Latest news with #SothebysAuction
France 24
2 days ago
- Science
- France 24
Auction of world's largest Mars meteorite sparks ownership debate
The hefty 54-pound (25-kilogram) stone is the largest Martian meteorite ever discovered on Earth, according to its Sotheby's listing, and was found in November 2023 in the vast Saharan desert in Niger. The government of Niger has announced that it will open an investigation following the auction, saying it appears to "have all the characteristics of illicit international trafficking." On Friday, the government suspended exports of precious stones and meteorites until further notice. Sotheby's has rejected the accusations, insisting that the meteorite was "was exported from Niger and transported in line with all relevant international procedure." In light of the controversy, however, a review of the case is underway, a Sotheby's spokesperson told AFP. "The stone journeyed 140 million miles through space, and hurtled through Earth's atmosphere before crashing in the Sahara Desert," the Sotheby's listing said. Following its discovery, the jagged, ochre-colored stone was then sold to an international dealer, briefly exhibited in Italy, and eventually ended up in the auction catalog in New York. For American paleontologist Paul Sereno, who has worked closely with Niger's authorities for years, all signs suggest that the stone left the country "illicitly." "Everybody's anonymous -- from the person who found it, the dealers, the guy who bought it, everybody's anonymous," he told AFP, making no secret of his frustration. "If they had put on baseball gloves and caught the meteorite as was hurtling towards Earth before it landed in any country, they could claim it... but I'm sorry, it landed there. It belongs to Niger," he said. 'We should respect it' Laws governing the ownership of meteorites vary based on their point of impact. In the United States, for example, if a rock falls on private land, the property owners have ownership rights. In Niger, however, a law governs "national cultural patrimony," which includes rare mineralogical specimens, according to Matthieu Gounelle, a professor at France's National History Museum, and his father Max Gounelle, a French university professor. Both are specialists in regulations governing the collection and sale of meteorites. "In our opinion, there is no doubt that meteorites should be included among the rare mineralogical specimens" protected by Nigerien law, they told AFP. Beyond the legal battle and the possible involvement of a trafficking network, the sale of the meteorite also raises science ethics questions. The rock, named NWA 16788, has unique scientific research value. Much larger than other Martian meteorites that have been recorded to date, it offers a unique insight into the geological history of the Red Planet. Like other Martian meteorites, it is believed to have been ejected into space when an asteroid slammed into Mars. "This is nature's heritage. In many ways, it's world heritage, and it's telling us things about the cosmos. We should respect it," Sereno said. "It's not something to my mind that should be auctioned up to potentially disappear into someone's mantle."
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The Independent
02-07-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Meteorite from Mars could be yours for $2 million
The largest Martian meteorite ever found on Earth, named NWA 16788, is scheduled for auction at Sotheby's New York on July 16. Discovered in the Sahara Desert in 2023, this 54-pound space rock is 70 percent larger than any other Martian meteorite foun d and is estimated to sell for $2 million to $4 million. Sotheby's describes NWA 16788 a s a "once-in-a-generation find" that offers valuable insights into the geology and composition of Mars. If sold within its estimated range, the meteorite is expected to break previous auction records for similar items. The auctioning of scientifically and historically significant items like meteorites and dinosaur fossils continues to be a controversial practice.
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I'm a fashion expert – these are the Hermès Birkin-level bags without the waitlist (and the major price tag)
I'm really keen to see how much the original Hermès Birkin bag, owned by its namesake, the late actress and singer Jane Birkin, will fetch when it goes up for auction at Sotheby's on 10 July. And who the lucky new owner will be. Hopefully it's not Kim Kardashian, who has already snapped up Princess Diana 's Attallah Cross necklace, which the royal wore at a charity ball in 1987, as well as Jackie Kennedy's famous gold Cartier Tank watch. The wealthy star bid for these pieces of fashion history at separate auctions in 2023 and 2017. The now-famous well-worn black leather Birkin bag was commissioned in 1984 exclusively for and in collaboration with Jane by Hermès' then CEO Jean-Louis Dumas. The story goes that they met on a flight and she told him she needed a bag that would accommodate her hectic everyday life, so he offered to make one for her.
CTV News
14-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Rare blue diamond fetches US$21.5M at auction in Geneva
The Mediterranean Blue diamond is on display during its worldwide debut in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) Geneva, Switzerland -- An exceptionally-rare blue diamond went under the hammer in Geneva late Tuesday, selling for US$21.5 million, Sotheby's auction house said. 'The Mediterranean Blue', a fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 10.3 carats with an estimated value of $20 million, attracted an intense bidding battle. Bidding began at nine million Swiss francs ($10.8 million), with a fierce back and forth before the diamond was ultimately sold to a private U.S. collector, whose name was not given, for 17.9 million francs ($21.5 million), Sotheby's said. The Mediterranean Blue, which is a brand-new blue diamond recently mined from the legendary Cullinan mines of South Africa, generated huge excitement within the diamond industry ever since it was first announced in March, the auction house said. Ahead of its final showing in Geneva on Tuesday, it was unveiled as part of a Sotheby's debut exhibition in Abu Dhabi last month, where it was showcased alongside seven other 'extraordinary' diamonds and gemstones collectively worth over $100 million. 'At the top of the rarity pyramid are blue diamonds,' Quig Bruning, head of jewels for Sotheby's in North America, Europe and the Middle East, said at the Abu Dhabi show. After serving as auctioneer at Tuesday's event, he hailed the gem as 'undoubtedly the defining stone of the season,' saying in a statement that it 'ranks among the top blue diamonds we have sold.' Tobias Kormind, head of Europe's largest online diamond jeweller 77 Diamonds, was less upbeat, describing the sale as 'less dazzling than anticipated'. 'The diamond did exceed its $20 million estimate, suggesting there was meaningful interest,' he acknowledged. 'But broader uncertainty, including the ongoing US-China trade tensions, may have dampened bidder confidence and muted what could have been a more frenzied atmosphere.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
08-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
‘Mediterranean Blue Diamond' Could Fetch $20 Million at Auction
A 10-carat blue diamond which could fetch $20 million when it goes under the hammer later this month was presented by auction house Sotheby's in Geneva on Thursday. The cushion-shaped piece, known as the "Mediterranean Blue Diamond," was mined in South Africa and displayed a rare color that qualified as fancy vivid blue, Sotheby's said. "The market for coloured diamonds continues to go from strength to strength," said Jessica Wyndham of Sotheby's, added that she expected a price in the region of $20 million. In 2016, another vivid blue diamond sold for 56.8 million Swiss francs ($68.7 million) at a Christie's auction in Geneva. Sotheby's high jewellery collection, which includes other coloured gemstones, was presented to journalists in Geneva ahead of a live auction scheduled for May 13 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
