One last sparkle for the summer - Christie's jewellery auction brings $760,000

Dominated as often by diamonds, the sale will be the last for gemstones before September

On Wednesday, Christie's held its last jewellery auction - indeed its last auction of most kinds - before the August recess. Naturally the gems on offer weren't the very finest that the auctioneer has offered this year, but there were enough valuable pieces to keep collectors interested.

There were 284 lots in total, which sold 74% by value for a solid £471,563 ($759,688) result.

The top lot was not a piece of jewellery as such, but rather a quantity of unmounted diamonds andgemstones comprising: two brilliant-cut diamonds, one weighing 1.14 carats, the other weighing 1.67 carats; a quantity of diamonds weighing in total 1.96 carats; and a group of sapphires, rubies and opals.

Estimated at a cautious £3,000-4,000, the set proved of interest to bidders and twinkled their way up to £14,375 ($23,160) when they were won by a European private bidder.

The attractive baguette-cut diamond necklace

The second lot also fell to a European, that being a diamond necklace which was stretched from its £7,500-8,000 listing to £9,375 ($15,100).

This was an articulated line of horizontally and vertically-set baguette-cut diamonds, with scroll detail and marquise-cut diamond highlights, and quite attractive in a simple way.

The third lot, with a £4,000-5,000 listing, was a diamond-clutch bag which brought £8,750 ($14,100).

That could make a very nice gift for a lady - though perhaps not in the same league as the $4.2m diamond ring Christie's sold a month back.

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