Sotheby’s Hong Kong will hold its Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Spring Sale 2012 on April 3 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Many important and extremely rare blue and pink diamonds, Colombian emeralds, Burmese rubies and Kashmir sapphires, natural pearls and exquisite jadeite jewelry mark this auction, which altogether includes 358 lots and a total presale estimate of $75 million to $92 million (HKD 587 million to HKD 717 million).
Quek Chin Yeow, the deputy chairman and head of the jewelry department for Sotheby’s Asia, said, ”With the new per-carat record price for blue diamonds in hand, Sotheby’s Hong Kong has had a track record of being the auction house of choice for selling top vivid blue diamonds.” 
The Hong Kong sale is led by an 8.01-carat, VVS1, emerald-cut fancy vivid blue diamond and diamond ring with a presale estimate of $11.5 million to $14 million. Sotheby’s stated this was the largest vivid blue, emerald cut to appear at auction for a number of years.
A second magnificent piece is a pear-shaped, double rose-cut, 5.00-carat, fancy vivid blue diamond ring with pink and white diamonds. The blue diamond was formed entirely by triangular facets, which gives it a subtle brilliance for an antique stone. While the rose cut is more common in white diamonds, it is increasingly fashionable and sought-after in colored diamonds, Sotheby’s determined. This lot carries a presale estimate of $4 million to $4.5 million.
The sale features two important pink diamonds, one of which is a 5.03-carat, pear-shaped, fancy vivid pink diamond ring with a presale estimate of $5.4 million to $6.7 million. A second is a 3.28-carat, pear-shaped internally flawless, fancy vivid pink diamond ring with a presale estimate of $2.8 million to $3.6 million.
Sotheby’s will auction an 18.11-carat, D,F, type IIa, brilliant-cut loose diamond (pictured above) with a presale estimate of $3.4 million to $3.85 million, and a 14.12-carat, type IIa, Moval-shaped Golconda, D,IF diamond ring with a presale estimate of $2 million to $2.5 million.
A ruby and diamond necklace for sale (pictured left) features 23 natural, unheated Burmese rubies of “pigeon’s blood” color along with diamonds and together it weighs a total of 89 carats. This necklace carries a presale estimate of $2.3 million to $5.2 million and is complemented by a natural, unheated 5.01-carat Burmese ruby and diamond ring with a presale estimate of $1.3 million to $1.55 million. There is also a pair of 12.17 and 10.46-carat Burmese ruby and diamond pendent earrings for sale, which carry a presale estimate of $850,000 to $1 million.
This spring, Sotheby’s offers a collection of superb emeralds fashioned in various cutting styles to showcase the splendor of such a great gem. One set includes a spectacular matching pair of 10.28 and 10.19-carat, step-cut Colombian emerald and diamond pendent earrings with a presale estimate of $1.3 million to $1.5 million, while another lot offers a 16.83-carat cushion-shaped Colombian emerald and diamond ring with a presale estimate of $1.1 million to $1.3 million. There is also a perfectly-matched pair of 9.58 and 9.58-carat cushion-shaped, sugar loaf cabochon Colombian emerald and diamond ear clips with a presale estimate of $460,000 to $580,000.
Sotheby’s will offer a gorgeous pair of 7.75 and 6.27-carat Kashmir sapphire and diamond pendent earrings (pictured right) with a presale estimate of $1.2 million to $1.5 million, featuring natural, unheated sapphires of superior color, uncommon clarity and well-proportioned cut. This set is complemented by a natural, unheated 8.65-carat, step-cut Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring for $700,000 to $800,000.
The sale includes signed emerald and diamond jewelry by Harry Winston and a refined array of pearls, among them a fine natural pearl and diamond demi-parure and a nearly flawless triple strand natural pearl and diamond necklace by Boucheron Paris.
Sotheby’s will auction very fine jadeite, including the “Laughing Buddha” (pictured left) and diamond pendant necklace, which carries a presale estimate of $1.9 million to $2.3 million. This is complemented by a pair of jadeite cabochon and diamond pendent earrings, $1.3 million to $1.7 million, and a jadeite cabochon and diamond ring for $380,000 to $500,000.
For more information regarding this auction, please visit the Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite catalogue.