean form is not directly usable. In June, the world's best diamond cleaver with more than 50 years of experience cuts the stone in two halves from the middle. The polishing in emerald cut lasts six months, facet after facet.
They must now design a piece of jewelry highlighting this unprecedented wonder. The diamond is brought in December 2016 to De Grisogono in Geneva, which designs an asymmetrical necklace of emeralds and diamonds in 44 cm length. The jewel entrusted to Christie's then travels around the world before returning to Geneva for its auction sale
Later this fall @ChristiesInc will #auction off 163-carat #diamond set into a necklace by @deGRISOGONO #degrisogono https://t.co/jvFFoVvZVF pic.twitter.com/dLcwY9bdy3
— National Jeweler (@NationalJeweler) October 2, 2017
2017 The Spirit of the Rose
2020 SOLD for CHF 24.4M by Sotheby's
The Yakutia region, which has become the Sakha Republic, has been for half a century one of the best producers of pink diamonds, operated by the Russian company Alrosa.
A gem discovered in 2017 is a purple pink diamond of exceptional weight, 27.85 carats. Prepared in Russia, the diamond has retained the elongated shape of the rough stone, allowing a sensational yield of over 50%. It weighs 14.83 carats and is certified Fancy Vivid Purple Pink and Internally Flawless by the GIA. Its oval modified brilliant cut perfectly reveals both colors.
Much rarer than the Fancy Vivid Pink or the Fancy Intense Pink, the Fancy Vivid Purple Pink shows a perfect balance between its two colors, unlike the Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink which has a pink dominant.
The company gave the raw gem the name Nijinsky, in memory of the costume adorned with rose petals worn in 1911 in Monte Carlo by the Russian dancer in the memorable ballet Le Spectre de la Rose. The finished diamond was named The Spirit of the Rose when it was announced in August 2019. It was sold for CHF 24.4M on November 11, 2020 by Sotheby's, lot 204. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
A Fancy Vivid Purple Pink weighing 8.41 carats, also Internally Flawless, was sold by Sotheby's on October 7, 2014 for HK $ 138M, making US $ 2.1M per carat, one of the highest results recorded in the whole range of pink diamonds.
With identical characteristics and an optimized shape, bigger diamonds are more expensive per carat. The higher estimate of The Spirit, CHF 35M, corresponds to more than US $ 2.5M per carat before fees.
A gem discovered in 2017 is a purple pink diamond of exceptional weight, 27.85 carats. Prepared in Russia, the diamond has retained the elongated shape of the rough stone, allowing a sensational yield of over 50%. It weighs 14.83 carats and is certified Fancy Vivid Purple Pink and Internally Flawless by the GIA. Its oval modified brilliant cut perfectly reveals both colors.
Much rarer than the Fancy Vivid Pink or the Fancy Intense Pink, the Fancy Vivid Purple Pink shows a perfect balance between its two colors, unlike the Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink which has a pink dominant.
The company gave the raw gem the name Nijinsky, in memory of the costume adorned with rose petals worn in 1911 in Monte Carlo by the Russian dancer in the memorable ballet Le Spectre de la Rose. The finished diamond was named The Spirit of the Rose when it was announced in August 2019. It was sold for CHF 24.4M on November 11, 2020 by Sotheby's, lot 204. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
A Fancy Vivid Purple Pink weighing 8.41 carats, also Internally Flawless, was sold by Sotheby's on October 7, 2014 for HK $ 138M, making US $ 2.1M per carat, one of the highest results recorded in the whole range of pink diamonds.
With identical characteristics and an optimized shape, bigger diamonds are more expensive per carat. The higher estimate of The Spirit, CHF 35M, corresponds to more than US $ 2.5M per carat before fees.
2019 6300A-010
2019 SOLD for CHF 31M by Christie's for OnlyWatch
In 2014, for celebrating the 175th anniversary of the brand, Patek Philippe release their first Grandmaster Chime wristwatch under the reference 5175 edited in seven units. Its 20 functions required 1,366 components for the movement and 215 components for the case, surpassing the 6200 Sky Moon Tourbillon. It is the achievement of 60,000 hours of development over seven years.
The 5175 is 48 mm in diameter and 16 mm in height with 11 pushers and buttons. Its central mechanism activates in parallel the visual reading on two dials including the perpetual calendar, the chimes of hours, quarters, minutes and day, and the acoustic alarm preselected with an accuracy of a quarter of an hour. The running time of the mechanical winding is 72 hours in silent mode and 30 hours in grande sonnerie.
Two of these applications are unprecedented : the insertion of an alarm in a wristwatch, and the audible indication of the day in the month in two digits covering 1 to 31 by the tens and units. The watch also strikes on demand the current hour and minute. A security prevents the user from operating two mechanisms at the same time if they are not compatible.
The reference 6300G in gray gold launched in 2016 is similar to the 5175 except that the references to the celebration have been removed.
The Only Watch charity sale is held every second year since 2005 for the benefit of the research on the Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The 2019 auction is managed by Christie's in Geneva on November 9.
According to the rules applicable to this operation, each manufacturer offers a watch for which it guarantees that it is and will remain a one-off. On this year Patek Philippe supplies the unique copy of Grandmaster Chime in stainless steel, reference 6300A-010, lot 28 estimated CHF 2.5M. The steel improves the sound. It is inscribed "The Only One" on one of the dials. It was sold for CHF 31M.
The lot includes a one-day private tour of the workshops and museum for two people and a lunch with Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe.
The 5175 is 48 mm in diameter and 16 mm in height with 11 pushers and buttons. Its central mechanism activates in parallel the visual reading on two dials including the perpetual calendar, the chimes of hours, quarters, minutes and day, and the acoustic alarm preselected with an accuracy of a quarter of an hour. The running time of the mechanical winding is 72 hours in silent mode and 30 hours in grande sonnerie.
Two of these applications are unprecedented : the insertion of an alarm in a wristwatch, and the audible indication of the day in the month in two digits covering 1 to 31 by the tens and units. The watch also strikes on demand the current hour and minute. A security prevents the user from operating two mechanisms at the same time if they are not compatible.
The reference 6300G in gray gold launched in 2016 is similar to the 5175 except that the references to the celebration have been removed.
The Only Watch charity sale is held every second year since 2005 for the benefit of the research on the Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The 2019 auction is managed by Christie's in Geneva on November 9.
According to the rules applicable to this operation, each manufacturer offers a watch for which it guarantees that it is and will remain a one-off. On this year Patek Philippe supplies the unique copy of Grandmaster Chime in stainless steel, reference 6300A-010, lot 28 estimated CHF 2.5M. The steel improves the sound. It is inscribed "The Only One" on one of the dials. It was sold for CHF 31M.
The lot includes a one-day private tour of the workshops and museum for two people and a lunch with Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe.
