Bulgari necklace with a rare 118 Ct. Sapphire heads to Auction

Mar 22

Phillips Bulgari Necklace with 118ct sapphire — ***Phillips***

A stunning one of a kind Bulgari necklace crafted in 2004, has just been unveiled as the lead piece of Phillip’s upcoming Jewels & Jadeite sale.

The showstopper, whose composition recalls Bulgari designs from the 30s and 50s, will make its first appearance at auction in Hong Kong on May 23rd from a private collection.

The necklace itself features at its center the incredibly rare 118.35 ct. "royal blue" unheated cushion-shaped sapphire from Sri Lanka and will be one of the largest sapphires to reach auction in nearly 30 years. But size, isn’t the stone’s only attribute, as it is also considered to be of exceptional grade according to the Gübelin gemmological report provided, not to mention the beautiful surrounding diamond arrangement.

In a recent statement Benoît Repellin, Phillips’s worldwide head of jewelry, said: “Unique in its size, color, and origin, the [sapphire] stone embodies the transparency and luminosity pursued by Bulgari for its High Jewelry creations. This jewel is a holy grail for any collector, with a classic and elegant design typical of Bulgari that emphasizes the beauty and extraordinariness of the gem.” And we couldn’t agree more!

This exquisite piece is expected to fetch somewhere between $3.2 million and $4.5 million, but you can get a glimpse of it at Phillips’ new Asia headquarters in Hong Kong until March 31st. After the sale the necklace will go on tour to New York, Singapore, Taipei, and Geneva from April 6th through May 15th.