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<p>At a June preview of the Freddie Mercury collection that will shortly be sold by Sotheby’s, the media forms a semicircle around a young woman holding aloft the left shoe of a pair of white high-top sneakers. “These are the shoes Freddie may have performed in at the Live Aid Concert in 1985,” says Gabriel Heaton, a Specialist in the Books and Manuscripts department of the auction house, before clarifying: “However, as there are other pairs which are similar, careful checking indicates that we cannot be certain these are ones used in the Live Aid Concert.”</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/A_pair_of_Adidas_high_top_sneakers_est._3000_-_500_rgb-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77104" width="750" height="750" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/A_pair_of_Adidas_high_top_sneakers_est._3000_-_500_rgb-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/A_pair_of_Adidas_high_top_sneakers_est._3000_-_500_rgb-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/A_pair_of_Adidas_high_top_sneakers_est._3000_-_500_rgb-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/A_pair_of_Adidas_high_top_sneakers_est._3000_-_500_rgb-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/A_pair_of_Adidas_high_top_sneakers_est._3000_-_500_rgb-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/A_pair_of_Adidas_high_top_sneakers_est._3000_-_500_rgb-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/A_pair_of_Adidas_high_top_sneakers_est._3000_-_500_rgb-800x800.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/A_pair_of_Adidas_high_top_sneakers_est._3000_-_500_rgb-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure></div>


<p>The fact that these Adidas shoes were worn by the flamboyant Queen frontman during the band’s mid-80s tours is enough, though, to set the room abuzz with excitement. Of all the items on display during the media tour, it is a simple pair of shoes within touching distance that generates the most interest.</p>



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<p>As the ritual of media photo-taking gets underway, there is an almost spiritual, slightly unworldly moment in time, when Freddie himself seems close, like he is being reincarnated in a ghostly apparition. He wore these shoes as he held the audience in the palm of his hand during his mid-80s pomp when he knew his time was short, and every time he stepped onto the stage he was determined to put on the show of his life. Mercury loved the freedom of movement and comfort the high-tops brought him as he strutted, preened and sang like an angel. These sports shoes seem to represent the physical embodiment of a force of nature and everyone in the room wants a part of it.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Mercury Rising</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="511" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Mick_Rock_David_Bowie_and_Mick_Ronson_Lunch_on_Tra_rgb.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77115" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Mick_Rock_David_Bowie_and_Mick_Ronson_Lunch_on_Tra_rgb.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Mick_Rock_David_Bowie_and_Mick_Ronson_Lunch_on_Tra_rgb-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Mick_Rock_David_Bowie_and_Mick_Ronson_Lunch_on_Tra_rgb-200x133.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>The Adidas footwear was among 20 highlights from the collection of the flamboyant rock idol showcased in Hong Kong before a series of dedicated auctions to be held at Sotheby’s London from 4 August (online) and during 6-8 September 2023 (live). A portion of the six ‘Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own’ sales will be donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust – an Aids charity founded by the band after the singer’s death in 1991 – and the Elton John Aids Foundation.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="500" height="625" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie_MercuryCus_crown_est._30000_-_40000_1_p_cl_rgb.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77106" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie_MercuryCus_crown_est._30000_-_40000_1_p_cl_rgb.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie_MercuryCus_crown_est._30000_-_40000_1_p_cl_rgb-224x280.jpg 224w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie_MercuryCus_crown_est._30000_-_40000_1_p_cl_rgb-200x250.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></figure></div>


<p>Part of the fascination with Freddie Mercury is that he was a complex man with multiple personalities. Heaton talks of how reserved he was, but of how he also loved to hold lavish parties. He points to Mercury’s iconic stage crown thought to be loosely modelled on the coronation crown of St Edward; a life-size picture of the maestro wearing it in his full regal attire forms a striking backdrop. The crown is estimated to sell for £30,000-£40,000 (about HK$300,000-$400,000), and as Heaton notes, Mercury donned it for the final rendition of God Save The Queen at the end of his last performance, at Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire, UK, on 9 August 1986, in front of a crowd of more than 120,000.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Rhapsody Revelations</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="594" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie21_p_rgb.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77107" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie21_p_rgb.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie21_p_rgb-362x280.jpg 362w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie21_p_rgb-200x155.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>The collection previewed in Hong Kong included handwritten working drafts of lyrics to some of his most famous songs. An early draft for Bohemian Rhapsody, the third best-selling UK single of all time, is written in black and blue ballpoint pen and pencil on stationery from the now defunct British Midlands Airways.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="500" height="750" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie3_p_rgb.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77108" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie3_p_rgb.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie3_p_rgb-187x280.jpg 187w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie3_p_rgb-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></figure></div>


<p>This is the song that changed everything for Queen, when the “volcano erupted”, as Mercury put it, and these lyrics are estimated at £800,000-£1.2 million. The page on display (from 15 in total) indicates that he originally planned to call it ‘Mongolian Rhapsody’ – ‘Mongolian’ is crossed out and replaced with the word ‘Bohemian’ – rhythmically similar but with a different resonance, as Heaton points out. The sheets reveal detailed notes on harmonies and the painstaking drafting and redrafting by a man who was modest about his composition process.</p>



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<p>“In these pages we see Freddie Mercury wrestling in grand operatic terms with profound themes – sin, damnation, stoic acceptance – and witness the great efforts he goes to pinpointing precisely the right words to embody these emotions, and to create the most extraordinary narrative,” says Heaton.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Songs Going for a High</h3>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="500" height="708" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie5_p_rgb.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77109" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie5_p_rgb.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie5_p_rgb-198x280.jpg 198w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie5_p_rgb-200x283.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></figure></div>


<p>According to the expert, this type of memorabilia often generates huge interest. “The highest prices tend to be for original handwritten lyrics and also musical instruments when they have a significant playing history with a great musician,” he says.</p>



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<p>Referring to the Rhapsody lyrics, he continues, “Early drafts such as these are easily lost or discarded, so the rare survival of these manuscripts provides us with fascinating insights into how his songs were developed and put together, as well as reminding us of their musical complexity and sophistication.”</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="500" height="667" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie15_p_clip_rgb-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77110" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie15_p_clip_rgb-1.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie15_p_clip_rgb-1-210x280.jpg 210w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Freddie15_p_clip_rgb-1-200x267.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></figure></div>


<p>Heaton adds: “There are, of course, other valuable items: rare records, stage-worn costumes and other evocative items – I sold a pair of John Lennon’s sunglasses for £137,000 a few years ago.” An ivory-hued satin catsuit inspired by the mythic god, Mercury, which was used in Bohemian Rhapsody’s groundbreaking promotional video is estimated at £50,000–£70,000.</p>



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<p>“In general people pay high prices for music memorabilia for the same reason that they pay high prices for art or ceramics or rare books – because they are passionate about them.” The majority of collectors will have a love for the music they buy into. “Sometimes these are people who collect in other areas, other times they are not – it is the passion for the music that unites them,” notes Heaton.</p>



<p>Music to Collectors’ Ears</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="500" height="620" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Donna4_p_rgb.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77116" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Donna4_p_rgb.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Donna4_p_rgb-226x280.jpg 226w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Donna4_p_rgb-200x248.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></figure></div>


<p>According to Darren Julien, Founder and President of Julien’s Auctions, iconic pieces worn during a stage performance, video or red-carpet event often sell for higher amounts since that appearance is recorded by photographs or on film. There is an element of nostalgia involved. “These items represent a time or a memory in one’s life that drives the bidder at an auction in the hopes of winning and keeping that memory alive,” he says.</p>



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<p>An 18-carat white-gold and diamond Omega wristwatch worn by the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, and seen in photographs during his extraordinary career, sold at a 2018 Phillips auction for US$1.8 million (HK$14.09 million) after frenzied bidding, smashing the world record for an Omega.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="600" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/the-beatles-yellow-submarine-movie-lobby-card_p_rgb.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77112" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/the-beatles-yellow-submarine-movie-lobby-card_p_rgb.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/the-beatles-yellow-submarine-movie-lobby-card_p_rgb-358x280.jpg 358w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/the-beatles-yellow-submarine-movie-lobby-card_p_rgb-200x156.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>Julien’s Auctions famously sold the Beatles’ handwritten Hey Jude lyrics in 2020 for US$910,000, nine times its original estimate. The acoustic-electric guitar used by Kurt Cobain at a 1993 MTV Unplugged performance went for US$6 million in 2020, a world record for guitars sold at auction. The US auction house has also sold items from the Rolling Stones and other major stars. “The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, U2, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cher and Barbara Streisand are all highly collectible and have a huge global audience. But contemporary artists such as BTS are also highly collectible, along with Taylor Swift, Coldplay and even Rosario,” says Julien.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="500" height="746" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Rolling_Stones_p_rgb.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77113" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Rolling_Stones_p_rgb.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Rolling_Stones_p_rgb-188x280.jpg 188w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Rolling_Stones_p_rgb-200x298.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></figure></div>


