Colored Diamonds top Christie's $69-Million Sale; Blue Diamond Bulgari Ring Sells For $18-million

Fancy colored diamonds and big names dominated Christie's December 5 auction of Magnificent Jewels in New York The top lot in the sale was an 8.08-carat, cushion-cut, fancy vivid blue diamond, set in a ring made by Bulgari A pair of fancy yellow diamond earrings weighing 3787 carats and 3680 carats sold for $1,572,500.

Nicknamed the Foxfire Diamonds, the fancy yellows were extracted Canada's Rio Tinto Diavik diamond mine Another fancy diamond, an 8.09-carat oval shaped, internally flawless yellow diamond ring made in 1925 by Gillot & Co sold for $1,308,500.

Colored diamonds take a high polish because of their extreme hardness, which means that they appear more vivid than other gemstones of the same color A pair of ruby and diamond earrings set with Burmese rubies, made by Harry Winston sold for $354,500, and a Belle Époque ring with a 6.28-carat Kasmir sapphire sold for $936,500. . Source