Sumptuousness by Van Cleef & Arpels

The eagerly awaited result of this extraordinary piece surpassed all expectations: €522,750, skyrocketing past its €20,000 high estimate. The platinum bracelet, a hefty piece formerly owned by a private individual in Rennes, is dripping with karats and bears the coveted Van Cleef & Arpels signature. Bidders from around the world, including 21 on the phone in the United States, China and the Middle East, fiercely competed for 10 minutes to win the prize. The bracelet features a rectangular canted sapphire (1.436 x 1.2 x 0.8 cm/0.56 x 0.47 x 0.31 in) set in a paving of curved openwork jointed links featuring a geometric decor spangled with baguette and brilliant-cut diamonds weighing a total of about 13 kt. But the most spectacular feature is the end caps terminating in large sapphire drops. Given its ornamentation, the bracelet can be dated to the 1920s or ‘30s. A yellow gold ring set with an approximately 15.40-kt certified Colombian emerald surrounded by three diamonds weighing a total of about two karats (gross weight 10.45 g/0.36 oz) changed hands for €24,600, while a necklace with 87 cascading cultured pearls (19.54 g/0.67 oz) netted €18,450.