A 9.22 ct. D-IF marquise-cut diamond ring (pictured, right) sold for $969,838 at Bonhams' Fine Jewellery Sale in London on Dec. 8.
Overall, the sale realized $6.38 million, with 82 percent sold by lot and 90 percent sold by value. Jean Ghika, director of the house's jewelry department, said in a statement that Bonhams' jewelry sales were up 70 percent over 2010. She added that in a difficult economic climate, more buyers want "tangible assets" like diamonds.
Links:
[1] http://www.jckonline.com/2012/01/25/diamonds-auction-block-party#disqus_thread
[2] http://jckonline.disqus.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jckonline.com%2Fnode%2F27312