The finely jeweled feathers of this bird of paradise are arresting in their own right. But it’s the vivid yellow diamond suspended from the beak that drove bidding to $10.6 million—a record high price for any Van Cleef & Arpels piece at a Nov. 13 Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva. The 96.62 ct. stone—known as the Walska Briolette Diamond, after its former owner, opera singer Ganna Walska—was set in the yellow gold brooch in 1971 by Van Cleef & Arpels. The piece is as versatile as it is stunning: The diamond detaches from the brooch to become a pendant, the wings unfasten to form a pair of earrings, and the tail can be transformed into a smaller brooch. “This iconic jewel generated enthusiasm across the world,” says David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Division in Europe and the Middle East. “It’s a masterpiece of design.”