CHICAGO – On May 17 and 18, Hindman’s spring Timepieces and Fine and Important Jewelry auctions realized more than $2.6 million and saw tremendous bidder engagement. Active and competitive bidding across all channels led to top prices and resulted in a strong 96% sell-through rate for both auctions. Jewelry by designers such as Hemmerle, Tiffany & Co., Harry Winston, Tony Duquette, Evelyn Clothier, and Van Cleef & Arpels saw fantastic interest while watches by Patek Philippe, Rolex, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Audemars Piguet, and Cartier also saw strong results.
The May 18 Fine and Important Jewelry auction was led by an important Burmese ruby and diamond ring, which shattered its presale estimate of $30,000-$50,000 to achieve $287,500, the highest price paid for a ruby at Hindman. Dubbed the “King of Gems,” the ring contains one oval mixed cut, unheated classic Burma ruby, and two triangular brilliant-cut diamonds weighing approximately 1.50 carats.
An exceptional Hemmerle diamond dress set with six round brilliant diamonds weighing more than 10 carats also achieved a top price, selling for $93,750. Another standout lot was a Dearest bracelet by Tiffany & Co., which far exceeded its presale estimate of $1,200-$1,800 to ultimately realize $59,375. Other highlights included two Harry Winston diamond rings, which sold for $41,250 and $50,000 respectively, well above their presale estimates. A spectacular Tony Duquette opal, rock crystal, and moonstone necklace also saw enthusiastic bidding and sold for $28,125, more than double its presale estimate.
Also selling well were pieces by Evelyn Clothier, including a diamond, ruby, and emerald flower brooch and a diamond en tremblant brooch, both of which far exceeded their estimates and sold for $12,500. A diamond, ruby, and plique-a-jour enamel flower brooch and a collection of multigem flower brooches also surpassed their estimates and sold for $13,750 and $11,875, respectively.
The May 17 Timepieces auction saw strong interest in watches by Patek Philippe and Rolex. The sale was led by a Patek Philippe Ref. 5110R-001 Worldtime wristwatch, which realized $34,375 against a presale estimate of $15,000-$25,000. A Rolex Ref. 18238 Oyster Perpetual Day-Date wristwatch from 1995 realized more than double its presale estimate, selling for $20,000. A Rolex Ref. 1803, also an Oyster Perpetual Day-Date wristwatch, exceeded its presale estimate to achieve $8,750.
Other standout lots included two limited-edition Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso wristwatches, which sold for $10,000 and $13,750 against presale estimates of $5,000-$7,000 and $8,000-$12,000, respectively. A limited-edition Quantieme Perpetuel Automatique wristwatch also realized a strong price of $12,500.
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