<p>Sound Investment Vehicles Pop Rock memorabilia is now regarded as an asset class. “People buy these items not only for the cool factor but also as investment vehicles. Museums also buy iconic pieces and fans are always hoping to win something representing their idols’ life and career.”</p>



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<p>The resale value of iconic pieces is also tremendous, notes Julien: “We sold Kurt Cobain’s green cardigan from MTV Unplugged for US$120,000 in 2015 and resold it in 2019 for $340,000. In 2006 we sold an Elvis Presley belt from the Aloha tour gifted to his friend Jack Lord of Hawaii Five-O for approximately $65,000 and we resold it in 2018 for over $354,000.”</p>



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<p>“Collectibles continue to be highly sought after by a global audience and prices continue to rise with the help of improved technology and social-media awareness. We also see NFTs as a new class of investing in all things celebrity,” adds Julien.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="500" height="603" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Donna3_p_rgb.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-77114" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Donna3_p_rgb.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Donna3_p_rgb-232x280.jpg 232w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Donna3_p_rgb-200x241.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></figure></div>


<p>Ahead of Sotheby’s Freddie Mercury auction, Heaton notes that the star’s attraction remains undiminished to this day. “Queen’s songs are woven into the fabric of our culture and have an incredibly wide appeal, and Freddie himself is widely acknowledged as amongst the most powerful vocalists in rock history,” he says. In Heaton’s view, the popularity and value of pop memorabilia will not diminish in the foreseeable future. “It is now more than 60 years since the Beatles began recording, and 50 years for Queen. If people still love the music now, I am sure they will do so in another generation.”</p>


Rock on a roll: Generating huge prices at auction, collections of pop memorabilia are hot alternative assets


<p>Many valuable articles were auctioned during the recent Spring auctions and though every single object was unique in its own way, four items certainly stood out and impressed the bidders the most, thus achieving jaw-dropping hammer prices. Check out the latest roundup of auction lots that made history and the interesting stories associated with each of them.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Flawless Fancy</h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>3 rings hold collectors in spell</em></h4>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.christies.com/lot/an-exceptional-coloured-diamond-and-diamond-ring-6429392" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="500" height="632" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DIAMONDIF_rgb.jpg" alt="spring auctions" class="wp-image-76667" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DIAMONDIF_rgb.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DIAMONDIF_rgb-222x280.jpg 222w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DIAMONDIF_rgb-200x253.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></a></figure></div>


<p>A trio of flawless pear-shaped coloured diamonds fetched a combined total of HK$132 million (US$17 million) at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Spring Auction. Dazzling at the centre of three exquisite rings, they captivated the audience and ignited fervent bidding for more than 15 minutes.</p>



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<p>The sale was led by a breathtaking 4.83-carat fancy vivid blue internally flawless diamond ring, for which an anonymous bidder paid an astonishing US$8.84 million. This extraordinary natural blue diamond is considered a symbol of wisdom, truth and devotion, and its exceptional rarity and vivid blue hue place it in a league of its own. The internally flawless designation emphasises the stone’s remarkable clarity and further enhanced its allure to excited bidders.</p>



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<p>Besides this triumvirate of spellbinding coloured diamonds, Vickie Sek, Chairman of Jewellery at Christie’s Asia Pacific, was thrilled by the auction’s overall success. “Our Magnificent Jewels sale received an excellent response from collectors for the diverse selection of exquisite colourless and coloured diamonds and gemstones presented, with almost half of these lots selling above their high estimates,” she said.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Dragon High</h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Qianlong moonflask shines at auction</em></h4>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.christies.com/lot/a-fine-and-extremely-rare-doucai-dragon-moonflask-6426581" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="617" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Lot_2903_White_p_rgb.jpg" alt="spring auctions" class="wp-image-76668" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Lot_2903_White_p_rgb.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Lot_2903_White_p_rgb-349x280.jpg 349w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Lot_2903_White_p_rgb-200x161.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></a></figure></div>


<p>An extremely rare Qianlong moonflask was the highlight of Christie’s ‘The Imperial Palette – Three Qianlong Treasures’ auction held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Bidders were impressed by this extraordinary Chinese craftsmanship such that the final sale price topped HK$108 million (US$13.8 million).</p>



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<p>Marco Almeida, Head of Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art at Christie’s Asia Pacific, expressed his enthusiasm for the fine porcelain collectible: “This magnificent and very rare Qianlong doucai moonflask embodies the superb artistry and craftsmanship of the Qianlong period [1736-1795]. The significant historical and cultural importance, rarity and outstanding quality of this work of art make it a true gem for collectors and enthusiasts alike.”</p>



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<p>The circular body of the imposing flask is finely pencilled and enamelled on each side in iron-red, yellow, aubergine and shades of green. A green five-clawed dragon emerges from waves to confront an ascending dragon in iron-red amid cloud-scrolls and flames. The large rising dragon symbolises the Qianlong Emperor, while the smaller serpent represents the heir apparent.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Emperor’s Gift</h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Puyi wristwatch clocks world record</em></h4>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.phillips.com/detail/patek-philippe/HK080623/3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="512" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/emperor1_copy_p_rgb.jpg" alt="highest bid" class="wp-image-76669" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/emperor1_copy_p_rgb.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/emperor1_copy_p_rgb-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/emperor1_copy_p_rgb-200x133.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></a></figure></div>


<p>A watch of huge historical significance sparked frenzied bidding at a recent Phillips auction in Hong Kong. The Patek Philippe timepiece is the former property of the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Aisin-Gioro Puyi, and sold for HK$48.85 million (US$6.26 million).</p>



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<p>The sale of this rare Patek in platinum with moon phases, triple-date calendar and silvered dial had been much anticipated in the watch-buying community. Part of The Imperial Patek Philippe Sale, the wristwatch was subject to a bidding war by at least six collectors and was claimed after a considerable mark-up of HK$9 million on the final nod. The price is a record for the Ref. 69 Quiantieme Lune, as well as the highest achieved by a watch previously owned by an emperor.</p>



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<p>The simple, clean silhouette and large unsigned crown express the aesthetics of Bauhaus and understated functionality, while the rose-gold ring, silvered dial and enamel Arabic numerals in a ‘roulette’ configuration underscore a supreme elegance. Purchased in 1937, the watch was kept in its original untouched condition and has a rich patina consistent with its age.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Le Mans Magic</h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading"><em>Awesome Aston accelerates off auction block</em></h4>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lm23/le-mans/lots/r0016-2007-aston-martin-dbr9-gt1/1359968" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="512" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/martin2_p_rgb-3.jpg" alt="highest bid" class="wp-image-76670" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/martin2_p_rgb-3.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/martin2_p_rgb-3-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/martin2_p_rgb-3-200x133.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></a></figure></div>


<p>A 2007 Aston Martin racing car has sold for 2.23 million euros (US$2.4 million) at an auction held by RM Sotheby’s. The DBR9 GT1 was one of 24 sports competition cars that lined up for the Le Mans Centenary sale.</p>



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<p>First purchased by Gigawave Motorsport team founder Henry Barczynski, the car is thought to be one of just 18 DBR9 chassis constructed by Prodrive between 2005 and 2008. It subsequently had just two other owners, while among the professionals who have sat in the driving seat are Stefan Mücke, Darren Turner, Peter Kox and Tomáš Enge.</p>



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<p>The Aston Martin notched up third-place finishes in both the 2008 Silverstone Tourist Trophy and 2008 24 Hours of Spa. Further success was achieved at the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans, where it was third in the GT1 class and 22nd overall. The following year it secured four podium finishes in the FIA GT1 World Championship, winning in Beijing.</p>



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<p>The successful bidder also received three spare sets of wheels, as well as the original Pectel/Pi electronics and all relevant operating and computer software materials.</p>


Top-selling collectibles: The hottest auction highlights of this spring


<p>Burgundy is one of the most prosperous regions of France, rich in culture, history and gastronomical delights. It is home to world-renowned wines that have soared in price and desirability over recent decades and particularly in the past two years. Pinot Noir (for reds) and Chardonnay (for whites) are the main grape varieties, though others are permitted.</p>



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<p>The Bourgogne area comprises a patchwork quilt of myriad different terroirs, appellations and styles. According to George Lacey, Director and Head of Wine at Sotheby’s, Asia, this complexity previously put off consumers whose drinking experiences could be so variable from one producer or village to the next – but times have changed. “Collectors turned to Burgundy seeking elegance, finesse, a sense of individuality and precision, and discovered that the region could provide ethereal wines that show the epitome of these characteristics in spades,” he says.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Clos-de-Vougeot-2009-Domaine-Leroy-7-BT-for-HKD-300K-scaled-e1686275840561-1024x837.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-75879" width="500" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Clos-de-Vougeot-2009-Domaine-Leroy-7-BT-for-HKD-300K-scaled-e1686275840561-1024x837.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Clos-de-Vougeot-2009-Domaine-Leroy-7-BT-for-HKD-300K-scaled-e1686275840561-200x163.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Clos-de-Vougeot-2009-Domaine-Leroy-7-BT-for-HKD-300K-scaled-e1686275840561-800x654.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Clos-de-Vougeot-2009-Domaine-Leroy-7-BT-for-HKD-300K-scaled-e1686275840561-343x280.jpg 343w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Clos-de-Vougeot-2009-Domaine-Leroy-7-BT-for-HKD-300K-scaled-e1686275840561-768x628.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Clos-de-Vougeot-2009-Domaine-Leroy-7-BT-for-HKD-300K-scaled-e1686275840561-1536x1255.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Clos-de-Vougeot-2009-Domaine-Leroy-7-BT-for-HKD-300K-scaled-e1686275840561-2048x1674.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Scarcity value</h3>



