Especially around the holiday season, diamond jewelry has made a strong appearance at the top of many of our gift lists. Whether the plan is to give the gifts to the ones we love or receive the pieces we have been dreaming about for years, the Holiday season is the perfect time for the mass’s to take advantage of the sales. Well, Christmas came just a little early for some this year because just before the closure of 2012, Sotheby’s auctioned off jewelry pieces in the Magnificent Jewels Auction that achieved an all time high of $64,765,013, which brought the highest annual total in Sotheby’s Jewelry History of $450.5 Million.

Needless to say, the results for the fancy colored diamond jewelry pieces purchased in this auction were out of this world as the prices paid for these colored diamonds continue to demonstrate the investment potential that colored diamonds hold.

Yellow Diamonds in the Light

A 52.73 carat, magnificent Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond Ring, the “Property from a Distinguished Private Collection” said Sotheby’s New York Magnificent Jewels, which had an estimate of $3-4 million was sold on December 5th, 2012 for a total $3,890,500.

Pink and Yellow Diamonds for Charity

However, for some the diamond gifts received this holiday season weren’t the stones themselves. Rather, it was the value of some very specific pieces that will without a doubt help save lives this year and in the years to come.

Continuing with the strong increase in pink diamond prices paid at auction, from the collection of Evelyn H. Lauder, this amazing Oscar Heyman & Brothers 6.54 carat, Fancy Intense Pink diamond ring, which was estimated to go for anywhere between $4-5 million, sold for an astonishing $8,594,500.

The Oval shaped Fancy Intense Pink Diamond with an Internally Flawless clarity grade was flanked by two half moon shaped colorless stones with a total weight of 2.21 carats. All the proceeds were donated to benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

An absolutely amazing color for a fancy shape, from the collection of Estée Lauder, was the Van Cleef & Arpels designed “Windsor Heart.” The proceeds of this piece as well were donated to benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

This 47.14 carat, Fancy Intense Yellow Diamond, Heart-shaped diamond, formerly in the collection of the Duchess of Windsor, was set in a beautiful pendant surrounded by approximately 8.00 carats of round colorless diamonds. Furthermore, it was sold together with an 18 inch detachable, flexible necklace set with numerous round diamonds weighing approximately 95.00 carats making this diamond pendant both unique and special. The piece which was estimated to sell for $1.5 -2 million sold for a fantastic $2,546,500.

The pieces from the collections of Estée Lauder and her daughter Evelyn H. Lauder sold for a total of $22.2 million. The proceeds earned from the diamonds sold will be donated towards The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, founded by Evelyn Lauder in 1993.

Contributor: Benji Margolese

Sotheby's Auctions 6.54 Carat Fancy Intense Pink for 8.5 Million

Yellow Diamonds in the Light

Pink and Yellow Diamonds for Charity