Van Cleef & Arpels "Zip" necklace sold for $790,000 at Phillips Geneva auctionPhillipsA coral, chrysoprase and diamond “Zip” necklace-bracelet by Van Cleef & Arpels led Phillips’ Geneva Jewels Auction: VI on Monday, selling for CHF619,600 ($793,346), above estimates.The “Zip” is one of the French jewelry house’s most iconic designs. This piece consists of a gold zipper decorated with carved chrysoprase, coral cabochons, square- and brilliant-cut diamond motifs, alternating with diamonds and coral bead accents. It supports a tassel composed of coral and chrysoprase beads capped with carved chrysoprase and carré-cut diamonds. The 99-lot sale at the Hotel President totaled $7 million, with 86% sold by lot and 85% sold by value. Phillips said signed jewels performed especially well, achieving a 93% sell-through rate, with 80% of sold lots exceeding their high estimates.“These results are a testament to the global appeal of signed jewels and pieces of distinguished provenance among our international collectors,” said Benoît Repellin, Phillips’ worldwide head of jewellery.The auction also marked the debut of Phillips’ “Collections & Provenance” category, featuring jewels from the Vanderbilt family, the Kings of Bavaria and European noble houses. All nine Vanderbilt lots—including jewels, art objects and pocket watches—sold.A Chaumet ruby and diamond pendant necklace, circa 1902, from a French noble family fetched $578,108, nearly 10 times its high estimate.PhillipsMORE FOR YOUA circa-1902 ruby and diamond pendant necklace by Chaumet from an unidentified French noble family was the auction’s second-highest lot, realizing CHF451,500 ($578,108), nearly 10 times its high estimate.“We were especially pleased by the strong response to this new category, which was 97% sold, with 70% of sold lots achieving prices above their high estimates,” Repellin said. “We were honored once again by the trust placed in us by members of the Vanderbilt family, whose historic jewels and objects achieved a 100% sold result.”a ring set with a 14.69-carat cushion-shaped Colombian emerald sold for $313,830PhillipsThe third-highest lot was a ring set with a 14.69-carat cushion-shaped Colombian emerald with no indications of clarity enhancement, according to an accompanying SSEF report. It sold for CHF245,100 ($313,830).Additional top lots included:A ruby and diamond necklace with unheated Burmese rubies sold for $280,795PhillipsA ruby and diamond necklace featuring Burmese unheated rubies, which sold for CHF219,300 ($280,795), below estimates. Van Cleef & Arpels ruby and diamond earrings with detachable mystery-set ruby pendants fetched $263,766PhillipsA pair of ruby and diamond earrings by Van Cleef & Arpels featuring detachable mystery-set ruby pendants, which fetched CHF206,000 ($263,766), more than double the high estimate. A ring set with a 2.01-carat fancy intense orangy-pink diamond, which sold for CHF180,600 ($231,243). Earrings set with Ceylon sapphires and diamonds sold for $198,208PhillipsA pair of diamond-set earrings featuring 12.31- and 12.69-carat Ceylon sapphires, which realized CHF154,800 ($198,208), below estimates. M. Gérard pink sapphire and diamond ear clips sold for $198,208PhillipsA pair of pink sapphire and diamond ear clips by 19th-century French jeweler M. Gérard, which sold for CHF154,800 ($198,208), above estimates. A ruby and diamond ring by Chaumet set with a 3.54-carat Burmese ruby, which fetched CHF141,900 ($181,691). Bulgari sapphire, rock crystal and diamond demi-parure necklace and rings sold for $156,915 PhillipsA sapphire, rock crystal and diamond demi-parure necklace and rings by Bulgari, which sold for CHF122,550 ($156,915). A ring set with a 19.93-carat Burmese sapphire didn't sell. Its presale estimate was $395,000–$600,000PhillipsAmong the lots that failed to sell was the sale’s top-estimated piece: a ring set with a 19.93-carat unheated Burmese sapphire with a Bulgari signature. It carried a presale estimate of $395,000–$600,000.Also unsold was a ring set with a 27.25-carat unheated Tajik spinel, estimated at $180,000–$280,000. This piece was estimated to be the number five lot of the sale.A third unsold item was a single strand necklace of cultured pearls measuring from approximately 8.80 to 10mm, accented with clusters set with circular-cut and cushion-shaped diamonds. Its estimate was $170,000–$240,000. Based on estimates it was the number eight lot of the sale. Phillips said more than 3,000 persons visited the preview and sale at the Hotel President.