<p>The vast range of styles and expressions is down to the great number of small, family-owned domaines, producing microscopic quantities of wine from very low-yielding vines.</p>



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<p>As Lacey explains, this small supply then drives up the scarcity value of its wines and has caused a rapid ascent in prices of Burgundy wine. He notes: “As with so many luxury commodities, the harder Burgundy has become to find, the more people want to find it!”</p>



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<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Sense of place</h3>



<p>Lacey says Burgundy has been at the forefront of winemaking innovation and experimentation and historic producers are located almost side by side with some of today’s most boundary-pushing, next-generation experimental vignerons. He believes Burgundy has the perfect climatic conditions for the ‘capricious’ Pinot Noir grape to flourish. Chardonnay, on the other hand, is much easier to grow. Expressing itself in an enormous range of styles, this varietal is an incredible vector for the romantic notion of ‘terroir’, or a ‘sense of place’.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Meursault-Perrieres-2007-J.-F.-Coche-Dury-1-bottle-sold-for-HKD30K-scaled-e1686275814970-1024x834.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-75880" width="500" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Meursault-Perrieres-2007-J.-F.-Coche-Dury-1-bottle-sold-for-HKD30K-scaled-e1686275814970-1024x834.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Meursault-Perrieres-2007-J.-F.-Coche-Dury-1-bottle-sold-for-HKD30K-scaled-e1686275814970-200x163.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Meursault-Perrieres-2007-J.-F.-Coche-Dury-1-bottle-sold-for-HKD30K-scaled-e1686275814970-800x652.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Meursault-Perrieres-2007-J.-F.-Coche-Dury-1-bottle-sold-for-HKD30K-scaled-e1686275814970-344x280.jpg 344w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Meursault-Perrieres-2007-J.-F.-Coche-Dury-1-bottle-sold-for-HKD30K-scaled-e1686275814970-768x626.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Meursault-Perrieres-2007-J.-F.-Coche-Dury-1-bottle-sold-for-HKD30K-scaled-e1686275814970-1536x1252.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Meursault-Perrieres-2007-J.-F.-Coche-Dury-1-bottle-sold-for-HKD30K-scaled-e1686275814970-2048x1669.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Fantastic individuality</h3>



<p>Picking a favourite wine is almost impossible for Lacey. “To generalise, the reds are often characterised by beautifully bright, fresh red fruit and floral aromas becoming more savoury as they age with softer, dried petal and ‘sousbois’ [undergrowth] flavours coming to the fore. For the whites, Chardonnay expresses a huge variety of styles within the region from rich, unctuous, nutty and buttery Meursault to steely, mineral and linear Chablis, and everything in between,” he says</p>



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<p>“If I had to choose a favourite, then for whites it would be majestic examples of mature 20-year-plus Raveneau Les Clos or Coche-Dury’s Meursault – some of the greatest examples of Chardonnay in the world. For reds, it would have to be the great Musigny vineyard from either Domaine Mugnier or Leroy. These encounters are becoming ever rarer, but I have had some of my most magical drinking experiences with them – not just for Burgundy but any wine worldwide.”</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Compelling paradox</h3>



<p>“For me, what makes the very best Burgundy so magical is their ability to become what we call ‘paradox wines’,” says Lacey. “They have an ability to express both weightlessness and intensity, power and elegance, complexity and finesse.”</p>


Beautiful Burgundy: Showing both complexity and finesse, Bourgogne wines are among the world’s most coveted

<p>Regardless of the time of the creation – the 16th century or the 20th century – anything that is crafted with great precision will surely rack up more appreciation and ultimately fetch mind-blowing auction bids. Four such works are a necklace worn by Princess Diana, The Head of Saint John the Baptist presented to Salome painting, and two more.</p>
<p><strong>Iconic Cross</strong></p>
<p><strong>Diana necklace surpasses bid estimate</strong></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70281 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The_Attallah_Cross_Sothebys_catalogue_shot_003_rgb-e1678677087796.jpg" alt="Auction Bids" width="768" height="767" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The_Attallah_Cross_Sothebys_catalogue_shot_003_rgb-e1678677087796.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The_Attallah_Cross_Sothebys_catalogue_shot_003_rgb-e1678677087796-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The_Attallah_Cross_Sothebys_catalogue_shot_003_rgb-e1678677087796-100x100.jpg 100w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The_Attallah_Cross_Sothebys_catalogue_shot_003_rgb-e1678677087796-600x599.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></p>
<p>An amethyst and diamond pendant once worn by the late Diana, Princess of Wales, fetched £163,800 (HK$1,534,906) at a Sotheby’s auction. Kim Kardashian outbid her rivals to scoop up the Attallah Cross. The cross was bought by Naim Attallah CBE, from Garrard in the 1980s and through his friendship with Princess Diana, he could loan it to her several times over a number of years to wear at events. It is understood that the Princess only ever wore the cross, and following her death, it was never seen in public again until the auction. The cross-shaped pendant – thought to be a one-off private commission by Garrard for one of their regular clients &#8211; is a bold and colourful piece set with square-cut amethysts and accented by circular-cut diamonds. The cross has a total diamond weight of approximately 5.25 carats and measures about 136 x 95mm. Head of jewellery at Sotheby’s London, Kristian Spofforth, said: “To some extent, this unusual pendant is symbolic of the princess’s growing self-assurance in her sartorial and jewellery choices, at that particular moment in her life.”</p>
<p>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/pearly-whites-splashes-gold-silver/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pearly Whites with splashes of gold and silver</a></p>
<p><strong>Head Hunts</strong><br />
<strong>Depiction of decapitated saint</strong></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70278 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/salomepainting_rgb-e1678677117446.jpg" alt="Auction Bids" width="768" height="717" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/salomepainting_rgb-e1678677117446.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/salomepainting_rgb-e1678677117446-200x187.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/salomepainting_rgb-e1678677117446-600x560.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></p>
<p>A controversial early masterpiece created by the renowned 16th century Flemish grandmaster, Peter Paul Rubens – Salome Presented With the Head of Saint John the Baptist – changed hands for an astonishing US$26.9m at auction during Sotheby’s Masters Week. Supposedly painted in 1609, it is regarded as one of a small group of masterpieces created by the artist immediately following his return from Italy in December 1608. The painting formed part of a truly grand white-glove sale of works from the fabled Fisch Davidson Collection &#8211; one of the most significant arrays of Baroque art ever to come to market. While many other fine items jostled for attention during the course of the sale, there was no doubt that this renowned example of Rubens’s singular artistic vision was the star attraction, with the winning bid of US$26.9m &#8211; the third highest price ever paid for one of the artist’s works at auction &#8211; merely confirming its significance. Christopher Apostle of Sotheby’s New York, said: “This Masters Week has been one of the strongest ever staged by Sotheby’s, both in terms of the record numbers pouring through our doors to peruse the lots on the show and the spirited bidding later seen in the saleroom.”</p>
<p><strong>Bronze Award</strong><br />
<strong>Rijksmuseum wins bidding battle</strong></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70274 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ecorche100_p_rgb-e1678677174495.jpg" alt="Auction Bids" width="500" height="750" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ecorche100_p_rgb-e1678677174495.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ecorche100_p_rgb-e1678677174495-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></p>
<p>A bronze figure of an écorché man – an individual sculptured with his inner anatomy very much on show &#8211; created by Willem Danielsz Van Tetrode, a much-admired 16th-century sculptor, went for a fairly healthy US$1.5 million when recently auctioned in New York. A sculptor rightly renowned for dramatic compositions and skilled écorché, this particular work – perhaps unimaginatively known simply as A Bronze Figure of an Écorché Man &#8211; together with Hercules Pomarius and Striding Warrior, are generally viewed as his three most accomplished pieces. Perhaps boosting its appeal to collectors, however, the exaggerated body, long legs, abbreviated torso and visually dazzling musculature are quite unlike any of the sculptor’s other works. Particularly popular throughout much of the 17th century, this sculpture was said to have inspired many later artists, with its distinct colouring and contours recreated in a host of subsequent drawings and paintings, most famously in Voorhout’s A Young Scholar in his Study. The sculpture is now believed to have been acquired by the Rijksmuseum.</p>
<p><strong>Muscle Memory</strong><br />
<strong>Nostalgia for the days of the mighty muscle</strong></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-70273 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Daytona3_p_rgb-e1678677248536.jpg" alt="Auction Bids" width="768" height="397" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Daytona3_p_rgb-e1678677248536.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Daytona3_p_rgb-e1678677248536-200x103.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Daytona3_p_rgb-e1678677248536-600x310.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></p>
<p>To the surprise of many, a 1969 Dodge Hemi Daytona muscle car – typically a two-door sports coupé designed for high-performance driving &#8211; sold for a highly commendable US$1.43 million at Mecum Kissimmee, a specialist automobile auction event held recently in Florida. Perhaps adding to its value, the vehicle was previously owned by Kevin Greene, a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and David Spade, the well-known US TV and movie star. Boasting a 4-speed manual transmission, power steering and a 426/425 HP Hemi engine, its eventual sale price far outstripped that commanded by a similar model that went under the gavel in 2022. This may be at least partly because it is believed to be the lowest-mile, original engine four-speed Hemi Daytona still in existence. Remarkably, it has retained its value even though its first owner removed the original interior and arranged for all its body panels to be custom re-painted, while its factory wheels and tyres were put into storage. Although this Daytona model was only in production for one year, it is viewed as one of the most iconic vehicles in automotive history.</p>
<p>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wheels-luxury-lifestyle-motoring-great-car-clubs-hong-kong/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Motoring On: Great car clubs of Hong Kong</a></p>
<p><em>(Text: Neil Dolby)</em></p>


