The Baroda pearls sold for $7.5 million.
Pearl fans: Here's a follow up to my Baroda pearls story from Reuters:
A NATURAL pearl necklace that once belonged to a maharajah sold at an
auction at Christie's today for nearly $US7.1 million.
Christie's said the buyer of the Baroda Pearls, which once belonged to
the Maharajah Khande Rao of Baroda, was an Asian private collector,
who bid by phone.
Bidding for the piece, which featured pearls as big as gumballs,
lasted about three minutes in a packed auction room.
The Baroda Pearls is a two-strand necklace of natural pearls that was
strung with 68 of the finest and largest pearls from a seven-row
necklace.
"The pearls sold at about what we estimated them to make and more than
double the last world record price for a natural pearl necklace,"
Rahul Kadakia, head of jewellery for Christie's America, said after
the auction.
The previous record was set by Christie's in Geneva in November 2004
at $US3.1m, for a two-strand natural pearl necklace, it said.
The necklace was auctioned as part of Christie's Magnificent Jewels
sale. The sale totalled $US39.1m.
Also setting a world record was the 22 Kashmir sapphire sold on behalf
of the Minnesota Historical Society which fetched $US3.1m, making it
the most expensive sapphire in the world, according to Christie's.
In other pearl auction news:
DUBAI -- One of the world's largest natural pearls is expected to
fetch $6-8 million when it comes under the hammer at Emirates Palace
in Abu Dhabi on May 3.
The 575 carat Arco Valley Pearl was displayed yesterday at a Press
conference at the Dubai Central Laboratory. The auction is being
organised by the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and proceeds will go to
the Gulf Pearl Travelling Museum, which aims to promote the appeal of
pearls to an international audience. Khaled Al Sayegh, a renowned
pearl trader, said the main goal was to revive the region's pearl
industry.
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