Celebrity Life

Diamonds appear in some of our most prized possessions, like engagement rings, necklaces, and bracelets, but the precious stones are more than just decorative. Each diamond tells its own story — which is especially true for the 555.55-carat black diamond unveiled by auction house Sotheby's Dubai. The stone is believed to have come from outer space.

A 555.55 carat black diamond goes up for auction

While the true source of the rare jewel, which Sotheby's has fittingly named "The Enigma," is unknown, the black diamond was likely created either from a meteoric impact or from a "diamond-bearing" asteroid that collided with Earth. The history of black diamonds, also known as Carbonado diamonds, can be traced back anywhere between 2.6 to 3.8 billion years ago. Even more indicative of their storied pasts, these diamonds contain nitrogen and hydrogen—two elements found in interstellar space.

 

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The shape of the diamond being auctioned off by Sotheby's is inspired by the Middle Eastern palm symbol of the Hamsa, a sign of protection that also means "five" in Arabic. Sophie Stevens, a jewellery specialist at Sotheby's Dubai, told The Associated Press that this number bears a great significance to the diamond. In addition to its 555.55 carats, the jewel contains exactly 55 facets.

The rare black diamond will be open for bidding online from February 3 to 9, and the auction house plans to accept cryptocurrency as a source of payment. Sotheby's expects the diamond to be sold for at least USD 6.8 million. "Its sale represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the rarest, billion-year-old cosmic wonders known to humankind," Nikita Binani, a jewellery specialist at Sotheby's in London, said in press release Monday.

This story first appeared on www.marthastewart.com

(Main and Feature Image Credit: Courtesy of Southeby's)

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The post Sotheby’s Auction House Unveils a 555.55 Carat Black Diamond Believed to Come From Outer Space appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's ever-changing dining scene is constantly evolving.

So much so, that it can get a little difficult to keep track of it all, let alone remember to book and try the new restaurants that have caught your eye. From brand new concepts to fresh venues and additional locations, here is our guide to seven of Hong Kong's most promising new restaurants to try right now.

Well, what are you waiting for...

The post HK$1 Million Hermès Croc Birkin Leads Christie’s Live Auction appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Sotheby's has sold one of the world's oldest cognacs preserved since the end of 19th Century for a record breaking amount in an online auction.

The bottle of Gautier Cognac 1762 went under the hammer for approximately HK$1,132,789 (£118,580), which set a new auction record following the online sale. Sotheby’s said in a statement that "only three bottles of this exceedingly rare Cognac remain to this day, having been held in the same family for generations with their original labels attached".

Known as Grand Frère (Big Brother in French) of the spirit trio, the extremely rare cognac was bought by an Asian private collector who will also receive a bespoke distillery experience at Maison Gautier, an element included in the price. Sotheby's spirits specialist Jonny Fowle told The Times newspaper in London that the cognac "should still be drinkable". He added that "High-ABV (alcohol by volume) liquids like this preserve themselves very well, although I would expect there to be discernible OBE -- this stands for old bottle effect, which is how we describe the development of spirits over time... Sometimes this can impart very pleasant tropical notes, and at other times less appealing porridgy notes."

[caption id="attachment_207421" align="alignnone" width="1648"] Gautier Cognac 1762 | Image: Sotheby's[/caption]

The sellers of the cognac, who wish to remain anonymous, revealed that the bottle had been given to their great grandparents by an orphan they fostered called Alphonse. He had left his adopted family in the 1870s to work in the Cognac region, and returned to them a decade later with a cart full of bottles of Cognac. According to Sotheby's, most of the bottles were soiled, but amongst them were the three Maison Gautier Cognacs with labels that were in pristine condition. Thereafter, it was noted that Alphonse fought in World War I in 1914, but sadly, never returned.

Meanwhile, the cognac's siblings are elsewhere: the little sister is housed in the museum of the French cognac distillery Maison Gautier, and the little brother was sold at auction in New York in 2014.

The post Exceedingly Rare 258-Year-Old Cognac Fetches a Record HK$1.1 million at Auction appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The largest diamond auctioned online by Christie's is a 28.86-carat, D-colour, VVS1, which is estimated to fetch US$1 to US$2 million (HK$7.75 million to HK$15.5 million).

Even without the lockdowns and social distancing, auctions have been transitioning into the digital sphere since the highly successful sales of Elizabeth Taylor’s inaugural auction in 2011. Live auctions offer privacy and flexibility in taking a closer look at items in detail with 100% anonymity. Now that we are in times where staying away from people is encouraged, online auctions have been soaring with new members registering online and boosting sales up 80% in general, with a sell through rate of up to 99%, according to Christie’s.

“As the jewelry auction market leader for over twenty-six years, our team continues to strategically innovate and bring to market the very best jewels for our clients. This year has presented unprecedented circumstances, enabling Christie’s new opportunities through our enhanced digital platform. Recognising greater client confidence, we are proud to announce the highest valued lot ever to be offered for sale in our June 2020 Jewels Online auction.” -- Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Jewelry at Christie’s

In its upcoming online auction which will be held from 16 to 30 June, Christie’s will outdo itself with a whopping 28.86-carat, D colour, VVSI, emerald cut diamond. Estimated to be the highest valued piece ever to be sold for the house online, it’s expected to sell for US$1 to 2 million (HK$7.75 million to HK$1.55 billion).

The value of this diamond comes from the combination of its colour, the highest quality of colour and transparency in natural diamonds measured by GIA. Belonging to the Type IIa category, it is the most chemically pure (less than 2% can reach this status) diamond of extreme quality. Not to mention, the sizeable gem, making these three qualities found in one diamond exceptionally rare. Lastly, the cut -- one of oldest in terms of traditions -- which is the step-cut emerald has fewer facets and is unforgiving when it comes to flaws and impurities.

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With the 28.86 Spectacular Diamond Ring, other hard-to-come-by pieces will also go under the "digital" hammer including a Graff Diamond and Sapphire Necklace of tapering openwork flower motif design (estimated at US$70,000 to US$100,000 or HK$543,000 to HK$775,000); a Kutchinsky Cuff Bracelet featuring pear-shaped emeralds and round yellow diamonds on a field of white diamond pave (estimated at US$30,000 to US$50,000 or HK$233,000 to HK$388,000); and a Van Cleef & Arpels Brooch in the style of a four leaf clover with chrysoprase petals, centring on a round diamond and sculpted gold pistil (estimated at US$6,000 to US$8,000 or HK$47,000 to HK$62,000).

The online showing room will be open 16-30 June 2020 at www.christies.com.

The post This 28.86 Carat Diamond is Christie’s Most Expensive Online Auctioned Jewel appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Despite the drop in numbers, there were still many standout sales across both auction houses in 2018. 

The post Jewellery Sales for Christie’s and Sotheby’s Totalled $906.3 Million in 2018 appeared first on LUXUO.