Applauding Creations From Different Centuries – Auction Bids to Note

<p>A remarkable discovery of one of the largest and most valuable blue diamonds in the world was recently unearthed and will be gracing the auction block at Sotheby&#8217;s Hong Kong this month. With much excitement expected to ensue, the De Beers Cullinan Blue Diamond, mined in 2021 in the Cullinan Mine in South Africa (one of the few sources in the world for extremely rare blue diamonds), is expected to captivate the crowd with its astonishing colour, cut, clarity and carat.</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_65359" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-65359" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-65359" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/The-DeBeers-Cullinan-Blu-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world.png" alt="The DeBeers Cullinan Blu The most beautiful and expensive blue diamonds in the world gafencu" width="700" height="466"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-65359" class="wp-caption-text">The DeBeers Cullinan Blu, photo courtesy of Sotheby&#8217;s</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>Weighing at 15.10-carat, the internally flawless, fancy vivid blue diamond will be presented to bidders on&nbsp;27 April as a single-lot auction with an estimated value of more than US$48 million (HK$380 million).&nbsp;In the spirit of admiring this scintillating azure hue, we look back at some of the most beautiful and expensive blue diamonds that have captured the attention and heart of collectors and the world over time.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Hope Diamond (US$250 million)</strong></p>
<p><figure id="attachment_65354" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-65354" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-65354" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hope-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world.png" alt="Hope Diamond The most beautiful and expensive blue diamonds in the world gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hope-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hope-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hope-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hope-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hope-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hope-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Hope-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-65354" class="wp-caption-text">Hope Diamond</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>The Hope Diamond, which also goes by several aliases such as,&nbsp;<em>Le Bijou du Roi</em> (The King&#8217;s Jewel),&nbsp;<em>Le bleu de France</em> (The French Blue), and the Tavernier Blue, is one of the most famous jewels in the world.&nbsp;Its origin dates back almost four centuries – possibly from India – and is one of the earliest mentioned blue diamonds.</p>
<p>Weighing at an outstanding 45.52-carat, it is classified as a type IIb diamond with a fancy dark grayish-blue clarity. The diamond had several prominent owners – which explains its name nicknames – and was well travelled before finally settling in the hands of&nbsp;American luxury jeweller Harry Winston in 1949. Almost decade later, the New York-based jeweller donated the gem to&nbsp;the National Museum of Natural History in the United States, where it remains as a permanent exhibition for all to admire.</p>
<p><strong>The Blue Heart Diamond (US$60million)</strong></p>
<p>The Blue Heart is a 30.62-carat, heart shape, brilliant-cut, fancy deep blue diamond that was found at the Premier Mine in South Africa in 1908, and obtained by French jeweller Pierre Cartier. It is approximately two-thirds the size of the Hope Diamond and one of the most popular blue diamonds known to the world. After several exchange of hands, the stone was sold to American business woman, socialite and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather by previous owner American luxury jewellery Harry Winston. Merriweather was the last private owner of the diamond,&nbsp;who gifted the gem to the National Gem Collection in 1964.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><strong><em>Also Read:</em>&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/bloomin-marvellous-a-cornucopia-of-spring-inspired-jewelleries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Bloomin&#8217; Marvellous: A cornucopia of spring-inspired jewelleries</em></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Oppenhiemer Blue Diamond (US$58million)</strong></p>
<p><figure id="attachment_65355" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-65355" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-65355" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Oppenheimer-Blue-Diamond-Sells-at-Auction-for-57.5-Million-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-2.png" alt="Oppenheimer Blue' Diamond Sells at Auction for $57.5 Million The most beautiful and expensive blue diamonds in the world gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Oppenheimer-Blue-Diamond-Sells-at-Auction-for-57.5-Million-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-2.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Oppenheimer-Blue-Diamond-Sells-at-Auction-for-57.5-Million-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-2-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Oppenheimer-Blue-Diamond-Sells-at-Auction-for-57.5-Million-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-2-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Oppenheimer-Blue-Diamond-Sells-at-Auction-for-57.5-Million-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-2-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Oppenheimer-Blue-Diamond-Sells-at-Auction-for-57.5-Million-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-2-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Oppenheimer-Blue-Diamond-Sells-at-Auction-for-57.5-Million-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-2-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Oppenheimer-Blue-Diamond-Sells-at-Auction-for-57.5-Million-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-2-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-65355" class="wp-caption-text">Oppenheimer Blue Diamond, photo courtesy of Christie&#8217;s</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>The Oppenheimer Blue Diamond is a sensational coloured diamond ring set with a 14.62-carat fancy vivid blue rectangular-cut diamond, flanked by a pair of trapeze-shaped diamond. In the summer of 2016, it broke the record of most expensive expensive blue diamond ever sold at auction after an intense budding war that consequently ended with the ring going under the hammer for a whopping US$58 million, setting a new auction record for he most expensive blue diamond. Its name derives in honor of Sir&nbsp;Philip Oppenheimer, the man who previously controlled the De Beers Mining Company.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>The Blue moon of Josephine (US$48.5 million)</strong></p>
<p>The Blue Moon of Josephine, previously known as the Blue Moon Diamond of South African origin, smashed records in 2015 for world auction price-per-carat for a diamond or gemstone at Sotheby’s Geneva. Selling for over US$4 million per carat, the cushion-shaped fancy vivid blue 12.03-carat diamond exchanged hands at a record-setting price of US$48.5 million. The winning bidder, none other than Hong Kong billionaire Joseph Lau, renamed the gem after his daughter, Josephine. The sale came just one day&nbsp;after the businessman purchased a rare 16.08-carat pink diamond for US$28.5 million.</p>
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<p><strong><em>Also Read:</em>&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/sensual-dual-appeal-of-transformable-jewellery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The sensual dual-appeal of transformable jewellery</em></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Apollo Blue Diamond (US$41.3 million)</strong></p>
<p><figure id="attachment_65361" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-65361" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-65361" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Apollo-Blue-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-gafencu.png" alt="Apollo Blue Diamond The most beautiful and expensive blue diamonds in the world gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Apollo-Blue-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-gafencu.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Apollo-Blue-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-gafencu-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Apollo-Blue-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-gafencu-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Apollo-Blue-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-gafencu-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Apollo-Blue-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-gafencu-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Apollo-Blue-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-gafencu-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Apollo-Blue-Diamond-The-most-beautiful-and-expensive-blue-diamonds-in-the-world-gafencu-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-65361" class="wp-caption-text">Apollo Blue Diamond, photo courtesy of Sotheby&#8217;s</figcaption></figure></p>
<p>The Apollo Blue is a Fancy Vivid Blue, 14.54-carat, Internally Flawless, Type IIB diamond earring that arrived at the auction block of Sotheby&#8217;s Geneva in 2017 as a pair to the The Artemis Pink, a Fancy Intense Pink, 16.00-carat, VVS2 clarity, Type IIA earring. Together, they were billed as the most valuable pair of diamond earrings every to appear at auction. According to the auction house, both are amongst the purest of all diamonds, with &#8220;an alluring limpidity&#8221;. In 2017, an anonymous buyer outbid the crowd, exchanging the stones for US$42.1 million for the Apollo Blue and US$15.3 million for the Artemis Pink, and renamed them “The Memory of Autumn Leaves” and “The Dream of Autumn Leaves”.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Mouawad Blue Diamond (US$40 million)</strong></p>
<p>Once known as the Tereshchenko diamond, named after the prominent Russian family of the same name that once owned this Fancy Blue 49.92-carat jewel. It is the largest blue diamond in the world, following the Hope Diamond. While the precise location and date of which it was mined remains unknown, it is&nbsp;believed to be of Indian origin. It was first sold in 1916 prior to the Russian revolution and last sold at Christie&#8217;s Geneva to Saudi-Arabian dealer Robert Mouawad for US4.6 million, the highest price ever paid for a diamond at auction. It was then that the stone was rechristened as the Mouawad Blue Diamond.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><em>Also Read:</em> <a href="//www.gafencushop.com/fancy-pink-diamond-sothebys-auction/"><em>Pink Pride: Fancy pink diamond shines bright at Sotheby’s auction</em></a></strong></p>


