Ring Sells for $1.2 Million at Sotheby’s

Brooke Astor’s 22.84 ct. emerald engagement ring (photo courtesy of Sotheby's)

Jewelry from the estate of Brooke Astor, philanthropist and legendary New York society figure, fetched $5.7 million at Sotheby’s New York.

The sale, which concluded on Sept. 25, was led by Astor's 22.84 ct. platinum, emerald, and diamond engagement ring; it sold for $1.2 million. The entire auction brought in $18.8 million, nearly doubling its estimate of $9.7 million. All 64 lots of jewelry were sold.

Other highlights of the jewelry collection included a Bulgari 18k gold, platinum, emerald, and diamond necklace, which sold for $686,500, and a Van Cleef & Arpels platinum and diamond ring, which sold for $614,500.

The proceeds of the auction will benefit Astor’s favorite charity organizations, including the New York Public Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Pierpont Morgan Library, and the Animal Medical Center of New York.

Bulgari 18k gold, platinum, emerald, and diamond necklace

Van Cleef & Arpels platinum and diamond ring