A stunning 37-carat square emerald brooch, once owned by the Aga Khan, has shattered records by becoming the world's most expensive green gemstone at Christie's Geneva auction.
The record-breaking piece was sold at Christie's auction house in Geneva, outpacing a previous record held by a Bulgari emerald brooch, which was once gifted by actor Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor. This extraordinary emerald, commissioned by Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan in 1960, had been set in a brooch featuring 20 marquise-cut diamonds for British socialite Nina Dyer. After a brief marriage to Prince Aga Khan, Dyer sold the emerald at auction in 1969 to fund animal welfare initiatives.
Remarkably, that auction took place at Christie's first-ever sale in Switzerland on the shores of Lake Geneva, and the emerald returned to Christie's for the 110th edition of their Geneva auction this year. It was initially purchased by jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels before being acquired by renowned American jeweller Harry Winston, known as the "King of Diamonds."
According to Max Fawcett, Head of Jewellery at Christie's EMEA, the emerald’s remarkable quality and the current high demand for emeralds in the market contributed to its record-breaking price. “Emeralds are hot right now, and this one ticks all the boxes,” Fawcett remarked. “We might see an emerald of this quality come up for sale once every five or six years.”
The previous record-holder for an emerald was a piece from the late Elizabeth Taylor’s renowned jewellery collection, which fetched $6.5 million in New York. This latest sale further underscores the growing appreciation for high-quality emeralds among collectors and investors worldwide.