The most beautiful and expensive blue diamonds in the world gafencu

Blue Diamonds: A look at the world’s stunning coloured gems

<p>Renowned&nbsp;Chinese jeweler Dickson Yewn and auction house Sotheby&#8217;s, have collaborated to showcase a strong exhibit of rare and unique classics with the aim of promoting Chinese heritage and fine arts. Coming together&nbsp;to raise funds for the <em>Needle and Thread Charitable Foundation</em>&nbsp;&#8211; a project which promotes the unique handicrafts of women in remote areas of China to a wider audience.</p>
<p>Promoting his works and enlightening the younger generation to their intangible heritage and cultural awareness is integral to Yewn&#8217;s artistic purpose. The focus of this exhibit includes a historic first &#8211; a Chinese tunic suit with the most intricate and beautiful embroidery from the southeast region of Guizhou.</p>
<p><em>Gafencu</em> caught up with global artist Dickson Yewn to dig deeper into his artistic journey with this collaboration&#8230;</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_64540" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-64540" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-64540 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-25.png" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-25.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-25-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-25-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-25-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-25-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-25-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-25-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-64540" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Artist Dickson Yewn </em></figcaption></figure></p>
<p><b>You’ve got global recognition through your work in fine arts and jewellery&nbsp;&#8211; what inspired you to support the Needle and Thread charity?&nbsp;</b><br />
This charity is really close to my heart &#8211; they preserve the work of Chinese ethnic minorities. Most of these indigenous tribes are already fast disappearing and alongside their unique craftsmanship. Today, few young people want to get in the trade or pick up these ethnic skills. It’s a dying art and if I can do anything to honour the heritage, I will stitch together my purpose and function as an artist.&nbsp;Since 2008 I have been collaborating with Sotheby&#8217;s and this time I have some rare, iconic works up for auction, the proceeds from sale will go for a noble cause.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>You’re showcasing some rare collectible items for the auction &#8211; throw light on these pieces.<br />
</strong></p>
<p><figure id="attachment_64541" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-64541" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-64541 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-26.png" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-26.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-26-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-26-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-26-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-26-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-26-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-26-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-64541" class="wp-caption-text"><em>&#8216;The Golden Kaiser-i-hind Butterfly&#8217; brooch (left), &#8216;Dream of the Red Mansion&#8217; wearable bangle (right)</em></figcaption></figure></p>
<p>Alongside the traditional-crafted Chinese tunic, four of my works, two of which &#8211; namely, the ‘Golden Kaiser-i-hind Butterfly&#8217; brooch and the 23<sup>rd</sup> episode of the &#8216;Dream of the Red Mansion&#8217; &#8211; are the rare collectible items up for live auction.</p>
<p>On a personal level, I am obsessed with nature &#8211; animals, insects species &#8211; butterfly watching is a hobby. I created the ‘Golden Kaiser-i-hind Butterfly&#8217; shoulder brooch, with the intention of highlighting the species of the butterfly. There are more than 20,000 known species of butterfly and even though fauna-inspired fluttering designs are common in high jewellery, not one artist cares to educate people about the species of these delicate creatures. Through my collection, I try to change that notion while paying homage to these highly desirable beauties.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Were there any artistic challenges in designing the collection?</strong></p>
<p><strong><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-64543 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-28.png" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-28.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-28-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-28-600x399.png 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-28-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-28-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-28-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Untitled-design-28-400x266.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /><br />
</strong>Infusion of wood with precious jewels was a challenge. Embracing unexpected materials always comes with its own obstacles and it&#8217;s more with wood because it is taboo in the jewellery industry. Wood jewellery is rare because it needs to be tended to for decades to resist chemical and temperature changes, it&#8217;s a labour-intensive process. The inlaid workmanship to incorporate rose-cut diamonds, circular-cut yellow&nbsp;sapphires and tsavorite garnets in 18 karat yellow gold without nails or glue is nothing short of extraordinary.</p>
<p><em>Bidding for artist and jeweller Dickson Yewn&#8217;s pieces for the Needle and Thread Charitable Foundation begins on 18th Feb/<a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/important-jewels/literati-collection-hardwood-mother-of-pearl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sotheby’s Hong Kong Gallery</a>.</em></p>


