Pear-shaped diamond earrings sold at $17.6 mn

Geneva: A pair of pear-shaped diamond earrings has sold at a Christie's auction for 17.57 million Swiss francs ($17.6 million), well short of the pre-sale estimate of 20 million to 30 million Swiss francs.

The 250-year-old auction house touted the "Miroir de l'Amour" (Mirror of Love) earrings as the largest D Flawless, or highest-quality, pear-shaped diamonds in the world, at more than 50 carats each. The earrings were offered Tuesday night without a reserve price, meaning that they would be sold even if they fell below the estimate range.

Earlier, a Van Cleef and Arpels ruby-and-diamond bracelet fetched nearly $1.31 million including the buyer's premium, more than twice its highest pre-sale estimate. Also under the hammer later in the auction was a 9.14-carat, pear-shaped pink diamond ring expected to fetch $16-18 million.