ARTFIXdaily News Feed - Breaking News from the Art World

Renoir to Richter, antique pistols to rare gems shine at Palm Beach fair

artinfo / February 9th, 2011

Nearly 8,000 guests flocked to the gala preview of the American International Fine Art Fair in Palm Beach last weekend. About 40,000 visitors are expected altogether to peruse the booths of 66 dealers, down from 84 last year. The 15th edition of the fair, which runs through Feb. 13 at the Palm ...

Pink diamond pounded down for record $46 million at auction

ArtfixDaily / November 16th, 2010

London jewelry dealer Laurence Graff phoned in the winning bid of 45.4 million francs ($45.6 million) for a rare pink diamond in Geneva on Tues. Its pre-sale estimate of 38 million francs was soundly surpassed to secure an auction record price for a gem. Sotheby's total take for the Magnificent ...

Diamonds demand soaring prices at fall auctions

ArtfixDaily / October 25th, 2010

Anticipation is high that a world record price will be achieved next month for a fancy, intense pink, 24.78 carat stone, purchased from jeweler Harry Winston about 60 years ago. The rare pink diamond comes to market with an estimate of 27,000,000 to 38,000,000 million CHF (US $27,855,000 - ...

Pink diamond, blue chip art heat up Hong Kong sales

Bloomberg / October 6th, 2010

The series of Sotheby’s sales at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre have shown a strong appetite for wine, modern and contemporary art, traditional Chinese paintings, as well as the watches and jewelry in the Asian market. Among the highlights so far this week, a 6.43-carat pink ...

Princess Diana's necklace stars in Iconic Object sale

ArtfixDaily / August 16th, 2010

On September 24, Guernsey’s will present an Iconic Objects auction at New York City’s Park Avenue Armory. Each lot in this extraordinary themed sale relates to a significant person or an event that impacted cultural history.  Highlights include the only known recordings of 26 speeches ...

Patek Philippe tops $10 million Christie's watch sale

ArtfixDaily / June 17th, 2010

An Asian private buyer won an extremely rare platinum Patek Philippe perpetual calendar minute-repeating tourbillon wristwatch with a black dial, for $602,500 (including buyer's premium), at Christie's sale of Important Watches Featuring the Leo Collection, on June 16. ...

Strong sales at Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show

ArtfixDaily / June 17th, 2010

Jewelry, gemstones and watches took center stage during Jewelry Week in Las Vegas from June 3 to 6. Attendance increased by 15% at the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show, an annual trade-only event, held over four days at the MGM Grand. Discerning dealers came to buy antique and ...

"Mona Lisa of wristwatches" sells for record price at Christie's

Bloomberg / May 10th, 2010

A rare, WWII-era Patek Philippe sold for the equivalent of $5.7 million, the highest price paid for a yellow-gold wristwatch at auction. The 18-karat gold chronograph, from 1944, which has a calendar that adjusts for leap years and displays the phases of the moon, reached 6.26 million ...

Rare blue diamond sells for $6.4 million "bargain" price

Bloomberg / April 7th, 2010

London jeweller Alisa Moussaieff secured the winning bid of HK$49.9 million ($6.4 million) for a 5.16-carat blue diamond at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong. “It’s a bargain and I got it at this price because everyone was asleep,” Moussaieff said in an interview, reported by Bloomberg. The ...

Bonhams eyes Asia for expansion opportunities

Wall Street Journal / March 8th, 2010

Following last week's announcement that Bonhams will open an outpost in Tokyo, Robert Brooks, the London-based chairman of the international auction house, now plans to relaunch a branch in Australia. Bonhams already has a presence in Hong Kong, where rivals Christie's and Sotheby's have also set ...