Dickson Yewn: Promoting Chinese heritage for a noble cause

<p><div style="width: 640px;" class="wp-video">
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-56443-1" width="640" height="360" autoplay="1" preload="metadata" controls="controls"><source type="video/mp4" src="https://www.igafencu.com/video/2103/2103_GMHK_Interview_JehanChu.mp4?_=1" /><a href="https://www.igafencu.com/video/2103/2103_GMHK_Interview_JehanChu.mp4">https://www.igafencu.com/video/2103/2103_GMHK_Interview_JehanChu.mp4</a></video></div></p>
<p>Long a supporter of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies, Jehan Chu now helms Kenetic, a venture&nbsp; capital firm helping others looking to break into the industry.</p>
<p><strong>Kenetic is an interesting business. As its founder&nbsp;and managing partner, how exactly do you define it?</strong><br />
Essentially, it’s a venture capital firm, one that&nbsp;supports start-up companies at a very early stage.&nbsp;In particular, we help to fund entrepreneurs in the&nbsp;blockchain sector, while also providing them with&nbsp;advice and guidance, allowing them to realise their visions of the technology’s future. I firmly believe that&nbsp;blockchain represents the next stage in the evolution&nbsp;of the internet – a new technology that will underpin developments&nbsp;over the next 50 years. With that in mind,&nbsp;Kenetic is a bespoke vehicle designed to help facilitate&nbsp;that evolution.</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-4.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56469" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-4.jpg" alt="gafencu people interview Jehan Chu, founder of blockchain venture capital firm Kenetic (4)" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-4.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-4-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-4-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-4-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-4-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></a></p>
<p><strong>At what point did you decide the time was right to&nbsp;launch Kenetic?</strong><br />
We opened Kenetic in 2016 when it became apparent&nbsp;that no Asian venture capital business was really&nbsp;focusing on blockchain technology. At the time,&nbsp;those of us who had first ventured into the bitcoin&nbsp;and blockchain space knew something special was<br />
taking place. We also believed that, without support,&nbsp;it wouldn’t necessarily fulfil its potential. That’s where&nbsp;Kenetic comes in – we support those people crazy&nbsp;enough to try and make their dreams come true.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>What was it about blockchain / cryptocurrency that&nbsp;first drew you in?</strong><br />
Well, while I was studying International Relations at&nbsp;Johns Hopkins University, I taught myself how to code&nbsp;html. After that, I went to work in New York coding as&nbsp;a front-end developer during the first dot.com boom.&nbsp;In 2013, I first came across Bitcoin. Once I started&nbsp;researching it, I immediately fell down that particular rabbit hole.&nbsp;One of the things that drew me to Bitcoin was&nbsp;my love of decentralisation and the idea of returning&nbsp;power to the people. I soon started a number of related communities, including a local Ethereum group, one&nbsp;of the earliest such associations in Hong Kong, as a&nbsp;means of helping to provide investment advice for&nbsp;those interested in the sector. In 2016, I went fulltime,&nbsp;leaving my job as an art dealer to focus&nbsp;solely on providing blockchain and cryptocurrency&nbsp;investment advice.</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-2.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56467" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-2.jpg" alt="gafencu people interview Jehan Chu, founder of blockchain venture capital firm Kenetic (2)" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-2.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-2-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-2-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-2-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Why do you think cryptocurrency has become&nbsp;such an attractive investment option?</strong><br />
When I started out in cryptocurrency, nobody&nbsp;wanted to hear about it. It was, at best, a joke&nbsp;and, at worst, seen as somehow improper.&nbsp;Now, though, it seems as though everyone&nbsp;realises how important cryptocurrency is,&nbsp;especially with regard to decentralisation.&nbsp;If you look at what’s happening in the world&nbsp;right now, centralised systems are failing,&nbsp;making decentralisation seem an increasingly&nbsp;appealing prospect. Even companies like&nbsp;UBS, JP Morgan, Visa and PayPal are turning&nbsp;their attention to Bitcoin and cryptocurrency.&nbsp;It took a little time but it&#8217;s happening.&nbsp;</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;">“ Kenetic aims to support people&nbsp;crazy enough to try and make&nbsp;their dreams come true”</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>Aside from Bitcoin, which other cryptocurrencies do you&nbsp;see as significant?</strong><br />
While Bitcoin is really a payment token or a store-in value&nbsp;token, Ethereum is an application-based blockchain with&nbsp;easily the largest community of developers and applications.&nbsp;Bitcoin is akin to gold, where Ethereum is more like oil – it&nbsp;is used to power things, whether an engine, a machine or&nbsp;a factory. The other interesting one is Polkadot, which is&nbsp;similar to Ethereum but has a very different approach in&nbsp;that it’s really trying to create a network of blockchains.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>What are the some of the most common cryptocurrency&nbsp;misconceptions that you encounter?</strong><br />
A lot of people think that as cryptocurrency is not&nbsp;“backed” by anything, it doesn’t have any intrinsic value.&nbsp;This is inherently untrue. The value of Bitcoin and other&nbsp;types of cryptocurrency stems from the subscription and&nbsp;investment of the community, both in terms of dollars&nbsp;and effort. This infuses cryptocurrency and blockchain&nbsp;with value, be it in terms of its use in applications or in&nbsp;having a multi-million-dollar market cap. Basically, they&nbsp;are backed by millions of people who say there is value and&nbsp;are willing to put their money and commitment into them.</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-3.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56468" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-3.jpg" alt="gafencu people interview Jehan Chu, founder of blockchain venture capital firm Kenetic (3)" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-3.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-3-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-3-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-3-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></a></p>
<p><strong>You co-founded Social Alpha Foundation, a blockchain /&nbsp;social impact non-profit. What can you tell us about its&nbsp;aims and ambitions?</strong><br />
I was raised by my parents to be very generous and try to&nbsp;support communities. As a result, I have always thought it&nbsp;was important never to take anything for granted and to use my resources to help others. In line with this, the idea behind&nbsp;Social Alpha Foundation is to support blockchain projects&nbsp;that are looking to create social impact.&nbsp;The first grant we made was to a small start-up in South&nbsp;Africa, which was providing official identity documents to&nbsp;children who were either too poor to apply for them or were&nbsp;refugees. What they would do is use blockchain technology&nbsp;to track these kids and verify an identity for them. Right now,&nbsp;though, we’re focused on environmental issues and have&nbsp;recently given a US$250,000 grant to Open Earth,&nbsp;a Yale University initiative aiming to use blockchain to&nbsp;help combat climate change.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>In terms of cryptocurrency-friendliness, how do you see Hong Kong ranking on the global scale?</strong><br />
Hong Kong is easily one of the most significant&nbsp;centres in the world when it comes to blockchain and&nbsp;cryptocurrency and is probably the most important&nbsp;such destination in Asia. This is partly because the&nbsp;regulation is very engaged here and the regulators<br />
are very knowledgeable. The entrepreneurial spirit&nbsp;is also very strong and there are a lot of start-ups,&nbsp;especially in the financial sector. There are also many&nbsp;people in institutional and more traditional companies&nbsp;across a variety of different sectors that have become&nbsp;engaged with blockchain and cryptocurrency. All in all,&nbsp;I think that I’m very fortunate to be in Hong Kong as&nbsp;there’s just so much going on here in terms of both&nbsp;cryptocurrency and blockchain.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56470" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic.jpg" alt="gafencu people interview Jehan Chu, founder of blockchain venture capital firm Kenetic" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/gafencu-people-interview-Jehan-Chu-founder-of-blockchain-venture-capital-firm-Kenetic-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p><strong>You also invest in alternative proteins, notably&nbsp;Impossible Foods…</strong><br />
That’s largely because I have been going mostly vegan.&nbsp;I do what is called a 95-percent diet – depending on&nbsp;which week it is, I have only one or two animal protein&nbsp;meals in a seven-day period, staying vegan for the rest&nbsp;of the time. The fact that this has boosted my own health made me want to invest in initiatives such as Impossible Foods, as well as other alternative protein&nbsp;sources. My cholesterol has gone way down; my sleep,<br />
skin and digestion are all better and it’s good for the&nbsp;planet too.</p>
<p><strong>You are also big on meditation…</strong><br />
I actually practice Vipassana, an ancient breathing&nbsp;practice favoured by Buddha as the root of&nbsp;mindfulness and all other forms of meditation. When&nbsp;I was first introduced to it, it was quite a challenge&nbsp;– I had to undergo 10 days of silent retreat without&nbsp;<br />
reading, using a phone or having any human contact.&nbsp;During that time, though, I learned how to quieten&nbsp;my mind, focus and use breathing to achieve a&nbsp;state of centeredness and hyperawareness. While&nbsp;it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my&nbsp;life, it also transformed it in a very positive way.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Thank you.</strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><em>Interview by: Roberliza Eugenio</em><br />
<em>Photos: Jack Law</em><br />
<em>Video: Andy Wan</em><br />
<em>Art Direction &amp; Styling: Jhoshwa Ledesma</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

gafencu people interview Jehan Chu, founder of blockchain venture capital firm Kenetic

Block Trooper: Jehan Chu, founder of blockchain venture capital firm Kenetic

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Precious gems are not only a decorative jewel but is also a discrete investment and an ideal asset to pass down as a family inheritance. Among the myriad of gemstones available, there are only a handful that are really worth the investment. Precious stones that have not been treated with chemical inclusions or heated to enhance clarity, and have been carefully cut to retain as much value in weight as possible command the highest prices at major auction sales. Market value of precious gemstones are determined by the 4Cs (cut, carat, colour and clarity) but also valued for their origins. These are the most valuable gemstones worth investing in:&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><figure id="attachment_54453" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-54453" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-pink-diamond.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-54453 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-pink-diamond.png" alt="Precious gemstones worth investing in gafencu magazine pink diamond" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-pink-diamond.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-pink-diamond-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-pink-diamond-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-pink-diamond-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-pink-diamond-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-pink-diamond-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-pink-diamond-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-54453" class="wp-caption-text">The spirit of the rose, a rare purple-pink diamond, image from Sotheby&#8217;s</figcaption></figure></p>
<p><strong>Pink diamonds</strong></p>
<p>Though the common adage states that a diamond is a girl&#8217;s best friend, coloured diamonds are indeed anyone&#8217;s best investment. Pink diamonds are high-end precious gems and are very rare. They have a broad range of colours but top investments are commonly put into fancy, fancy intense and fancy vivid. Though diamonds are known to be a volatile assets as appreciation can be difficult to predict, pink diamonds have been growing exponentially in value as well as popularity. Such is the case recently when a rare 14.83 carat purple-pink diamond mined from western Australia’s Argyle mine, a region said to produce premium quality pink diamonds. The precious stone astounded spectators when it realized HK$163 million at a major auction house this month. However, it is extremely rare for colour diamonds to be found in large sizes, so it isn&#8217;t unknown for people to purchase as low as a quarter of a carat,&nbsp; although experts recommend to start from at least half a carat to a carat-and-a-half which could cost up to at least HK$775,064.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_54449" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-54449" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-old-burmese-ruby.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-54449 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-old-burmese-ruby.jpg" alt="Precious gemstones worth investing in gafencu old burmese ruby" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-old-burmese-ruby.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-old-burmese-ruby-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-old-burmese-ruby-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-old-burmese-ruby-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-old-burmese-ruby-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-old-burmese-ruby-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-old-burmese-ruby-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-54449" class="wp-caption-text">The Jubilee Ruby, image from Christie&#8217;s</figcaption></figure></p>
<p><b>Burmese ruby</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">An almost mythical gem for its scarcity and one of the most finest jewel to exist in the world, Burmese rubies, also known as &#8216;old Burmese rubies&#8217;, have a deep red pigeon blood colour with superior clarity. The stones are mined from districts surrounding Mogok and Mong Hsu regions in Northern Burma which are known to produce 90% of this type of purple-red coloured gem with impeccable clarity because of the highest level of chromium minerals in the ground, resulting in extremely saturated rubies. However, it is common for stones to be heated even before exiting the caves, which makes scarcity of untreated Burmese rubies extremely rare and command one of the highest price per carat among other gemstones at around HK$140,000. The most expensive coloured gemstone ever sold at auction in the US is a burmese ruby named </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Jubilee Ruby. </span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Weighing in an amazing 15.99 carat, the jewel set its record in 2019 at HK$69 million per carat.</span></p>
<p><figure id="attachment_54446" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-54446" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-colombian-emerald.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-54446 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-colombian-emerald.png" alt="Precious gemstones worth investing in gafencu magazine colombian emerald" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-colombian-emerald.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-colombian-emerald-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-colombian-emerald-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-colombian-emerald-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-colombian-emerald-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-colombian-emerald-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-colombian-emerald-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-54446" class="wp-caption-text">A magnificent pair of emerald, diamond and pearl ear pendant. Image from Christie&#8217;s</figcaption></figure></p>
<p><b>Colombian emerald</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Famously adored by Cleopatra, emeralds possess a magnetism that makes this caprivating gem an undoubtedly beautiful and popular precious stone. Though when it comes to investing in emeralds, buyers are advised to be cautious of the properties of the gem. Emeralds are commonly known to have several imperfections due to the high level of iron minerals in the stone, leading many stone cutters and jewellery makers to improve its clarity and colour with heat and chemicals. Although a flawless emerald with pronounced clarity is important, the significance of choosing a certified gemstone that has not been treated with any enhancers to alter its original form is essential in retaining the gem&#8217;s value. The reason why emeralds from Colombia are worth more than emeralds from other countries is because they contain less iron and fewer impurities and fractions. Some of the rarest and most expensive emeralds in the world come from the Colombian mines and have a stunning blue-green medium tone with a vivid saturation — an ideal characteristic when purchasing emeralds. The price per carat for an untreated Colombian emerald can reach up to over HK$116,259.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><figure id="attachment_54456" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-54456" style="width: 700px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-imperial-kashmire-sapphire.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-54456" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-imperial-kashmire-sapphire.jpg" alt="Precious gemstones worth investing in gafencu magazine imperial kashmire sapphire" width="700" height="446" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-imperial-kashmire-sapphire.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-imperial-kashmire-sapphire-200x127.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-imperial-kashmire-sapphire-439x280.jpg 439w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-imperial-kashmire-sapphire-120x76.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-imperial-kashmire-sapphire-500x319.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-imperial-kashmire-sapphire-400x255.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Precious-gemstones-worth-investing-in-gafencu-magazine-imperial-kashmire-sapphire-600x382.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-54456" class="wp-caption-text">An Imperial Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring featuring a 17.16ct intense cornflower blue coloured sapphire. Image from Sotheby&#8217;s</figcaption></figure></p>
<p><b>Kashmir sapphires</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A legend among gemstones, the Kashmir sapphire&#8217;s value peaks high above its other blue-hued brethren for its origin and properties. This gemstone contains only the best specimen and is beyond comparison proven by the outstanding cornflower blue colour that is unique to the location of its origin. Mined from the remote Zanskar range along the Himalaya Mountains, an area known for its bright blue sapphires, the allure of its velvety-blue stone has been known to kings since the early 1880s and continued to be mined since. Its long standing reputation and history has resulted in fewer productions today due to its scarcity. Many of the known existing Kashmir sapphires of the highest value are locked away in museums making the already rare gemstone even harder to obtain. The cost of this sapphire can reach up to HK$85,000 per carat though it has been regularly hitting the HK$1.2 million mark at major auction sales and will continue to rise in value.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p>


