There is something quite thrilling about sitting at an auction and watching as aficionados bid on a fabulous piece of jewelry or rare gemstone. Determined bidders competing for their prized jewel have been known to send prices flying through the stratosphere setting auction records in the process. We’ve compiled a list of auction record setters for the past few years that will show you just how high those prices can go for rare and unusual diamonds, gemstones and jewelry. We’ll keep updating this list, so check back to see the newest record setters. Please note that all prices include the buyer’s premium. Per carat prices and buyer are shown when they are provided by the auction house.
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA November 2018
Record for a Sale of Royal Jewels
100 lots, 100 percent sold
$53,138,046
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA November 2018
18th century natural pearl and diamond pendant, from the Bourbon Parma Family
Once belonged to Queen Marie-Antoinette
Lot 100
$36,165,090
European Private
CHRISTIE’S GENEVA November 2018
Winston Pink Legacy
World Auction Record Price Per Carat for a Pink Diamond
Lot311
18.96-carat, rectangular-cut, fancy vivid pink, VS1, diamond ring
$50,375,000/ $2,656,909 per carat
Harry Winston
CHRISTIE’S GENEVA November 2018
World Auction Record Price Per Carat for an Orangy Pink Diamond
Lot 306
8.25-carat, rectangular-cut, fancy deep orangy pink, VVS1, diamond ring
$3,732,500/$452,424 per carat
Private Client
CHRISTIE’S HONG KONG May 2018
World Auction Record Price for a Colored Diamond Bracelet
Lot 2092
Colored diamond bracelet by Edmond Chin for the House of Boghossian
$4,469,209
Asian Private
CHRISTIE’S HONG KONG May 2018
World Auction Record Price for Paraiba Tourmaline
Pair of 7.46-carat and 6.81-carat, pear-shaped, Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline ear pendants
$2,778,849/$194,730 per carat
Asian Private
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2018
Auction Record for a Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink Diamond
Lot 374
2.63-carat, round modified brilliant-cut, fancy vivid purplish pink, SI1 with white diamond surround ring
$2,412,875
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2018
World Auction Record Price for a Fancy Light Purplish Pink Diamond
World Auction Record Price Per Carat for a Fancy Light Purplish Pink Diamond
Lot 363
9.70-carat, pear-shaped, fancy light purplish pink diamond, VS2, ring
$2,592,716
European Private
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2018
World Auction Record Price for a Fancy Purple-Pink Diamond
World Auction Record Price Per Carat for a Fancy Purple-Pink Diamond
Lot 367
5.04-carat, pear-shaped, fancy purple-pink diamond, SI1, ring
$1,453,720
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2018
World Auction Record Price for a Fancy Vivid Yellowish Green Diamond
Lot 335
2.52-carat, radiant-cut, fancy vivid yellowish green diamond, set in a ring by Carvin French
$938,174
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2018
Auction Record for a Pink Sapphire
Lot 372
95.45-carat, oval, pink sapphire, Ceylon origin, no heat
$2,292,980
SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK April 2018
Auction Record Price Per Carat for a Fancy Intense Blue Diamond
Lot 138
3.47-carat, cut-cornered rectangular step-cut fancy intense blue, I1, diamond
$6,663,300/$1,920,259 per carat
CHRISTIE’S HONG KONG November 2017
World Record Price Per Carat for a Pink Diamond
Lot 2077A — The Pink Promise
14.93-carat, oval, Fancy Vivid Pink, VVS1, Type IIa diamond ring
$32,163,932/$2,150,000 per carat
Anonymous
CHRISTIE’S GENEVA November 2017
World Auction Record for a D Color Flawless Diamond
Lot 505 The Art of de GRISOGONO
163.41-carat, rectangular-cut, D, Flawless diamond, suspended from a diamond and emerald necklace by de Grisogono
$33,705,994/$206,266
Anonymous
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA November 2017
World Auction Record for a Fancy Light Pink Diamond
33.63 carat, emerald cut, Fancy Light Pink diamond ring by Harry Winston
$12,818,240
SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG April 2017
World Auction Record for Any Diamond and Gemstone
World Auction Record for Any Jewel
World Auction Record for a Pink Diamond
Most Expensive Work Ever Sold in Asia
Lot 1801 — The Chow Tai Fook Pink Star
59.60-carat, oval mixed cut, Fancy Vivid Pink, Internally Flawless diamond ring
$71,192,517/$1,194,505 per carat
Chow Tai Fook
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2017
World Auction Record for Earrings
The Memory of Autumn Leaves
14.54-carat, pear-shaped Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, Internally Flawless, type IIb, earring
$42,087,302/$2,894,587 per carat
The Dream of Autumn Leaves
16-carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond, VVS2, type IIa, earring
$15,338,176/$958,636 per carat
$54,425,478
Anonymous — Sold separately to the same buyer
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2017
Auction Record for a Fancy Intense Purplish Pink Diamond
Lot 371
7.04-carat, modified rectangular brilliant-cut Fancy Intense Purplish Pink, VSI, Type IIa diamond ring by Piaget
$13,175,750/$1,881,499 per carat
Private Collector
CHRISTIE’S GENEVA May 2017
New World Auction Record for a Heart Shaped Diamond
Lot 228 La Legende
92.15-carat heart-shaped D, Flawless diamond mounted on a cultured pearl necklace by Boehmer et Bassenge
$14,989,012/$163,000 per carat
CHRISTIE’S GENEVA May 2017
World Auction Record Price Per Carat for a Fancy Intense Blue Diamond
7.97 carat cushion-shaped Fancy Intense Blue diamond ring
$12,751,400/$1,600,000 per carat
CHRISTIE’S HONG KONG May 2017
New World Auction Record for a Selection of no oil Colombian Emeralds
Lot 1942 Palmette
Necklace featuring 11 matching no oil Colombian Emeralds and diamonds by Edmond Chin for House of Boghossian
$5,991,235
Private Collector
SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG April 2016
Highest Price Ever Paid for a Jewel at Auction in Asia
Lot 1843 — De Beers Millennium Jewel 4
10.10-carat oval-shaped Fancy Vivid Blue, internally flawless, diamond ring
$31,830,769/ $3,151,561 per carat
Anonymous
CHRISTIE’S NEW YORK April 2016
Most expensive colored gemstone ever sold at auction in the U.S.
