Sotheby's 2012 Jewelry Sales Fetched $460.5 Million

Sotheby's marked its highest-ever total for a year of jewelry sales in 2012, achieving $460.5 million, with strong growth at all of its auction houses. Naturally, statement diamonds led sales. It was also a very good year for auctions of private jewelry collections.Among the 2012 highlights:* Sotheby's Geneva set a new world auction record for any various-owner jewelry sale in May at $108.4 million.* Across its worldwide salesrooms, Sotheby's jewelry auctions sold an average of 84 percent by lot.* 72 lots sold for more than $1 million, with six of those lots selling above $5 million. * Sotheby's saw its highest-ever total for a day of jewelry sales in the Americas, when its December auctions in New York reached $64.8 million* Sotheby's annual total of $114.5 million in Hong Kong marked the company's second-biggest year of jewelry and jadeite sales in Asia.* Prominent private collections fueled strong sale results, including jewels owned by Brooke Astor, Este Lauder, Evelyn H. Lauder, Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, Suzanne Belperron and Michael Wellby.* Two rare "white glove" auctions-"Jewels from the Personal Collection of Suzanne Belperron" in Geneva in May, and "The Jewellery Collection of the Late Michael Wellby" in London in December-sold 100 percent by lot.Among the individual sale highlights:* A 10.48-carat fancy deep blue diamond sold for more than $10.8 million-establishing a new world record price per carat for any deep blue diamond at auction ($1.03 million per carat) and a world record price for any briolette diamond at auction. The diamond was purchased by Laurence Graff.The Beau Sancy, the property of the royal house of Prussia, sold for $9.7 million. The 34.98 carat modified pear double rose cut diamond-with its 400 years of royal history-was one of the most important royal diamonds ever to come to auction. * A fancy intense 6.54-carat flawless pink diamond and diamond Ring by Oscar Heyman & Brothers (pictured right) from the Collection of Evelyn H. Lauder, sold for $8.6 million to benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. It was the top lot in a December sale from the collections of Este Lauder and Evelyn H. Lauder that benefitted the foundation founded by Evelyn Lauder. The collections together sold for more than $22. 2 million, well above its overall high estimate of $18 million.