Year of Bonhams US Jewelry Auctions Kicks Off with Two Sales

Bonhams US is kicking off their jewelry auctions for 2022 this month with two sales: First, romantic, wearable signed pieces and stones fill the California Jewels, Los Angeles auction on February 15, followed by an unprecedented sale in New York of more than 240 loose round white diamonds from a single private collection; all sold as individual lots from February 24 – March 8.

California Jewels:

Pieces in California Jewels, closing on February 15, include the exceptional Stefan Hafner floral diamond necklace (estimated at $40,000-60,000) and the wearable Tiffany & Co 18k gold foliate necklace (estimated at $5,000-7000). These two lots illustrate the range of chic desirable pieces found in the Los Angeles auctions.

Bonhams is the only international auction house with a Los Angeles location holding regular jewelry auctions; in 2021 in Los Angeles alone they held more than 13 auctions selling more than 3500 pieces of jewelry to clients around the world. Recent successes in LA include the sale of jewelry that belonged to Sammy Davis, Jr., as well as the estate of the inimitable Diahann Carroll. Wearable Art: Jewels from the Crawford Collection in September set several records for artist jewelry from a private collection.

Bonhams Los Angeles Head of Jewels Emily Waterfall said: “We have built a series of monthly jewelry auctions here in Los Angeles that feature an extraordinary array of signed jewelry from Tiffany, Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels to unsigned pieces at a more affordable price point. Estate jewelry is an excellent investment, and I am happy to work with clients on building, shaping, and selling their collections. One of my favorite pieces in the upcoming sale is an exceptional Patek Phillip textured gold bracelet with a lapis face and diamond surround. It is fluid, and flexible with an impeccable construction prized by collectors.”

ONLY DIAMONDS ONLINE:

Opening February 24 – March 8, Only Diamonds Online is an unprecedented sale of more than 240 round diamonds from a single collection on the West Coast. The diamonds are GIA certified and engraved, they are between 1 and 5 carats, and are mostly D-J color. Each stone is sold as an individual lot.

Bonhams New York has had great success with important stones, particularly sapphires and diamonds. Astonishing sales last year included a 43.83-carat unheated sapphire and diamond ring by Bulgari that sold for $570,000; an 8.21 carat Belle Epoque diamond ring that sold for $500,000; and a 2.02-carat fancy orangey-pink diamond that sold for $400,000. This sale of individual diamonds is another facet of the stone expertise from New York, and recommendations for ideal matches will be available.

Bonhams New York Head of Jewels Caroline Morrissey said: “This unusual sale provides buyers a unique chance to personally select their own wonderfully matched set of stones for a design they have been dreaming of, be it a ring, a bracelet, a necklace, or a pair of earrings. It can be difficult and time-consuming to find well-matched diamonds and we are opening a vault that has been closed for fifty years on some wonderful, wearable stones.”