EXHIBITION BY SOTHEBY’S GENEVA
by Vivian Holding
Got a few million francs to spare? No, me neither but why let that stop you gazing at some seriously impressive gems before they go to auction at Sotheby’s. The exhibition Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels, will run from Saturday 13th – Tuesday 16th May 2017 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. This will be the last opportunity to see these gems, as they have already done a tour of London, Dubai, New York, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.
The stars of the auction will be the Apollo and Artemis Diamonds: the most important earrings to ever appear at auction. See video below. One a vivid blue (Apollo), the other an intense pink (Artemis) they are truly exceptional stones in their own right – but as a pair they are in a class of their own. The Apollo Blue has an estimated guide price of between CHF38-50 million and The Artemis Pink is estimated between CHF12-18 million.
The Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction will also feature jewellery from different collections, as well as gems from Kashmir, Burma and Colombia. Signed jewels from the most iconic and well-known jewellery houses, such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Lacloche, Bulgari, Schlumberger and Tiffany, will also be up for auction.
A packed salesroom at Sotheby’s in Geneva on 16th November 2016, saw multiple records broken in the previous Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction, which achieved a total of CHF136,734,500, the highest amount for any jewellery sale that season.
Exhibition runs from Saturday 13th – Monday 15th May from 10am-6pm and Tuesday 16th May from 10am-4pm. Auction takes place at Sotheby’s new sales location at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Tuesday 16th May at 7pm.
Another interesting auction by Sotheby’s this weekend will be on Sunday 14th May 2017, entitled Important Watches. 
Nearly 200 lots of vintage and modern watches from the most prominent brands will be auctioned, with starting bids of CHF500. Leading the auction will be Patek Philippe’s Calibre 89 watch in yellow gold. See video below. After nearly a decade of research and craftsmanship, the Calibre 89 became the most complicated watch ever created when Patek Philippe unveiled it in 1989 to mark their 150th anniversary. One of the most important watches ever to be offered at auction, it remains the brand’s mechanical ambassador. Price estimated between CHF6.5 million-CHF10 million.
The exhibition will run on Thursday 11th May-Saturday 13th May 2017 from 10am-6pm. Auction takes place on Sunday at the Sotheby’s at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
