In 2014, Christie’s auctioned off a 21 carat Russian Alexandrite in Geneva Magnificent Jewels, Switzerland. The pre-auction valuation of $450,000-$650,000 Swiss Francs (USD Equivalent about the same) was grossly underestimated. The final price: $1,325,000 CHF! This amounts to a whopping $60,000 USD per carat!
In 2015, Sotheby’s auctioned off a 26 carat Ceylon Alexandrite in Magnificent Jewels New York. The pre-auction valuation of $125,000-$175,000 USD was once again grossly underestimated. The hammer price + premium: $754,000.00.