In case you were wondering how much some of those fabulous jewels I wrote about last week actually went for at the May 11 Sotheby’s auction, it appears that today’s economic gloom and doom has not penetrated the fine jewellery auction market.  All hammer prices include the buyer’s premium and are in US dollars.

The tiara: 137,499.07.

The lapis sautoir: 90,947.78 (way above estimate and a bit of a surprise, I’ll bet).

Diamond briolette necklace: 24,784.95.

Cartier Delices do Goa set: 42,861.20, also above estimate and I think nearly twice as much as you could get it for new at Cartier. That must have carried some provenance. (More about provenance below.)

Aggravi scampi bracelet: 18,044.87.

My blue and white crossover diamond ring (yes, that’s wishful thinking in action): near the top of the estimate at 6,338,160.31. Yes, that’s millions. Oh, to be someone’s trophy wife.

In auctions particularly provenance is of utmost importance. There was a piece owned by the Duchess of Windsor, pictured below, a pretty but not really spectacular (in the sense of the other major jewels on offer) brooch in the Indian style, with emeralds, tourmalines and rubies. According to Sotheby’s, she supposedly acquired it on the scandalous cruise she took with the then King Edward VIII on the Nahlin. It was sold at the original auction of her jewels (and I don’t know what it went for then). Estimate at this auction? 6,000-8,000 Swiss francs. Hammer price? 30,000 Swiss francs, or 27,035.51 USD. That’s more than three times the estimate for a jewel whose intrinsic value is much less, but whose history makes it ultra desirable to some – especially whoever bought it.

For more hammer prices, go to www.sothebys.com.