September 2024, Newsflash

September Birthstone

Sapphire

Sapphire, the September birthstone must be one of the easiest gemstone colors to wear with any wardrobe. This eloquent gem has been popular since the Middle Ages and according to folklore, will protect you from envy and harm, relieve mental tension and dispel depression. Sapphires are said to align the physical, mental, and spiritual planes and restore balance within the body. When worn in a necklace they are known to ease creativity and self-expression.

History says that in ancient times, sapphires were known as the "wisdom stone". Each color of Sapphire brings its own wisdom while it is supposed to release mental tension, depression and unwanted thoughts. Sapphire gemstone is also good for helping solve problems and particularly aids in sexual relationships because it tends to make deep bonding between people and creates loyalty. Sapphires are well known among the public as being blue but can be any color and are found in a range of colors. In my years of designing jewelry blue is by far the most popular color for sapphire but pink, orange, yellow, white, and even black have generated much interest in the jewelry market.

The Blue Sapphire is traditionally associated with purity and love. Yellow Sapphire attracts wealth and brings prosperity to the home. Pink Sapphire clears emotional blockages bringing peace and unconditional love. With all the vibrant colors and symbolic meanings, it is not a surprise that Sapphire jewelry has been popular throughout the ages of time.

Jewelry Auctions

Lauren McLemore, National Jeweler Magazine

A tie necklace from Van Cleef & Arpels, circa 1929, sold for three times its estimate at Sotheby’s jewelry auction on Friday, going for $3.6 million.

New York—A rare diamond tie-necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels was the star lot of the recent Sotheby’s jewelry auction in New York. Following a six-minute battle among seven bidders, it sold to Catharine Becket, Sotheby’s head of Magnificent Jewels, for $3.6 million, three times its highest pre-sale estimate of $1.2 million. Another executive, Geoff Hess, Sotheby’s head of watches in the Americas, also recently purchased a piece at auction—a Patek Phillipe from the sale of Sylvestor Stallone’s private collection earlier this month. The necklace, pictured at the top of the article, was created in 1929. It provided the framework to showcase geometric-shaped diamonds characteristic of the Art Deco movement, and it’s likely only a few examples were ever made.

“Our clients seek jewels not just for adornment but as pieces of history and artistry, encapsulating the essence of their designers and eras, none more so than the Art Deco Van Cleef & Arpels diamond tie necklace, which sold for a staggering $3.6 million,” said Quig Bruning, Sotheby’s head of jewels for Americas and EMEA. “Its appearance on the auction block perfectly demonstrates our unique ability to offer jewels of unparalleled rarity, exclusivity, and of the best quality."

The “Magnificent Jewels” sales totaled $30 million with 90 percent of lots sold and 62 percent of sold lots achieving prices above their high estimate. Eight out of the 10 most valuable jewels in the sale sold above $1 million, said Sotheby’s.

Another Art Deco piece, an Egyptian-inspired colored stone and diamond bracelet from 1925 went for more than $1 million, well above its estimate of $250,000 to $350,000. It sold to U.K.-based luxury retailer Symbolic and Chase.

An example of Egyptian Revivalism, the bracelet features a depiction of the goddess Isis, as well as Horus falcons and papyrus reeds, set throughout with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and black onyx.

A strong appetite for sapphires was apparent, Sotheby’s said. The auction included an assortment of Kashmir sapphires, which the auction house said continue to drive strong prices. A sapphire and diamond ring by Marcus & Co. featuring a 10.31-carat cushion-cut sapphire sold for nearly $2 million, or $192,047 per carat, against an estimate of $500,000 to $700,000.

for $165,100.

A ring (above) featuring a 16.68-carat Madagascar sapphire fetched three times its estimate of $60,000 to $80,000, selling for $312,000. Also, a Cartier ring with a 14.51-carat sugarloaf cabochon sapphire sold for $1.8 million or $124,052 per carat. Its pre-sale estimate was $800,000 to $1.2 million.

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Style & Trends

Pieces of the Month

Snoop Dogg’s Olympic Gold

Snoop Dogg wore King Ice’s custom-made “Iced Eiffel Tower” necklace during the

opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 14-karat gold chain holds a pendant picturing the Eiffel Tower and the five Olympic rings with a background set with more than 600 gemstones. The tip of the Eiffel Tower is a diamond encrusted torch with gold flames, while the entire pendant is outlined by a laurel wreath.