Prince William gave Kate Middleton Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring when he proposed, and naturally this has raised the market popularity for sapphires and vintage jewellery shopping instantly. Asia Tatler explores this trend and looks to auction houses for a ring fit for a princess
When Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in November while on holiday in Kenya, he gave the future Queen Catherine Princess Diana’s 18-carat sapphire diamond ring from Gerrard, priced then at US$46,000. This official announcement made in early December not only made Kate Middleton the most envied woman in Britain, but also opened up a market and saw a surge in demand for vintage sapphire rings. Vintage, however, isn’t that easy to achieve. First, you may not receive the assurance you would otherwise have with a ring bought fresh from your local jewellery store, and second, as the word ‘vintage’ may suggest, there is an obvious shortage of supply.
While we already know that auction houses are great for shopping for rare diamonds, as told by our blogger President of Christie's Asia, Francois Curiel, who wrote a blog on the world's most expensive pink diamond sold at auction last year, to find the perfect sapphire ring, we look to auction houses for a solution: they offer an educated explanation of origin as well as clear descriptions so you know what you’re buying. Even better, it is accessible to the general public, for those with means. Last November, Christie’s sold a cushion-cut 17.45 carat Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring for HK$13.54 million, in Sotheby's a 9.47 carat sapphire and diamond ring from Monture Boucheron sold for HK$8.73 million, and at a more conservative price of HK$211,712, Bonhams sold a 12.22 carat brilliant-cut sapphire and diamond dress ring by Spink last year.
In light of this finding, we review the upcoming jewellery auctions around the world and source – a variant – of Kate Middleton’s ring. Is your intended a diamond in a dozen? Does she deserve all and everything? Well, check out the jewellery lots from the upcoming auction sales of sapphire rings for an engagement ring she will relish for life.
Below we give you a list of the upcoming auction sales:
Christie's now allows for online bidding, visit here to learn more. Click the following links to get more information on Christie's, Sotheby's and Bonhams