Emerald fetches a record of R163m at Christie’s auction

A rare square 37-carat emerald owned by the Aga Khan fetched nearly $9 million (about R163 million) at an auction in Geneva on Tuesday, 12 November, making it the world’s most expensive green stone.

Sold by Christie’s, the Cartier diamond and emerald brooch, which can also be worn as a pendant, dethroned a piece of jewellery made by the fashion house Bulgari.

Following the sale, Richard Burton then gave it as a wedding gift to fellow actor Elizabeth Taylor, as the most precious emerald.

In 1960, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan commissioned Cartier to set the emerald in a brooch with 20 marquise-cut diamonds for British socialite Nina Dyer, to whom he was briefly married.

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Emerald auctioned off to raise money

Dyer then auctioned off the emerald to raise money for animals in 1969.

By chance that was at Christie’s very first such sale in Switzerland on the shores of Lake Geneva, with the emerald finding its way back to the 110th edition this year.

It was bought by jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels before passing a few years later into the hands of the US’ Harry Winston who carried the nickname the “King of Diamonds”.

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Peak era of emeralds

“Emeralds are hot right now, and this one ticks all the boxes,” said Christie’s EMEA head of jewellery Max Fawcett.

”We might see an emerald of this quality come up for sale once every five or six years.”

Also set with diamonds, the previous record-holder fetched $6.5 million at an auction of part of Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor’s renowned jewellery collection in New York.

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