19th Century Sapphire Crown Earns Loudest Applause at Christie's Geneva Sale

On a night when the highly touted, 100.94-carat, D-flawless "Spectacle" diamond was supposed to be the star of Christie's Geneva auction, it was a 19th century sapphire-and-diamond crown that earned the loudest applause.

The crown once worn by Queen Maria II of Portugal (1819-1853) sparked a bidding war that yielded a final price of 1.77 million francs ($1.95 million) — more than five times the pre-sale high estimate.

At 8:13 pm Geneva time, the bidding passed 1 million francs and inched up in 50,000-franc increments for the next four minutes. Throughout the tense battle, bids often snuck in seconds before the auctioneer was about to smash his hammer down to end the sale.

The winning bidder was not immediately identified.

"It’s so rare to have a royal crown come up for auction," said Christie’s jewelry specialist Lukas Biehler prior to the auction. "Usually they’ve been remounted by subsequent kings or queens, or they’re locked away in royal treasuries or owned by museums."

Maria II's sapphire crown, which features octagonal step-cut and oval-shaped sapphires accented by old-cut diamonds, was designed in the 1840s. The piece was then passed down to Maria II's daughter, Infanta Antónia of Portugal (1845-1913), who married Léopold, Prince of Hohenzollern Sigmaringen in 1861.

Léopold was the eldest son of Princess Josephine of Hohenzollern Sigmaringen, who happened to be the middle daughter of Stephanie de Beauharnais, Grand Duchess of Baden and the adoptive daughter of Napoléon Bonaparte.

A matched collection of nine sapphire pieces that were once owned by Princess Josephine and passed down through the Hohenzollern family lineage also appeared at Christie's Geneva auction. On the 200th anniversary of the French emperor's death, each of the Napoléon-linked items outperformed the auction house's pre-sale high estimate by and average of two times.

The highly anticipated final lot of the session was "The Spectacle," the largest diamond ever to have been cut in Russia. The emerald-cut diamond arrived in Geneva with a pre-sale estimate of 12 million to 18 million francs ($13.2 million to $19.8 million), but failed to gain any traction after the opening bid was set at 10 million francs. Within two minutes, the bidding stalled at 10.9 million francs. With the buyer's premium, the final price totaled 12.8 million francs ($14.1 million).

Credits: Images courtesy of Christie's. Live auction screen capture from christies.com.

Gem Diamonds Announces Back-to-Back Fabulous Finds at Its Lesotho Mine

Gem Diamonds, the mining company that operates the prolific Letšeng mine in Lesotho, is riding a wave of fabulous luck. On Tuesday, May 4, officials announced the discovery of a 254-carat Type II white gem, and then on Monday, May 10, topped that news with the unveiling of a 370-carat Type II stunner.

Despite its diminutive size (about the size of Maryland), the landlocked country of Lesotho at the southern tip of Africa is a powerhouse when it comes to turning out large, Type II, top-quality stones. (Type II diamonds are extremely rare, colorless and chemically pure with no traces of nitrogen impurities.)

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Of the largest 50 rough diamonds ever discovered, 10 have come from Letšeng, which is recognized as the highest dollar-per-carat kimberlite mine in the world.

Some of Letšeng’s historic finds include the Lesotho Legend (910 carats), Lesotho Promise (603 carats), Lesotho Brown (601 carats), Letšeng Star (550 carats), Lesotho Legacy (493 carats) and the Light of Letšeng (478 carats). In August of 2020, Gem Diamonds revealed a 442-carat Type II stone, which has yet to be named.

The 370-carat find ranks 48th on Wikipedia's list of the largest rough diamonds, just ahead of two other Lesotho stones — one light brown and one white — each weighing 357 carats.

Letšeng has the distinction of being one of the world’s highest diamond mines. Its average elevation is 10,000 feet (nearly two miles) above sea level.

Since acquiring Letšeng in 2006, Gem Diamonds has unearthed more than 60 white, gem-quality diamonds weighing more than 100 carats each. The company reported that 16 100-carat-plus diamonds were recovered in the full year of 2020. In that same year, 34 individual stones sold for more than $1 million each.

The United Kingdom-based Gem Diamonds holds a 70% stake in the Letšeng mine with the government of Lesotho owning the remaining 30%. In October 2019, the partners renewed the mining lease for an additional 10 years.

Credits: Images courtesy of Gem Diamonds.

Rebel Wilson Shows Off Ring Commemorating 10th Anniversary of 'Bridesmaids'

Actress Rebel Wilson recently showed off a cool "class ring" commemorating the 10th anniversary of Bridesmaids, the hilarious movie that earned a Golden Globe nomination, two Academy Award nominations and more than $288 million at the box office worldwide.

A gift of director Paul Feig, the ring features a pinkish-purple cabochon center stone and a bunch of fun references to the film. The movie made its debut on May 13, 2011.

In an Instagram Story, Wilson shared with her 9.8 million followers a short video of her manipulating the ring so it could be seen from all angles. Her caption read: "Thank you @paulfeig you classy gentleman! Can't believe it's been 10 years since BRIDESMAIDS."

The top of the ring displays the title of film in raised white metal over a black ground. The pinkish-purple stone is likely a nod to the color of the bridesmaids' dresses worn by the cast.

The left side has Wilson's last name spelled out in raised capital letters. Under the name is a puppy, which might be a reference to Wilson's current gig as the host of Pooch Perfect, an ABC competition show spotlighting the best dog groomers in the US. Or, the puppy might be a reference to an adorable scene in the film, where the bridesmaids are given puppies as gifts after the bridal shower.

The right side of the ring displays the title of the movie's theme song, "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips. Just below the song title is a 10-year-anniversary emblem and the year 2021.

We're assuming that the complete cast of Bridesmaids received similar rings.

Fans of the movie will remember that Wilson played a small, but memorable, role as Kristin Wiig's character's obnoxious roommate, Brynn. Wilson's breakout performance led to roles in Pitch Perfect and What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Ironically, Wilson's character wasn't written into the initial script.

"My character wasn't supposed to exist in the movie," she revealed on SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show earlier this year. "I'd auditioned for Melissa McCarthy's character and was the second choice for that role."

She continued, "I guess they liked my audition and added me into the film, essentially, so there was never supposed to be two roommates, only one."

With all the hoopla surrounding the 10-year anniversary of Bridesmaids, cast member Maya Rudolph was asked by Entertainment Tonight if she might return for a sequel.

She said she'd be "down" to participate, adding, "I guess it wouldn't be called Bridesmaids — it would be called Old Ladies or something."

Credits: Screen captures via Instagram / rebelwilson.