May might be emerald month, but in Geneva, on Wednesday it was all about the ruby.
A Harry Winston ring set with a 22.86-carat Burmese ruby flanked by half-moon diamonds led Christie’s jewelry auction, selling for $7.1 million, more than double its pre-sale estimates.
Coming in a close second at the Magnificent Jewels sale was an unmounted 118.05-carat fancy yellow cushion modified brilliant-cut diamond, which also doubled pre-sale estimates to garner $7 million.
At No. 3 in the jewelry auction was a natural saltwater pearl sautoir (seen below) featuring 110 pearls ranging from approximately 14.75 mm to 7.45 mm in size.
It went for well above its pre-sale estimate of $2.5-$3.5 million, with a buyer paying $5.7 million for the piece.
Christie’s jewelry auction also featured a couple of jewels with royal backgrounds.
The Imperial Emerald of Grand Duchess Vladimir (seen below), which features a 75.61-carat pear-shaped Colombian emerald, was first owned by Catherine the Great before winding its way through the Russian royal family.
Expected to fetch between $2.3 and $3.5 million, the necklace went for $4.3 million Wednesday. 
Meanwhile, the Fabergé aquamarine and diamond tiara (seen below) that garnered much attention before the jewelry auction more than doubled its pre-sale estimates, selling for $1 million.
Made in 1904 as a wedding gift from Frederick Francis IV, grand duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1882-1945), to Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland (1882-1963), the piece is comprised of nine graduated pear-shaped aquamarines and old-, cushion- and rose-cut diamonds.
Notably, the “Ana Maria Pearl,” the historic 30.24-carat pearl that Swiss gem lab SSEF radiocarbon age-dated prior to the jewelry auction, failed to sell Wednesday.
The Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale totalled $62.6 million.
