World's largest FWP, "Sleeping Lion", up for auction

[amti]

It is certainly a unique pearl. I wonder if it would be of interest if it didn't have all the background history.

 

[dmj]

the pearl sold for 320 000 euro to a japanese dealer, starting bid was 300k.

 

[GemGeek]

Interesting. That is a fine price for something with so much provenance, if not stunning beauty. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Pareltje]

the pearl sold for 320 000 euro to a japanese dealer, starting bid was 300k.

That's a lot of money for something ugly. Euh... pardon my vocabulary but I couldn't find any other word to describe it.

 

[ericw]

Pareltje, you make me smile: each time buyer will look at his pearl, each time he will see a 320.000 euros bill, the one of the kind like that

 

[jshepherd]

This might not have made much news, but I believe SSEF came out with an article last year about this piece. The lab determined it wasn't a pearl but a natural blister. I'll try to find it.

 

[jshepherd]

Here it is, page 13 & 14.

https://www.ssef.ch/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/SSEF-Facette-2017.pdf

 

[dmj]

yup first thing i asked the owner was how can it be sold as a natural pearl when its a blister, but because cibjo states it as a natural blister pearl and not a natural blister it can be called a pearl (wonder if the buyer has been reading the whole catalogue the ssef rapport was added to it )

I think without the history the piece would be worth more in the 10k range then what it did now. actually did not expect them to sell it.

they did a good job in hyping the pearl the one thing that kinda annoyed me tho is that some years back they where selling the pearl for 600k under a different name: pearl maxima in a lapis and gold stand. so when i asked about this the auction house was like no its for sale for the first time in 40 years and when i told them it has been for sale during the pan art show think 2010 or somewhere there they acted like i was saying something weird.

im going to search for paper work with my pearls...........

 

[jshepherd]

Personally, I don't agree with CIBJO on the whole blister versus blister pearl issue. I think it's going to be another debate at one of the congresses someday and things may change.

 

[Orient]

The auction house seems to be very open about the whole blister/blister pearl point and provides details about both reports/studies made on this piece by The Netherlands Lab and SSEF. That they don't agree is reflective of the opinions out in the trade on such objects. It is not clear and either of them could be right but even if The Netherlands lab is I guess the trade is going to believe the SSEF's take on it?

Wonder what the difference in price is between a blister and blister pearl with such a story behind it? Good thing it had such a provenance! If it didn't there probably would be a huge difference.