AZ Gemologist Reviews Auction of Rare Gemstones

Gemstone collectors sound like a profession right out of a pirate movie but don’t be fooled. It is a live and growing hobby for a wide range of collectors, from amateurs who collect quartz stones to high roller collectors willing to spend thousands of dollars on one item. One of the benefits that most collectors get out of the hobby is the growing investment potential since, unlike many other hobbies, the jewelry market continues to rise and does not seem ready to drop anytime soon. This AZ gemologist is always pleased to hear about the growing trend of gemstone collecting and especially news about upcoming auctions so that we can notify our clients of new items to add to their own collection.

In fact, this AZ gemologist recently learned of one amazing gemstone collection going up for auction in just a few short days. Known as the David Jerome Collection, it features a stunning collection of more than 680 gemstone pieces, many of which have been set in jewelry, and is considered the largest and rarest collection in Europe. Items in the collection will be auctioned separately by the UK-based auction house John Pye Auctions and are largely considered to be great investment pieces considering the rise in jewelry auction prices in recent years.

Among the items this AZ gemologist learned of in the gemstone collection is an impressive 133-carat tanzanite gemstone, which apparently was the stone that sparked the collector’s interest in the hobby. According to an article in The Jewellry Editor, the collector stated that this piece not only piqued his interest but it also inspired him to source gemstones directly from the mines, giving him a more intimate knowledge of where the gemstone originated from. This makes his investment quite different from other collectors who tend to buy loose gemstones from wholesalers or finished pieces from jewelers. An incredibly rare piece–tanzanite is only sourced from one small area in Tanzania since it has not been found elsewhere–the gemstone is pear-shaped, roughly the size of a clam, and is a stunning deep blue-violet shade.

Another gemstone set that our AZ gemologist found to be in the collection include a diamond and emerald earring set with a matching ring. The emerald in the earrings weigh 35 carats and were sourced from Zambia, which feature a deep, pure green often not seen in other emerald gemstones, while the diamonds weigh 5.5 carats. This set has an estimated value of $78,000!

The huge collection, which has somewhere between 680 and 700 individual pieces, is estimated to total approximately $12.5 million. Each item will start in the online auction at $1000, considered a rather low starting price for the quality of the items, and the prices are expected to rise as the auctions begin. Similar auctions in the past year that our AZ gemologist has seen showed that gemstone pieces were auctioned from as little as $6 million, some as much as $30.3 million. If you are planning to contribute to the auction, be sure to keep an open wallet in case the prices skyrocket.