Lot 255 — The Jubilee Ruby
15.99-carat oval-shaped Burmese ruby and diamond ring by Verdura
$14,165,000/$885,000
European Private
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2016
MAGNIFICENT JEWELS AND NOBLE JEWELS
New World Record for Any Jewelry Sale
TOTAL: $175,097,419
CHRISTIE’S GENEVA May 2016
World Auction Record for Any Jewel Sold at Auction
World Auction Record Price for a Blue Diamond
Lot 242 — The Oppenheimer Blue
14.62-carat rectangular-cut, fancy vivid blue, VVS1 diamond ring
$57,541,779/$3,935,826 per carat
Anonymous
CHRISTIE’S HONG KONG May 2016
World Auction Record for a Green Diamond and World Auction Record Price Per Carat for a Green Diamond
Lot 2073 — The Aurora Green
5.03-carat rectangular cut, fancy vivid green, VS2 diamond ring with a pink diamond surround
$16,818,981/$3,343,733 per carat
Chow Tai Fook
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2016
World Auction Record for Any Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond
Lot 495 — The Unique Pink
15.38-carat pear-shaped Fancy Vivid Pink, VVS2, type IIa diamond ring
$31,561,200/$2,052,094 per carat
Asian Private
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2016
Auction Record for a Jewel by Reza
Lot 405
6.64, SI1 marquise-shaped fancy intense blue, SI1 diamond with two pear shaped fancy intense blue diamonds weighing 2.01 and 1.01,- carats VVS2 and VS2 clarity respectively set as a brooch by Reza
$13,672,493
Anonymous
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2016
Auction Record for a Fancy Pink Diamond
Lot 411A
18.51-carat modified pear shaped Fancy Pink, VVS1, Type IIa pear shaped diamond pendant
$9,773,672/$528,021 per carat
International Trade
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2016
World Auction Record Price for a Fancy Deep Blue Diamond
7.74 carat Fancy Deep Blue diamond ring
$13,706,728
CHRISTIE’S NEW YORK June 2016
World Auction Record Price for an Intense Blue Diamond
The Cullinan Dream
24.18 carat rectangular-cut Fancy Intense Blue diamond ring
$25,365,000/$1,050,000 per carat
CHRISTIE’S GENEVA November 2016
World Auction Price for a Pair of Earrings
Miroir de L’Amour
52.55 carat and 50.47 carat pear-shaped D/Flawless diamond earrings
$17,613,175/$170,000 per carat
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA November 2016 – lot 331
World Auction Record Price for a Fancy Light Pink Diamond
40.30 carat pear-shaped Fancy Light Pink diamond ring
$7,553,088
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA November 2016 – lot 311
World Auction Record Price for a Fancy Light Blue Diamond
16.08 carat modified rectangular step-cut Fancy Light Blue diamond ring
$2,167,634
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2015
World Auction Record for a Ruby
World Auction Record for a Jewel by Cartier
The Sunrise Ruby
25.59 carat, cushion-shaped, Burmese ruby and diamond ring by Cartier
$30,335,698/$1,185,451 per carat
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA May 2015
World Auction Record for a Pair of Burmese Sapphires
15.77 carat and 16.90 carat Burmese sapphire and diamond earrings by Cartier
$3,425,518
CHRISTIE’S HONG KONG June 2015
World Auction Record for a Ruby Necklace
A Burmese ruby and diamond necklace by Etcetera
$13,006,656
SOTHEBY’S HONG KONG October 2015
World Auction Record Price Per Carat for a Sapphire
27.68 carat step-cut Kashmir sapphire
$6,745,688/$243,703
CHRISTIE’S GENEVA November 2015
World Auction Record Price for a Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond
The Sweet Josephine
16.08 carat cushion-shaped Fancy Vivid Pink diamond ring
$28,523,925/$1,773,876 per carat
SOTHEBY’S GENEVA November 2015
World Auction Record Price Per Carat for any Diamond and Any Gemstone
The Blue Moon of Josephine
12.03 carat cushion-shaped Fancy Vivid Blue, Internally Flawless diamond ring
$48,468,158/$4,028,941 per carat
Asian Private
CHRISTIE’S HONG KONG December 2015
World Auction Record Per Carat for a Ruby
The Crimson Flame
15.04 carat cushion-shaped Burmese ruby and diamond ring
$18,372,913/$1,221,603 per carat
SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK December 2015
World Auction Record for a Cabochon Sapphire
25.87 carat sugarloaf Kashmir sapphire
$5,122,000/$1997,990 per carat
