Jewelry

Wallace Chan's Jewelry Creations To Be Offered At Sotheby's Hong Kong - Forbes

Based on early reports, Sotheby’s Hong Kong “Magnificent Jewels & Jadeite” sale is shaping up to quite an auction. The biggest news so far is that five of Wallace Chan’s jewelry creations will be among the top lots of the October 3 sale at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Hong Kong based Chan is one of the world’s most creative and innovative high jewelry artists in the world. He mixes traditional eastern philosophy with western artistry and techniques. His dreamlike designs and sculpted jewels are the result of a personal journey from overbearing poverty to celebrated artist. The self-taught master jeweler combines art, science and even a bit of alchemy in a number of groundbreaking innovations. These include a new technique for refining and brightening jade, a new way of gem-setting, and the famed “Wallace Cut”— a 3-dimension engraving in a transparent material by combining faceting and intaglio techniques. More recently, he unveiled an unbreakable porcelain and he is working on producing 24k gold with the same hardness of 18k gold.

Sotheby’s has released three of the five jewels created by Chan that will be sold at auction. They are a rock crystal choker; a gem-set diamond ring; and pendant earrings made of conch pearl, gems and diamonds. The last piece has an estimate of $280,000 - $407,500. Sotheby’s hasn’t released estimates of the previous two items.

Chan’s creations are not alone. Among the early releases by Sotheby’s that will be part of the auction are jewels by Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari and Bhagat. They include the following:

* A Bulgari ruby and diamond ring, featuring 31 carats of rubies with an estimate of $2 - $2.6 million;

* A Cartier Peacock sapphire, emerald and diamond clip brooch with an estimate $121,000 - $178,000;

* A Cartier “Tutti Frutti” ruby, emerald and diamond bracelet/brooch, 1947, with an estimate of $152,000 - $203,000;

* A Van Cleef & Arpels “unique” emerald and diamond pendent necklace, with an estimate of $254,000 - $445,000; and

* Bhagat fancy intense yellow diamond, diamond and pearl earrings, with an estimate of $153,000 - $229,300.

In addition, Sotheby’s released a few of its big-ticket items that will be part of the auction. They are:

* A ring centered by a “rare and important” fancy vivid blue diamond, with an estimate of $12.6 – $16.4 million;

* A jadeite bead and diamond necklace, with an estimate of $4.9 - $6.2 million;

* Fancy vivid yellow diamond and diamond pendant earrings, with an estimate of $4.9 - $6.2 million; and

* Sapphire, natural pearl and diamond pendant earrings, with an estimate of $1.6 - $2.2 million.