Precious gemstones worth investing in gafencu magazine jewellery feature

Precious gemstones worth investing in

<p>Extremely rare and extraordinary valuables,&nbsp; including a Qing dynasty moon flask and an exquisite French wine collection of tycoon Joseph Lau,&nbsp; drew a strong response from collectors and fetched record prices at auctions held in Fall by Christie&#8217;s and Sotheby&#8217;s.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_rare_and_exceptional_small_pink-ground_famille_rose_moonflask_qianlo_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53944" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_rare_and_exceptional_small_pink-ground_famille_rose_moonflask_qianlo_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg" alt="a_rare_and_exceptional_small_pink-ground_famille_rose_moonflask_qianlo_A taste for the extraordinary Rare items that commanded the auction blocks this fall gafencu magazine" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_rare_and_exceptional_small_pink-ground_famille_rose_moonflask_qianlo_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_rare_and_exceptional_small_pink-ground_famille_rose_moonflask_qianlo_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_rare_and_exceptional_small_pink-ground_famille_rose_moonflask_qianlo_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_rare_and_exceptional_small_pink-ground_famille_rose_moonflask_qianlo_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_rare_and_exceptional_small_pink-ground_famille_rose_moonflask_qianlo_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_rare_and_exceptional_small_pink-ground_famille_rose_moonflask_qianlo_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_rare_and_exceptional_small_pink-ground_famille_rose_moonflask_qianlo_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p><strong>A rare rose moonflask</strong></p>
<p>A Qing dynasty antique draws top bids.</p>
<p>Among finest art pieces to hit the auction block in recent memory, the rare and exceptional small pink-ground<i>&nbsp;Famille Rose Moonflask&nbsp;</i>fetched a price of HK$4 million at Christie’s Pavilion Sale Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, surpassing by a significant margin its HK$3.5 million pre-sale estimate. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;The rare antique has enjoyed a long provenance, underscored by its iron-red four-character seal mark signed by the Qianlong Emperor (1735-1796) during the Qing dynasty, who was reputedly one of China’s foremost art collectors. The six-inch-tall flask is a truly finely-potted item. Its incised rose pink ground is decorated with floral scrolls, known as “flower brocade design”, which is said to be unique to the reign of the sixth Qing emperor. While many earlier designs were simply painted on a white background, the moon flask’s floral designs were set against a soft rose-pink background.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_pair_of_green_enamelled_and_iron_red-decorated_peach_blossom_jardini-gafencu-magazine-a-taste-for-the-extraordinary-rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53948" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_pair_of_green_enamelled_and_iron_red-decorated_peach_blossom_jardini-gafencu-magazine-a-taste-for-the-extraordinary-rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall.jpg" alt="a_pair_of_green_enamelled_and_iron_red-decorated_peach_blossom_jardini gafencu magazine a taste for the extraordinary rare items that commanded the auction blocks this fall" width="700" height="446" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_pair_of_green_enamelled_and_iron_red-decorated_peach_blossom_jardini-gafencu-magazine-a-taste-for-the-extraordinary-rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_pair_of_green_enamelled_and_iron_red-decorated_peach_blossom_jardini-gafencu-magazine-a-taste-for-the-extraordinary-rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-200x127.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_pair_of_green_enamelled_and_iron_red-decorated_peach_blossom_jardini-gafencu-magazine-a-taste-for-the-extraordinary-rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-439x280.jpg 439w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_pair_of_green_enamelled_and_iron_red-decorated_peach_blossom_jardini-gafencu-magazine-a-taste-for-the-extraordinary-rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-120x76.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_pair_of_green_enamelled_and_iron_red-decorated_peach_blossom_jardini-gafencu-magazine-a-taste-for-the-extraordinary-rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-500x319.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_pair_of_green_enamelled_and_iron_red-decorated_peach_blossom_jardini-gafencu-magazine-a-taste-for-the-extraordinary-rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-400x255.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/a_pair_of_green_enamelled_and_iron_red-decorated_peach_blossom_jardini-gafencu-magazine-a-taste-for-the-extraordinary-rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-600x382.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p>Another impressive item that highlighted that same auction was a pair of green-enamelled and iron red-decorated&nbsp;<i>Peach Blossom Jardinieres&nbsp;</i>a piece dating back to Emperor Kangxi’s reign (1661-1722). The rare item was sold for HK$2.1 million, more than eight times the pre-sale estimate. &nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Highly-Important-102.39-Carat-D-Colour-Flawless-Oval-Diamond_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53942" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Highly-Important-102.39-Carat-D-Colour-Flawless-Oval-Diamond_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg" alt="A Highly Important 102.39-Carat D Colour Flawless Oval Diamond_A taste for the extraordinary Rare items that commanded the auction blocks this fall gafencu magazine" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Highly-Important-102.39-Carat-D-Colour-Flawless-Oval-Diamond_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Highly-Important-102.39-Carat-D-Colour-Flawless-Oval-Diamond_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Highly-Important-102.39-Carat-D-Colour-Flawless-Oval-Diamond_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Highly-Important-102.39-Carat-D-Colour-Flawless-Oval-Diamond_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Highly-Important-102.39-Carat-D-Colour-Flawless-Oval-Diamond_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Highly-Important-102.39-Carat-D-Colour-Flawless-Oval-Diamond_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/A-Highly-Important-102.39-Carat-D-Colour-Flawless-Oval-Diamond_A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p><strong>A flawless diamond</strong></p>
<p>A rare jewel breaks online auction</p>
<p>In&nbsp;a series of exceptional jewellery sales this fall, international auction house Sotheby’s amassed an impressive HK$426 million in revenue, boosted in no small measure by the disposal of the highly-sought-after 102.39-carat D colour&nbsp;<i>Flawless Oval Diamond</i>, which went under the hammer for an astounding HK$121.6 million at its Hong Kong Jewellery Autumn Sales on October 7.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The first world-class diamond ever to be auctioned without any reserve price, the rare gemstone fuelled a frenetic and exciting flurry of bids that rapidly zoomed up to gargantuan final price. It broke also the HK$85 million record previously for the most expensive jewellery auctioned online. The winning bidder was a Japanese national who quickly nicknamed the jewel as “Maiko Star” after his second daughter. Last summer, another Japanese man bought an 88.22-carat oval diamond for US$13.8 million, naming it “Manami Star” for his two girls.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/flawless-diamond-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53945" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/flawless-diamond-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg" alt="flawless diamond A taste for the extraordinary Rare items that commanded the auction blocks this fall gafencu magazine" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/flawless-diamond-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/flawless-diamond-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/flawless-diamond-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/flawless-diamond-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/flawless-diamond-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/flawless-diamond-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/flawless-diamond-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p>Two days after the sale of the 102.39-carat diamond, the auction house sold an&nbsp;<i>Imperial Green Jadeite Bead and Diamond Necklace&nbsp;</i>for a price of HK$63 million. That particular transaction also helped bring Sotheby’s total jewellery sales revenue for the season to an impressive tally of HK$426 million.</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Romanee-Conti-1990-Domaine-de-la-Romanee-Conti_joseph-lau-cellar-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53946" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Romanee-Conti-1990-Domaine-de-la-Romanee-Conti_joseph-lau-cellar-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg" alt="Romanee Conti 1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti_joseph lau cellar A taste for the extraordinary Rare items that commanded the auction blocks this fall gafencu magazine" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Romanee-Conti-1990-Domaine-de-la-Romanee-Conti_joseph-lau-cellar-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Romanee-Conti-1990-Domaine-de-la-Romanee-Conti_joseph-lau-cellar-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Romanee-Conti-1990-Domaine-de-la-Romanee-Conti_joseph-lau-cellar-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Romanee-Conti-1990-Domaine-de-la-Romanee-Conti_joseph-lau-cellar-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Romanee-Conti-1990-Domaine-de-la-Romanee-Conti_joseph-lau-cellar-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Romanee-Conti-1990-Domaine-de-la-Romanee-Conti_joseph-lau-cellar-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Romanee-Conti-1990-Domaine-de-la-Romanee-Conti_joseph-lau-cellar-A-taste-for-the-extraordinary-Rare-items-that-commanded-the-auction-blocks-this-fall-gafencu-magazine-1-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Vintage Romanee-Conti</strong></p>
<p>French fine wines lure oenophiles</p>
<div>A number of sensational wines from the cellar of tycoon Joseph Lau commanded premium prices during a two-day auction in Hong Kong on October 3. The fine wines extravaganza grossed HK$53 million, more than double the pre-sale estimate of HK$25.7 million. Lau’s collection enticed fellow oenophiles, all drawn by his 38-year reputation for collecting and keeping the finest French wines.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>
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<p>The sale was highlighted by the offer of 12 bottles of&nbsp;<i>Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1990</i>&nbsp;– made by one of the world’s most sought-after winemakers – which fetched a final price of HK$3.8 million. &nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Top-Lot_Auction-Scene_p-2.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53949" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Top-Lot_Auction-Scene_p-2.jpg" alt="A taste for the extraordinary Rare items that commanded the auction blocks this fall gafencu magazine" width="700" height="446" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Top-Lot_Auction-Scene_p-2.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Top-Lot_Auction-Scene_p-2-200x127.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Top-Lot_Auction-Scene_p-2-439x280.jpg 439w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Top-Lot_Auction-Scene_p-2-120x76.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Top-Lot_Auction-Scene_p-2-500x319.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Top-Lot_Auction-Scene_p-2-400x255.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Top-Lot_Auction-Scene_p-2-600x382.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p>Wine connoisseurs also displayed keen interest in iconic vinos of impeccable provenance from the Five-Star Cellar, which were highlighted by top-notch Bordeaux and Burgundy wines that were purchased on the original date of their release. They remained in professional storage in Britain until last month, when they made their way to the auction block. The collection, which was comprised of 172 items, generated a collective revenue of HK$97.8 million. &nbsp;</p>
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A taste for the extraordinary Rare items that commanded the auction blocks this fall gafencu magazine feature

