A rare pink diamond with ties to Marie Antoinette stole the spotlight at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction on June 17, leading the sale to a record-breaking total of $87.7 million — the highest ever for a various-owner jewelry auction at Christie’s in the Americas.

The top lot was a JAR ring featuring the Marie-Thérèse Pink Diamond, a 10.38-carat, kite-shaped fancy-purple-pink stone believed to date back to the 18th century. Allegedly part of the jewels the French queen entrusted to her hairdresser during her ill-fated 1791 escape attempt, the diamond was later passed down through the royal family.

Estimated at $7 million, the historic gem fetched $14 million, doubling expectations and setting two world auction records — one for a JAR creation and another for a fancy-purple-pink diamond.

“This season’s results highlight the tremendous demand for jewels of exceptional rarity, provenance, and craftsmanship,” said Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry at Christie’s. “Private collections and superb jewels were met with enthusiastic and competitive bidding.”

Auction Highlights: From Royal Provenance to Record Sapphires

The sale included notable private collections, such as those of Anne Hendricks Bass and Lucille Coleman, and featured three Mughal-era treasures from a royal archive. In total, every single lot sold, marking a second white-glove result for Christie’s this year — the first being its Geneva sale that garnered $72.4 million.

Top 10 Highlights:

• The Blue Belle Necklace, showcasing a 392.52-carat Ceylon sapphire discovered in 1926 and once intended for Queen Elizabeth (Queen Mother), achieved $11.3 million, near the high end of its estimate.

• Mughal Emerald Necklace #1: Featuring five Colombian emeralds (470 to 106.5 carats), it soared past its $3 million high estimate to $6.2 million.

• Mughal Emerald Necklace #2: Centered around a 297-carat emerald duo with spinels, rubies, and pearls, it brought in $5.6 million, nearly doubling its estimate.

• A 66.74-carat unmounted round brilliant-cut D-color, VVS1 diamond sold within range at $3.8 million.

• The third Mughal jewel, a three-strand necklace of spinel beads and natural pearls, achieved $3 million, well above its $2 million estimate.

• A Harry Winston necklace featuring a 17.50-carat pear brilliant-cut D-color, VVS1 diamond among others smashed its $1.8 million estimate to reach $2.4 million.

• A necklace with a 25.45-carat D-flawless diamond pendant sold for $2.3 million, just above its expected range.

• Van Cleef & Arpels pendant earrings, set with 11.93- and 11.83-carat D-color diamonds, brought in $2 million, exceeding their $1.8 million high estimate.

• A Harry Winston ring featuring a 23.26-carat emerald-cut D-color, internally flawless diamond closed at $1.8 million, slightly above the top estimate.