Glitter and shine: Five-strand Basra pearl necklace rakes in Rs 1.9 crore at auction

A five-strand Basra pearl necklace was the star of the show for Mumbai-based auction house, AstaGuru’s heirloom jewellery and silverware auction. The necklace sold for a little over Rs 1.9 crore at the online auction held earlier this week, albeit lower than the higher end of the price estimate of Rs 2 crore.

Basra pearls are found in the Persian Gulf, and are considered quite rare, and hence precious. The term is often used for all natural pearls. These are different from cultured pearls, which are farmed under controlled circumstances.

According to the auction house, the pearls are similar in size, colour and luminosity and form a perfect graduation of the gemstones from the centre pearl to the ends.

The lot that commanded the second position was a suite of diamond and Basra pearl buttons mounted in platinum (an art deco platinum suite comprising of a necklace, ring and a pair of ear clips). The design sensibilities of this lot are “quintessential of the French belle époque era,” according to the auction house. The lot sold for Rs 69.3 lakh, again shy of the higher end (Rs 75 lakh) of the price estimate band.

The auction, held online over two days, showcased jewellery pieces belonging to the 19th and early 20th century as well as trendy art-deco pieces, considered symbolic of the flamboyant 1920s. The total winning value for the auction was Rs 8.6 crore.