A taste for the extraordinary: Rare valuables that fetched record prices at major fall auctions

<div>The world is undeniably in a state of Covid-19 chaos, with growing unemployment, a spiraling death rate, and no vaccine on the immediate horizon all contributing to depressed economies across the globe, with the retail industry particularly hard-hit by ongoing lockdowns and social distancing measures.</div>
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<div><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-8.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53257" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-8.jpg" alt="Only Watch Charity Auction" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-8.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-8-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-8-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-8-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-8-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-8-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-8-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>&nbsp;</div>
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<p>But while retailers across the world shutter their doors or open them only to serve a disappointing trickle of customers, auction houses have become virtual one-stop shopping destinations for people buying luxury goods across all categories, thanks to Zoom previews, online video condition reports, and easy online bidding. One particularly hot category is luxury watches – an industry that in 2018 was valued at some US$6.93 billion – and an equally hot destination is Hong Kong.</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-12.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53261" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-12.jpg" alt="Time to shine Hong Kong's incomparable luxury watch auction scene gafencu magazine watches (12)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-12.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-12-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-12-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-12-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-12-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-12-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-12-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p>In truth, Asia’s World City has long held pole position as the world’s biggest luxury watch market, despite boasting just seven million souls. Indeed, the SAR’s insatiable appetite for high-end timepieces has seen the city beat out the USA, Germany and even Switzerland – home of many haute horology labels – to achieve its market leader status.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-2.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53251" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-2.jpg" alt="Time to shine Hong Kong's incomparable luxury watch auction scene gafencu magazine watches (3)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-2.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-2-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-2-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-2-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-2-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-2-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-2-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p>Hong Kong’s love affair with timepieces stretches back to the 16th century, when Jesuit missionaries first introduced such chronological accessories to the region. Across the intervening centuries, it has in turns been a manufacturer and exporter of watch parts, a hub for watch assembly factories, and finally, at the dawn of the 21st century, as a shopping destination for discerning timepiece enthusiasts.&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-10.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53259" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-10.jpg" alt="Time to shine Hong Kong's incomparable luxury watch auction scene gafencu magazine watches (10)" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-10.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-10-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-10-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-10-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-10-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-10-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-10-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p>The past decade has also seen the SAR transform into a huge auction hotspot for the&nbsp;sale of rare luxury timepieces, with leading auction houses like Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Bonhams and Antiquorum all hosting multi-million-dollar auctions in the city. What has resulted is a slew of ultra exclusive – sometimes even unique – watches going under the gavel for astronomical prices and setting new records.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53263" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches.jpg" alt="Time to shine Hong Kong's incomparable luxury watch auction scene gafencu magazine watches" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
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<p>In July alone, Sotheby’s Hong Kong sold a&nbsp;<i>Rolex Daytona “John Player Special” Ref. 6264&nbsp;</i>for more than US$1.5 million, a record price for that model, and Christie’s sold a rare&nbsp;<i>Patek Philippe Ref. 5033</i>&nbsp;minute repeater for US$1.95 million. In June, Phillips, in association with Bacs &amp; Russo, drew US$3.6 million for a&nbsp;<i>Patek Philippe Ref. 1518&nbsp;</i>from the collection of watch industry titan, Jean-Claude Biver. Sotheby’s further made headlines that same month by breaking a record it held since 2018 for most expensive modern Rolex ever sold. The lot was a platinum&nbsp;<i>Rolex Daytona ‘Zenith’&nbsp;</i>– a one-off creation featuring a Lapiz Lazuli dial – which went under the hammer at HK$25.3 million, five times its estimate.</p>
<p><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-9.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-53258" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-9.jpg" alt="Only Watch Charity Auction" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-9.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-9-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-9-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-9-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-9-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-9-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Time-to-shine-Hong-Kongs-incomparable-luxury-watch-auction-scene-gafencu-magazine-watches-9-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a></p>
<p>Christie’s Hong Kong’s decision to differentiate it from the rest of the pack by offering it with its very own “The Masterpiece” sale led to a momentous occasion that birthed a&nbsp;new holder for the most expensive wristwatch ever sold in Asia at the auction house&#8217;s Autumn Auctions 2019,&nbsp;where the very first day of proceedings saw a rare 66-year-old pink gold 1953&nbsp;<i>Patek Philippe Ref. 2523&nbsp;</i>wristwatch getting sold for HK$70.2m,&nbsp; smashing last year’s record for the most expensive wristwatch sold at auction in Asia.</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: center;"><i>&#8220;Hong Kong has been the world’s biggest watch market for over a decade”</i></p>
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<div>Despite the coronavirus pandemic – as well as stiff competition from other auction hotspots like Geneva, New York and London – Hong Kong’s reputation for being a true haute horology hub shows no signs of abating. Take, for instance, the November 30 “<i>Ruby Collection</i>” auction, a Hong Kong sale of Patek Philippes from an esteemed single-owner private collection, highlighted by a pair of possibly unique (no one has ever seen them before) models: a perpetual calendar and minute repeater/tourbillon, both with ruby hour markers and estimated to sell for less than US$1 million each. The collection also includes astronomical watches, including the ultra-complicated&nbsp;<i>Sky Moon Tourbillon Ref. 5002</i>, with 12 complications, estimated to fetch from US$1 million to US$1.5 million.&nbsp;</div>
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<p>With countless luxury watch auction records set in the past year in Hong Kong, and with so many upcoming events to further enhance its reputation, it seems that neither its recent troubles or the coronavirus pandemic can even dent Asia’s World City’s reputation as one of the go-to auction hubs for discerning watch collectors seeking rare, otherwise unfindable statement timepieces of yesteryears.&nbsp;</p>
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Time to shine Hong Kong's incomparable luxury watch auction scene gafencu magazine watches feature

Tag: sothebys