PASADENA, Calif. – After the preview party, most bidders had no trouble selecting their favorite pieces from among the many glittering baubles at Moran’s May 21 HQ Jewelry and Luxury Auction. Besting the competition and taking a purchase home, however, turned out to be much more difficult. Selling prices hit levels well above presale estimates throughout the 278-lot sale, and 86 percent of the lots sold. Many items inspired a frenzied battle fueled by a high proportion of online bidders. LiveAucitoneers.com provided Internet live bidding.

Two of the most highly fought-after pieces were those by Italian-American designer Verdura. The first was a camel-form brooch featuring baroque cultured pearls set into the hump. Further set with 170 full-cut round diamonds, a pear-shaped yellow sapphire, and rubies, the camel was conservatively estimated at $8,000 – $10,000, but eager bidders drove it up to a final price of $36,000.

The second Verdura lot was very much a statement piece, made from a striking natural orange lion’s paw shell with deep blue cabochon sapphires and round-cut diamonds set in frothy lines of resembling sea foam. Their passions justifiably inflamed, bidders reserved every available phone line for the necklace weeks prior to the sale, and when the bidding finally began it came fierce and rapid-fire. In a matter of moments, the price shot past the estimate of $10,000 – $15,000, the hammer coming down a moment later at $96,000.

Not to be overshadowed by the success of the Verdura, a Harry Winston necklace featuring a gorgeous 24-carat certified natural Ceylon sapphire surrounded by diamonds and cultured pearls drove buyers to their limits. With a dark-horse Internet bidder keeping pace with a quietly determined bidder on the floor, the necklace finally sold to the floor bidder for $138,000 (estimate: $70,000 – $90,000).

Additional highlights prominently featuring sapphires included a ring by Van Cleef & Arpels, estimated at $2,000 – $3,000, and a sapphire, diamond, and white gold bracelet estimated to sell between $1,500 and $2,000. These gorgeous pieces found buyers at $7,800 and $3,300, respectively.

Animal-form jewelry, ever popular at Moran’s auctions, also brought competitive prices. Early in the sale, a circa-1890 silver-topped gold snake brooch set with demantoid garnets and rubies realized $960 (estimate: $300 – $500). Shortly following, a diamond and platinum moth brooch, estimated at $2,000 – $2,500, found a buyer at $3,000. A charming diamond and gold teddy bear charm bracelet, set with 177 diamonds and oval sapphire accents on the eyes, nose, and foot pads was a breakout highlight, climbing to a selling price of $7,200 in a matter of minutes (estimate: $3,000 – $5,000). A diamond and gold spider motif pendant-brooch, estimated at $2,500 – $3,500, realized $6,000, and went home with an absentee bidder.

A collection of Jay Strongwater items (estimate: $250 – $350) from the Atlantis collection – a series of color-dazzled underwater flora and fauna – caused a bit of a stir. Overcoming fierce competition between online bidders, a persistent LiveAuctioneers bidder went home with the lot of fish, shell boxes and snails for $1,004. A bit later in the sale, a collection of shell-embellished picture frames and a box by the same designer (estimate: $300 – $500), found a new owner for $1,882.50.

Jade appeared to be the mineral of the hour, snapped up furiously at or above the estimates. Perhaps one of the most impressive jade lots in the sale, a French compact of pale green color set with ruby accents, received a fair amount of rapt attention at the Friday preview. Despite some minimal condition issues, the delicate piece brought $7,800, going to a private collector in the room (estimate: $1,000 – $1,500). Late in the sale, a jadeite, diamond and gold collection featuring a pair of earrings and a carved vegetal-form pendant, estimated to bring $700 to $900, realized $1,845. Shortly following, a pair of jadeite and gold rings brought $2040, while a lot comprising a carved butterfly brooch and horse pendant sold at $1968 (estimates: $700 – $900 and $600 – $800, respectively).

Watches were in demand. A Panthère gold wristwatch by Cartier, sporting diamonds and sapphires, found a new home for $11,637.50 (estimate: $6,000 – $8,000). A Rolex Datejust II in stainless steel and gold, estimated at $6,000 – $8,000, was quickly bid up to a final price of $9,600.

