JEWELS IN GENEVA

This cushion shaped blue diamond made a world record price in Geneva

A cushion-shaped fancy intense blue diamond ring weighing 7.64-carats established a new world auction record price per carat for a fancy intense blue diamond at Sotheby’s in Geneva on May 11.

It made $8 million (6.31 million euro) in a series of three May sales in Geneva which brought in a total of over 42 million euro.

The total of Sotheby’s worldwide sales of jewels this Spring amounted to $147.7 million or 116.5 million euro. Sotheby’s said there was lively and competitive bidding across the board for top-quality jewels at all price levels – coloured stones, white diamonds, glamorous signed pieces or jewels with historic and noble provenance.

Collectors and jewellery lovers from all corners of the world were out in force, bringing overall sell through rates of 88% by lot and 97% by value. In addition more than 74% of the lots sold, achieved prices in excess of their high estimate.

ANTIQUE FURNITURE IN CORK

This antique side table in the manner of Williams and Gibton failed to sell at Lynes and Lynes in Cork on May 22. It had been estimated at 4,000-6,000

THE feature lot, an Irish mahogany side table, in the manner of Williams and Gibton of Dublin, failed to sell at the Lynes and Lynes sale on May 22.

The top lot was a three piece French giltwood suite which made 2,500.

A pair of Edwardian drawingroom cabinets in mahogany and satinwood, probably made in Dublin, sold for 2,200.

A Georgian chest of drawers made 700, A butlers tray and base made 340, a cast iron and timber garden seat sold for 260, a two door Georgian wardrobe made 900 and a distinctive set of six Georgian chairs sold for 680.

The sale of 125 lots was around 65 per cent sold.  Several of the more expensively estimated lots, like a pair of antique giltwood mirrors, failed to find buyers in a market which proved to be tough.