Gina Lollobrigida's Earrings, 74 Carat Yellow Diamond Set Records at Sotheby's

By Daniel Ford, Web Editor

Posted on May 15, 2013

Pin It

Comments (2)

Gina Lollobrigida wearing the record setting pearl earrings (Photos courtesy of Sotheby's Geneva).

Screen legend Gina Lollobrigida may have turned heads during her days as a sex symbol in the 1950s and 1960s, but her jewels—including a 74 ct. yellow diamond that once belonged to a Persian Shah—were the center of attention at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva on May 14.
Lollobrigida’s collection sold for a total of $4.96 million, led by pair of natural pearl and diamond pendant earrings that fetched $2.39 million, setting an auction record for natural pearl ear pendants. The earrings beat the price paid for a pair of Elizabeth Taylor’s pearl earrings in 2011. A Bulgari diamond necklace and bracelet combination that Lollobrigida wore while accepting her 1961 Golden Globe sold for $783,851.

1964 natural pearl and diamond earrings

1954 diamond necklace/bracelet

A 74.53 ct. cushion shaped fancy yellow diamond formerly in the collection of the Persian Shah, Ahmed Shah Qajar, earned $2.9 million, setting an auction record for a fancy yellow diamond and a record price per carat for a fancy yellow diamond ($40,061 per carat).

74.53 ct. cushion shaped fancy yellow diamond

Other highlights of the sale included:
A 27.90 ct. cushion modified brilliant-cut D color diamond mounted on a ring sold for $4.45 million.

A 6.93 ct. brilliant-cut light pink diamond necklace, with two circular-cut diamonds—a 34.78 ct. diamond with an 11.38 ct. briolette diamond—sold for $2.39 million.

A 31.35 ct. cushion brilliant-cut diamond ring fetched $1.83 million.

In its entirety, the sale totaled $78.2 million.