Colored diamonds helped Christie’s rake in $426.4 million in
global jewelry sales in 2010, the highest annual total ever achieved for
jewelry at the global auction house.

The total represents a 56 percent increase over 2009, and
beats the auction house’s previous annual record of $395 million, set in 2007.

Each one of Christie’s major sales regions experienced
significant increases, with Christie’s Americas reporting its best ever jewelry
total—$130.5 million. Christie’s Asia,
with its flagship Hong Kong auctions, led the company’s jewelry sales with $163
million total.

The Perfect Pink, a rectangular-cut fancy intense pink
diamond ring of 14.23 cts., led Christie’s Hong Kong auctions in November,
selling for $23.1 million, or $1.6 million per carat—the most expensive jewel
ever sold in Asia.

Similarly, The Bulgari Blue, a two-stone ring featuring a
triangular-cut Fancy Vivid blue diamond of 10.95 cts. and a triangular-cut G
VS1 diamond of 9.87 cts. fetched $15.7 million, or $1.4 million per ct.—a new
world record per-carat price for a blue diamond.

In total, Christie’s achieved two of the top three prices
for jewels at auction worldwide in 2010 and sold six jewels for more than $5
million. Private sales were also an
important factor in Christie’s success in 2010.

JCK