Christie's Jewels Hit $49.7M; Warhol's Patek and a €300K Birkin Headline the Week

June 10: Christie's Jewels Hit $49.7M; Warhol's Patek and a €300K Birkin Headline the WeekThis week's look at high-value spending across jewelry, gems, watches, and handbags: a $49.7M Christie's jewels result, fresh diamond-market data, a shifting De Beers ownership picture, new high-jewellery collections, a run of watch launches, and a packed week of watch and handbag auctions.In this episode:Jewelry — Auction Results- Christie's Magnificent Jewels, New York: $49.7M total, 100% sold by lot, 149% of the low estimate; two blue diamonds over $8M each; led by The Azure Blue; buyers 58% Americas / 21% Asia-Pacific / 21% Europe- Bonhams New York: ruby necklace beat its $150,000 top estimate to sell for $2.2M — about 14x the high estimateDiamonds — Market Data- Alrosa: record demand in May; stones above 10.80 carats and fancy-color goods led sales- Small diamonds recover: 0.30ct RapNet Diamond Index up 2.1% in MayDiamonds — The De Beers Question- Anglo American moving forward with the sale of its 85% stake in De Beers- Botswana seeking UAE and Oman support to acquire a stake; Debswana CEO Andrew Maatla Motsomi makes the case at JCK Las VegasDiamonds — Lab-Grown- Russia announces new lab-grown jewelry regulations to improve labeling/description transparencyHigh Jewellery Houses- Chanel names Marie-Laure Cérède (ex-Cartier and Harry Winston) to lead jewellery design- Van Cleef & Arpels unveils a 180-piece high jewelry collection inspired by ancient Egypt- Wallace Chan opens two Venice exhibitions (Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo and Santa Maria della Pietà)Watches — New Releases- MB&F HM12 "The Guardian": independent sci-fi horological machine with a companion robot- Blancpain (Swatch Group) Fifty Fathoms Tech joins the permanent collection- Also launching: DUG Glashütte Purist Typ 1, Yema Granvelle Renaissance, Kiwame Tokyo KuboWatches — This Week at Auction- Bonhams London Fine Watches (June 11), 60 lots: Patek Philippe Ref. 7000R minute repeater (£150,000–250,000, lead); F.P. Journe Octa Calendrier platinum (£100,000–150,000); two Rolex COMEX (Submariner 5514 £60,000–80,000, Sea-Dweller 1665); AP platinum minute-repeating jump hour Ref. 25723 (£40,000–60,000)- Christie's Important Watches, New York (June 12): Andy Warhol's Patek Philippe Calatrava; ultra-rare Patek Ref. 3448G "Red Dot"; two Tiffany-signed Patek Calatravas with "Golden Rule" dials made for President Lyndon B. Johnson; estimates not yet publishedHandbags — Christie's Paris- Christie's Paris online Hermès sale (June 12–24): ~300 bags, Jean-Paul Gaultier era focus, 130 no-reserve lots; top lot Faubourg Sellier Birkin 20 (2021, palladium hardware) €180,000–300,000; one-of-a-kind tricolor Birkin 40 (1998) €20,000–30,000Week Ahead- Bonhams London Fine Watches — June 11- Christie's Important Watches (New York) + Christie's Paris Hermès online sale opens + Sotheby's Gem Drop — June 12Also from ALT/FNDATA:- Open Bid — Mon-Fri at 6 AM ET- Closing Price — Mon/Wed/Fri at 5 PM ET