Sotheby’s Brings Heavyweight Gems to Abu Dhabi in $1B Luxury Push

By Annie Davidson Watson | November 24, 2025

Sotheby’s is set to test the depth of the Middle East market, anchoring its inaugural Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week with a top-drawer jewelry portfolio that includes the 31.68 ct. Desert Rose (pictured) and the world’s largest flawless diamond.

The Collectors’ Week event, held Dec. 2–5 in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), represents a strategic pivot for Sotheby’s, as the auction house will bring over $1 billion in total inventory to the St. Regis Saadiyat Island resort. While the event covers categories from F1 cars to real estate, the jewelry sector is arguably its most aggressive play, featuring a mix of live auctions and high-value private sales designed to court top-tier buyers in the region.

The centerpiece of Dec. 5’s “Precision & Brilliance: Prestigious Jewels & Watches From an Important Private Collection” live auction is the Desert Rose, a 31.68 ct. pear-shape fancy vivid pink diamond in a rare “sunset-like” orangey hue, estimated at $5 million to $7 million. (The Desert Rose is a different diamond from the Glowing Rose, which Sotheby’s planned to auction last month.)

The single-owner Dec. 5 sale—which is expected to realize over $20 million—will also feature significant signed pieces from the 20th century, including an art deco Tiffany & Co. diamond ring with a 5.61 ct. Kashmir sapphire and a Boucheron diamond ring centering on a nearly 8 ct. Colombian emerald.

Tiffany sapphire ring — *Tiffany & Co. ring (circa 1930) with 5.61 ct. cushion-shape sapphire and round diamonds, estimate $350,000–$550,000*

Meanwhile, the world’s largest flawless diamond will appear in a private sale offering Sotheby’s has curated for Abu Dhabi, taking its business beyond the auction block with this hybrid sales model. The private sale, valued at $100 million, also includes the world’s largest deep green diamond. These record-breaking pieces offer discreet acquisition opportunities outside of a public auction—a key selling point for affluent clients in the UAE.

*Boucheron ring with 7.88 ct. emerald-cut emerald surrounded by marquise- and pear-shape diamonds, estimate $300,000–$500,000*

Josh Pullan, global head of Sotheby’s luxury division, framed Abu Dhabi Collectors’ Week as a necessary expansion into a “rapidly expanding cultural landscape,” driven by a younger collector base in the UAE. The move aligns with Abu Dhabi’s strategy to position itself as a “capital of collectibles,” according to Noora al Foulathi, head of ADIO’s Abu Dhabi Retail initiative.

(Photos courtesy of Sotheby’s)

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