Additional highlights from this sale included:

• A rare circa-1900 Waterman’s Ideal gold fountain pen with its original box and papers, formerly the property of A.C. Harper, mayor of Los Angeles from 1907 to 1909, earned $15,600 at the block (estimate: $200 – $400).
• A glistening silver, plique-à-jour and champlevé enamel box by Wiener Werkstatte designer Georg Stoger made a colorful late addition to the auction, selling at $3,900 (estimate: $2,000 – $4,000).
• A ruby, diamond, and pearl collar necklace featuring six cabochon rubies (approximately 12 carats total), excited bidders with its delicate detailing. A floor buyer held out long enough to snatch the lot up for $3,600 (estimate: $1,000 – $1,500).

Another John Moran Auctioneers HQ Jewelry auction is scheduled for Dec. 10 and consignment inquiries are always welcome for this and all other upcoming auctions.

For inquiries concerning upcoming auctions or consignment, please contact John Moran Auctioneers directly, via www.johnmoran.com, email: info@johnmoran.com, or phone: 626-798-1833.

 

View the fully illustrated catalog of Moran’s May 21HQ Jewelry and Luxury Auction, complete with prices realized, at LiveAuctioneers.com.

 

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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

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DALLAS – The imposing La Madona Rose, a large and important rose quartz specimen, set a price record on June 2 as the most valuable fine mineral specimen ever offered at auction when it realized $662,500 to lead Heritage Auctions’ breakout $3.57 million Nature & Science event. LiveAucitoneers.com provided Internet live bidding.

The auctions’ cornerstone presentation of Part I of The Hoppel Collection, which realized a combined $3 million, shattered numerous records and already stands as the most valuable fine minerals collection ever offered at auction. Journalists, connoisseurs from various art fields as well as dedicated mineral collectors attended the auction, conducted in Heritage’s standing room only auction room.

The collection included such diverse items as a rarely preserved gem-grade aquamarine crystal, which has survived unscathed since it was found in the early 1990s and realized $158,500. A rare world-class specimen of linarite, which also realized $158,500, set a record for the highest price paid for such a specimen of its kind.

“This auction is proof that, as a collectible, fine and rare minerals have value and credibility and that concept has now been proven in a public and transparent fashion,” said James Walker, director of fine minerals for Heritage Auctions. “There was a palpable buzz in the room for the entire auction. Our goal is to create an archive, a reference base if you will, for those who want to enter this collecting arena.”

The auction featured rare examples from all over the planet of some of the finest mineral specimens (some of which are millions or tens of millions of years old), including a large specimen of rhodochrosite from the old Home Sweet Home Silver Mine in Colorado, which realized $146,500; a gem-quality ammonite from the late Cretaceous era, which realized $80,500 and a Brazilian tourmaline standing 16 inches tall, which realized $68,500.

A 10-inch-tall piece of pink kunzite, a variety of spodumene, with provenance to George F. Kunz, Tiffany & Co.’s vice president and chief mineralogist in the early 1900s, realized $68,500. The pink gem variety of spodumene was named after Kunz who gave this particular example to his Tiffany co-worker George Wild.

Rare gemstones enjoyed vigorous bidding action, as a fine 21.42-carat tanzanite gemstone realized $30,000; a deep red 93.6-carat cuprite gem from Namibia sold for $20,625; and a monstrous 237-carat fluorite gemstone, mined in New Hampshire, realized $16,250.

Three rare and historic (circa late 1800s-early 1900s) Michigan copper specimens performed well as a native copper crystal preserved inside of a copper “skull”—only known example known to exist—brought more than four times its estimate to sell for $23,750 and set a record for a specimen of its kind; a lattice of copper crystals realized $22,500 and a significant group of inter-grown copper crystals lead the trio at $27,500.

The auction offered collectors a few bargains as well, including a sample of calaverite from Colorado’s Cripple Creek region, which realized $2,375.

“There’s more than $2,300 worth of gold in that example,” Walker said. “The savvy person who understands that got a deal on that buy.”

The next offering of The Hoppel Collection is scheduled Oct. 20 in Dallas and will feature a number of important examples of similar natural treasures.

“We already have considerable material in hand for the next two auctions, all wonderful stuff, equally as fine as the selection we offered in the opening salvo,” Walker said. “If the response so far is any indication, were are going to have another record-setting crowd in attendance as we did in the first auction.”

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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE

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