6 of the Most Expensive Jewelry Pieces Sold at Auctions

Everyone loves jewelry whether the pieces are rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces or tiaras. Today, we thought we’d take a look at some of the most expensive jewelry ever sold at auction houses. Stunning, beautiful and some centuries old, the following compilation is just six of the pieces we found intriguing.

Wallis Simpson’s Onyx and Diamond Panther Bracelet

It was a love affair for the ages when King Edward VIII abdicated the British throne to his brother George in 1936 and married divorcee Wallis Simpson. Scandalous? Absolutely! One piece of jewelry owned by Wallis was the famous onyx and diamond panther bracelet. The bracelet sold in 2010 for $12.4 million by Sotheby’s in London. Rumors floating around this piece include the possible buyer was Madonna who went on to direct the film, “We” about the love story of Wallis and King Edward. Once married, the couple would forever be known as the Duke and Duchess of York.

Princess Katharina Henckel von Donnersmarck Emerald and Diamond Tiara

Sold for $12.3 million in 2011 by Sotheby’s in Geneva, this stunning tiara was purchased by Prince Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck and given to Princess Katharina circa 1900. Rumors around this tiara are that it once belonged to French Emperor Napoleon III’s wife Eugenie. Loaded with eleven rows of pear-shaped emeralds that total a whopping 500 carats, this tiara’s buyer was never revealed.

Empress Eugenie Brooch

Christies of New York was responsible for selling this gorgeous brooch for $10.5 million in 2008. This antique diamond bow brooch was created by Francois Kramer around 1855 for Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III. The president of the Louvre, Henri Loyrette worked with the Louvre administration to return the brooch back to its home—France.

Graff Pink Diamond Ring

This very rare Graff Diamond was sold for $11.8 million by Christies in Hong Kong in 2009.  Weighing in at an amazing 5.0 carats the pink diamond was found in South Africa. What makes it pink? Christies says diamonds become pink from exposure to heat and pressure during transportation into the earth’s crust. Oh, there’s white diamonds in this ring too—amazing.

Bulgari Two-Stone Colored Diamond Ring

In 2010, there was a three-way bidding war for this Bulgari two-stone colored diamond ring which sold for $15.7 million and won by an Asian collector. Christies of New York held the auction for this 1972 triangular-cut diamond ring that contains 10.95 carats.

Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond

This 35.56 carat diamond was auctioned off in 2008 by Christies in London for $24.3 million and it’s worth every penny! With a bluish-grey hue, this diamond was first bought by Laurence Graff for $22 million where he subsequently sent it to three different diamond cutters to remove all of the flaws. Rumor has it the diamond came from the Indian Kingdom of Golkonda and that King Philip IV of Spain bought this jewel to include in his daughter Margaret’s dowry in 1964.

These are just six of the most expensive jewelry pieces sold at auction and we’d like to thank Business Insider for first reporting on these engaging and amazing jewels.

At Peter Suchy Jewelers, we enjoy brining you stories of famous jewelry collections and auctions. We are experts in estate and vintage jewelry and we hope you’ll visit our showroom located at 1137 High Ridge Road in Stamford Connecticut.

Or, head on over to our eBay store and shop for vintage and estate jewelry at your leisure. We hope you’ll like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!