Gems Apparel

With the US$577 million sale of a Williamson Pink Star Diamond,one of the rarest and most valued colored diamonds,a world record was set The 1115-carat diamond was auctioned by Sotheby?s Hong Kong in October 2022 and is the second-largest pink diamond to appear at auction It achieved both the world auction record price per carat for any gemstone or diamond and the second most valuable jewel or gemstone ever sold at auction

During an epic online auction,one bidder paid US$9 3 million for the jersey soccer legend Diego Maradona wore when he scored the controversial Hand of God goal against England in the 1986 World Cup This May 2022 bid represents the highest price ever paid at auction for a piece of sports memorabilia

In July 2022,the white inflight jacket Buzz Aldrin wore during the Apollo 11mission (his first mission to the moon) sold for US$2 8 million, making it the most valuable American space artifact ever sold at auction

Handbag

According to Sotheby?s,Hermès Birkin and Kelly Bags dominate the list of record-breaking bags sold at auction since 2020 In September,an Hermès Kelly Bag sold for a record US$346,802 at a Paris auction The Himalaya Retourne Kelly 25 crocodile-skin handbag in mother-of-pearl-white set a record price for a bag sold at auction in Europe,selling for almost three times Sotheby?s presale estimate?

US$353,400 The previous European record was set by an Hermès Himalaya Birkin 35 that sold for around US$206,750 in 2019

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In April 2022,Sotheby?s set the record for any leather Birkin sold at auction with the possibly unique Birkin 25 example with a metallic Silver Chevre body and metallic Bronze piping for US$136,490,which was sold in Hong Kong Hong Kong remains the leader for sales of the most expensive bags, according to the auction house

Cars

An ultrarare 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLRUhlenhaut Coupé was auctioned at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany,in May 2022 and sold with RM Sotheby?s for US$143 million,making it the most expensive car ever sold The winning bid on this car,one of only two created in 1955,was made by a British car collector,advisor,and dealer on behalf of an unnamed client The coupe surpassed the previous record for a car sold at auction by more than US$95 million

Wine

The personal wine cellar of Prince Robert of Luxembourg,the CEOand chairman of Bordeaux empire Domaine Clarence Dillon, was auctioned in May 2022 and is considered to be the largest quantity of wine coming directly from chateaux cellars to ever be offered for charity The record US$6 2 million collection comprised more than 4,200 bottles split among 182 lots,and the proceeds of the auction went directly to supporting medical research and treatment for mitochondrial-related diseases

Far left: When it sold in London in June 2022 Francis Bacon?s portrait of Lucian Freud went for a whopping US$52 8 million Above: Rene Magritte?s Empire of Light or L?empire des lumières set a new record for a painting sold at auction in Europe

Left: The Hermès Himalaya Retourne Kelly Bag 25 crocodile-skin bag in mother-of-pearl-white hit a record for a handbag sold at auction in Europe,taking in more than three times the presale estimateupé sold for US$143 million in Germany in May 2022