On June 19th of 2019, Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Thani through Christie's auction house put together a ground-breaking collection of almost 400 gemstones and jewel-encrusted objects for public offer. This esteemed sale may prove to be one of the highest in value of all time, in tier with the Elizabeth Taylor collection- which itself garnered around 115.9 million dollars back in 2011.
Many of the breathtaking artifacts and jewelry have a historical significance factor added to their appeal. Certain items span centuries-worth of stories, and many lots are comprised of Mughal royal objects, such as a dagger with precious jade affixed to its hilt design.
Other slightly more modern items come from the notable design houses of Bulgari, Linzeler, Lacloche and Cartier among others. Different kinds of rare and illustrious colored stones will take to the spotlight, as emeralds, rubies, sapphires and of course diamonds get showcased through the prestigious sale.
High-visibility items like the Patiala Ruby Choker- commissioned by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala to Cartier in the early 1900's, will undoubtedly be some of the center-stage highlights. This item in particular has an estimate pegged at around 1.2 million US dollars.
Another included item that has garnered recent fame, is the elegantly named 'Mirror of Paradise' diamond, which is graded at D for color and IF (Internally Flawless) for clarity. This 52.58ct rectangular cut diamond has an estimate range of around 7 to 10 million dollars.
The collection's highlight pieces will be travelling around the world, to displays in Hong Kong, London and Geneva, as is expected of featured lots managed by Christie's. The full suite of the auction items will also be shown at the Christie’s Rockefeller Center galleries located in Manhattan. The Al Thani Collection still holds around 5,600 individual items, some of which will be shown in Paris starting next year, at a new museum location.
Photography Credit: Christie's Auctions, The Al Thani Collection
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