An emerald once belonging to the Aga Khan was offered Tuesday by Christie’s in Switzerland. Auctioned for nearly $9 million, this treasure became the most expensive jewel in the world.
A Cartier brooch
Tuesday, November 12, a emerald of 37 carats broke records by being sold for 8,859,865 dollars during a auction organized by Christie’s. Adorned with 20 marquise-cut diamonds, this square piece was created by Cartier in 1960. The jewel, commissioned for the Aga Khan, aroused unprecedented enthusiasm.
This record dethrones that established by a jewel from the Bulgari house, with a emerald of 23.44 carats. Offered to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton, this gem sold for $6.5 million in 2011.
An exceptional treasure that fascinates connoisseurs
The brooch had already been offered during the “Magnificent Jewels” sale of Christie’s in 1969, in the collection of Nina Dyer. Since then, it has been successively acquired by Van Cleef & Arpels then by Harry Winston, a legendary name in the world of jewelry. According to Max Fawcett, head of the jewelry department at Christie’s in Geneva, the emeralds of this quality are rare and only appear for sale “every five or six years”.
Mr Fawcett clarified that “l’emerald is extremely thin and flat, making it look like a 50 carat stone”reports Huffington Post. But unlike other flat emeralds which often lose color in the center, this one glows a uniform green.
