Sotheby’s Collector’s Week Debuts with World Famous Diamonds in Abu Dhabi

Working in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Sotheby’s will introduce Collector’s Week. A highly anticipated and fresh fixture in the Art World calendar, this event will feature the first-ever luxury auction series to be held in the Middle East, with $250 million of items available through public auction and private sale.

Extending their commitment to the Middle East, it is no surprise that the first Sotheby’s Collector’s Week will take place in Abu Dhabi. As Noora Al Foulathi, Head of Abu Dhabi Retail explains, this offering of market-fresh, unseen and exceptional works cements the city as “a place at the heart of the world’s most exceptional collections.”

Selling on December 5th from 18:00 GST is one such collection. Entitled Precision and Brilliance: Prestigious Jewels and Watches from an Important Private Collection, this auction offers rare diamonds and gem-set jewels from the world’s greatest maisons such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Bvlgari, Tiffany & Co. and Boivin.

One of the headline lots from the sale is undoubtedly The Desert Rose. The Desert Rose is a record-breaking diamond that has found its spiritual home in the region. First unveiled earlier this year at Sotheby’s Beyond: The World’s Rarest Diamonds exhibition, this unprecedented pear-shaped stone is the largest Fancy Vivid Orangy Pink Diamond in the world. Weighing 31.86 carats, the Desert Rose combines an unusual combination of a pink body colour and orange hues, resulting in a “rare blush colour.” Never before offered for sale on the open market, this historic diamond is estimated at $5-7 million. It will almost certainly set auction records.

Collector’s Week will present far more than a traditional auction model, but rather a destination for discovery. As Noora explains, “beyond the auctions themselves, it’s about the conversations, connections, and a sense of community that events like this create. We are proud to welcome this debut edition to the capital.”

Exclusive exhibitions and viewings will include the largest deep green diamond in the world and the largest flawless diamond in the world.

Spanning fine jewellery, watches, handbags, collector cars, bicycles and real estate, Collector’s Week will, according to Sotheby’s board member Jean-Luc Berrabi, “deepen the way we can meaningfully contribute to, and grow with, a region that is redefining global demand for art and luxury.”

Sotheby’s Collector’s Week is free and open to the public. Collector’s Week will take place from December 2-5. For more information, visit Sothebys.com/ADCollectorsWeek

Words by Elizabeth Bailey