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The Best Kept Secret to Finding Your Dream Engagement Ring

Photo credit: Michael Stillwell
Photo credit: Michael Stillwell

If you think the auction houses are just for expensive, historic jewels, you will be surprised to discover they offer a range of fabulous rings at all prices, and they will even track down your dream diamond any day of the week.

Jewelry auctions are the only place where you will find ring designs from virtually every period in a single sale, along with diamonds and gemstones, and pieces with impressive provenance. You might even pick up a royal's ring, or a colorful socialite’s gemstone.

Photo credit: Christie’s
Photo credit: Christie’s

Some of the rarest stones come to auction so if you are looking for something unique or of investment quality, this is a good starting point.

Remember when Ben Affleck proposed to J.Lo with a 6.10-carat fancy intense pink diamond ring from Harry Winston in 2002? That ring was a great investment (even though they never made it down the aisle) because colored diamonds have soared in value over the past 20 years. Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale on April 13 has a remarkable number of exceptionally rare colored diamonds, including a 2.13- carat fancy vivid blue diamond ring and a 3.2-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond ring. These stones represent a class of investment quality diamonds that some couples want, says Claibourne Poindexter, Christie’s associate vice president and senior jewelry specialist in New York.

Photo credit: Christie’s
Photo credit: Christie’s

While those vivid colored stones typically sell for upwards of $1 million, there’s also a range of softer colored diamonds that represent good value. “The price of colored diamonds run the gamut,” says Poindexter. “There are some beautiful colored diamonds that have a warm brownish tone, which makes them softer, charming, and little more casual.” Those include a 3.03-carat fancy pink-brown cushion cut diamond ring, which has a presale estimate from $40,000-$60,000. It’s a warm pink color that isn’t quite like any other stone, and the antique cut gives an especially soft and dreamy sparkle.

The Magnificent Jewels sale has several pink diamonds representing a range of quality, size and price, and they are likely a good investment, being that the world’s primary source of pink diamonds, the Argyle mine, has dried up.

Photo credit: Christie’s
Photo credit: Christie’s

For couples on the hunt for the most exceptional colorless diamonds, the Christie’s sale has several type 2a diamond rings, which is considered the absolute purest diamond and appears like a pool of water. “True collectors want type 2a,” says Poindexter. Even when held next to a d-flawless diamond, he says, you can see the difference between what’s a type 2a and what’s not.

But don’t just look at the statistics when it comes to finding your dream diamond. A perfect example is the 16.48 carat pear-shape from the Estate of Jacqueline Leeds that is J color but exceptionally beautiful, and it’s a lot more affordable than a d-flawless stone of similar size.

Photo credit: Christie’s
Photo credit: Christie’s

Meet with your engagement ring advisor.

If you lose out at the auction to a more aggressive bidder, or perhaps you didn’t find your perfect ring, Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips all have teams of jewelry experts at the ready to help you track even the most elusive requests. “At Christie’s we sell diamonds from one carat and up,” says Poindexter. When a client was recently searching for a round diamond engagement ring, Poindexter presented five options so they could compare the stones, and after selecting a top-quality 2.5-carat round diamond, he had the ring designed and made to their specifications.

Photo credit: Christie’s
Photo credit: Christie’s

“We tell our clients to focus on the stone because it’s easy to change the setting,” he says. Another customer bought a diamond ring at auction and didn’t care for the setting, so Christie’s had it reset on a slimmer platinum band that suited her personal style.

As much as brides say they want unique rings, the classic emerald and round cut diamonds are still the most popular, especially in the 2-3 carat range. “These were in style 50 years ago,” says Poindexter, “and they will be 50 years from now, too.”

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