Natural Pearls Make For An Elegant Showing at Christie’s

If you’ve been in the market for a new pearl necklace but have been holding out for just the right piece, you may have missed your big chance. An elegant three-row natural pearl necklace certain to please any jewelry enthusiast sold at Christie’s earlier this week. Oh, and did we happen to mention it fetched an astounding $1.64 million?

Featured as part of the famed auction house’s London sale of “Important Jewels,” the necklace was the lead item in a breathtaking collection of pieces, many of which featured natural pearls. A diamond and natural pearl broach sold for nearly $700,000–a whopping 12 times more than its pre-sale estimate-while an antique sapphire and diamond necklace netted $461,869. All in all, sales totaled $13.4 million for 278 lots. It’s no surprise that Christie’s execs celebrated the auction’s success, which confirmed the belief of industry insiders in the continually rising demand for natural pearls.

During the sale, Christie’s execs reported a bustling showroom, as well as a highly competitive bidding process–both in person and online. As the final auction of Christie’s spring season, the “Imported Jewels” sale wrapped up in chic style. And while you may have missed your chance to own this particular piece, there’s no need to worry: the summer auction season will be here before you know it!