HONG KONG – 28 August 2024 – Phillips is pleased to present a carefully curated selection of rare and fine gemstones, fancy coloured diamonds, as well as signed pieces in the upcoming Hong Kong Jewels Auction on 3 October at the company’s Asia headquarters in the West Kowloon Cultural District. Prior to the sale, highlights will be showcased in Bangkok from 2-3 September and Taipei from 5-7 September. The jewels then return to Hong Kong for public viewing from 24 September - 3 October.

Janet Lam, Senior Specialist, Phillips Jewels, said: “The global jewellery demand has remained resilient especially for high jewellery, and we have a steady and positive growth this year in Phillips. In H1 2024, we saw a more than 190% annual increase in Phillips’ global jewellery auction sales compared to 2023. This season, we are very excited to be offering a meticulously curated collection of rare and fine gemstones, coloured diamonds and signed pieces from prestigious jewellery makers such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Harry Winston, and Bulgari, among others. The exceptional selection of rare and exquisite jewels available offers connoisseurs of all backgrounds the chance to acquire these superb treasures. We look forward to engaging with collectors and welcoming them to our preview in Bangkok, Taipei and Hong Kong.”

Rarest Burmese Rubies
Rubies have been revered and closely linked to power, wealth, success, and health. The fiery red hue is highly esteemed in Asia as an auspicious symbol of good fortune. Highlighting this season’s sale is an exquisite collection of natural rubies originating from Burma, now known as Myanmar, a renowned source for coloured gemstones dating back to 600 A.D. It is widely recognised as the world’s most desirable origin for exceptional rubies. One of the key highlights is a ring featuring a remarkable Burmese ruby weighing a stunning 7.02 carats. It demonstrates excellent lustre and very fine clarity which is rarely seen in rubies of the same pedigree and highly sought-after by collectors worldwide.

Also highlighting the sale is a pair of 10.77-carat and 9.99-carat Burmese unheated rubies mounted as ear clips. A single unheated Burmese ruby of this size is an unusual find, to gather two of such rare specimens in matching colour, clarity and size is yet another epitome of rarity. Another notable highlight is a ruby and diamond necklace featuring over 54.00 carats of unheated Burmese rubies, with majority of them exhibiting the appraised colour grade of pigeon’s blood red color.

This season’s auction also offers an impressive selection of fancy coloured diamonds to meet the strong market demand. One of the major highlights is a 21.70-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond and diamond pendent necklace, boasting a perfect equilibrium of colour and saturation that radiates a dazzling brilliance.

Modern Burmese mines produce very few gem-quality sapphires, and even fewer that exceed 10 carats after cutting and polishing. Offered in this season’s sale is a very fine and mesmerizing Burmese sapphire of remarkable 16.07 carats. It possesses a saturated blue body colour with finest clarity and lustre in regal step-cut.

Colombian emeralds have risen in popularity over the past few years, especially specimens showcasing a richly saturated and homogeneous bluish green hue, often containing a variety of internal inclusions. Emeralds hailing from the historical mines of Colombia which are free of any clarity treatment are high in demand. This season, Phillips presents a spectacular 14.19-carat Colombian emerald and diamond ring. Free from oil treatment, this Colombian emerald with a highly desirable intense and lustrous green colour is every collector’s dream.

Alexandrite chrysoberyls have always been sought after for its colour-change optical phenomenon which is a true wonder of nature. The 10.84-carat alexandrite chrysoberyl offered in this season’s sale displays a distinct colour-change effect from bluish-green hues in daylight to reddish-purple under incandescent light. Specimens of such an exceptional size is rarely found in today's market or directly from the mines. This alexandrite, originating from a renowned Brazilian mine, is a highly unique and collectible gemstone that should not be overlooked.

Another type of gemstones that are immensely popular among connoisseurs in recent years is Paraiba tourmaline. The formation of the ideal “electric blue” Paraíba calls for a delicate balance of copper and manganese. Higher copper content results in a more neon appearance, which is the iconic attribute of Paraíba tourmalines. Since its discovery over 30 years ago, Brazilian deposits are said to be depleted, resulting in an extremely limited supply of Brazilian specimens in the market. Among the collectible gemstones on offer this season, the 7.04 carat Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline and diamond ring possess the legendary neon blue colour is certainly not to be missed.

Known for its intense fiery red colour, which can almost rival the most superb ruby, red spinel has been surging in demand in the past few years, particularly with growing popularity of spinels from Tanzania. Tanzanian spinels possess a vibrant red colour which are second to none among top graded spinel. Its lustre and brilliance akin to that of diamonds, combined with its striking intrinsic colour, deems spinels a favourite among discerning collectors.