Phillips New York jewels auction spotlights rare paraiba tourmaline ring
A 31.77-carat paraiba ring in platinum and 18k yellow gold leads Phillips’ New York sale, with color and gold framing the top lots.
Phillips is putting a 31.77-carat paraiba tourmaline and diamond ring in platinum and 18k yellow gold at the center of its New York Jewels auction, where 113 lots will cross the block on June 10 at 12 p.m. ET. The sale will be previewed at 432 Park Avenue in Manhattan from June 5 through June 9, and it brings together important pieces from the Estate of Tina Hills and the Collection of Irma Nicolas.
The lead ring is estimated at $550,000 to $650,000, a range that makes sense only when the stone is read as more than a large gem. Paraiba tourmalines were first discovered in 1987 in Brazil’s Paraiba state, and Phillips says the material owes its electric blue-to-green color to trace elements including copper and manganese. The house also calls paraiba tourmalines among the scarcest gemstones in the world, with only small known deposits. Dianne Batista, Phillips’ head of jewels in New York, said the sale reflects “strong collector demand for rarity, color, and craftsmanship,” and described paraiba tourmalines as being at the forefront of collector interest.
That demand is visible across the lot list. Phillips has also set a paraiba tourmaline and diamond pendant necklace at $200,000 to $300,000, a paraiba tourmaline and diamond ring at $80,000 to $120,000, and a pair of paraiba tourmaline and diamond earrings at $60,000 to $80,000. Forbes said five paraiba examples will sit among the sale’s top 13 lots, underscoring how aggressively the market is rewarding vivid color when it is paired with serious metalwork and diamonds.
The metal matters. The leading ring’s platinum setting gives the stone a cool, hard edge, while the 18k yellow gold adds warmth and contrast, a reminder that gold is not simply a backdrop in high jewelry but part of the argument for value. That is the cue retailers should watch: not just larger stones, but settings that make color look rarer, brighter, and more deliberate. Phillips’ lot list also places an emerald-and-diamond necklace at a top estimate of $500,000 to $800,000, showing that colored stones framed in precious metal are carrying the auction’s highest ambitions. Even a Mozambique paraiba, which is less prized than Brazilian material, can command attention when the scale is this rare and the mount is this exacting.
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