In 2017, the painting, called 'Salvator Mundi,' or 'Savior of the World' by the Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci set a world record by being sold for $450 million. The figure more than doubled the previous record, set in 2015, when 'Women of Algiers' by Pablo Picasso was purchased at a final price of $179.3 million.
The second major deal over the past year was the sale of the painting "Untitled" by the New York graffiti painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. It was bought for $110.5 million at the Sotheby's auction by the Japanese collector Yusaku Maezawa.
The prices for wine increased by 11 percent in 2017. Fine wines were ranked the world's number two luxury asset. It had managed to become the leader of the list in 2016 with a 24-percent growth. According to Andrew Gordon, managing director at the wine distributor Private Cellar, growth in demand for wines was mostly boosted by increasing interest from Asian buyers.
Number three in the 2017 ranking was wristwatches. In 2017, they went up in price by 5 percent and took a 69-percent jump over the past 10 years. The actor and motorcycle rider Paul Newman's Rolex Daytona became a record-breaker in this group of luxury goods. It was a gift from his wife, Joanne Woodward who made an inscription “Drive Carefully Me”. The Philips company sold the watch for $17.8 million.
Classic vehicles demonstrated just a 2-percent increase in price. Nevertheless, this valuable asset remain the leaders among luxury goods, marking a 334-percent growth in price over the last 10 years. Among the most remarkable deals of 2017 included the sale of a 1995 McLaren F1 for $15.6 million, a 1959 Ferrari 250GT California Spider Lwb for $18 million, and a 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 for $22.5 million.
Prices for jewelry grew 4 percent last year and 138 percent over the last decade. A record price was set by 'Apollo & Artemis' diamond earrings, which were sold for $57.4 million.
Rare coins also saw a 4-percent increase in price in 2017 and 182 percent over the last decade.
The cost of colored diamonds didn't change last year. Over 10 years this asset grew by 70 percent. A rare diamond, known as the 'Pink Star,' was purchased for $71 million by the Hong Kong jeweler Chow Tai Fook which remains a record for a cut diamond.
Expensive stamps didn't show almost any changes in price last year, only 1 percent. Although they have risen in price by 103 percent over the past decade.
Fancy furniture proved to be a poor investment. Its price decreased by 1 percent last year and almost 32 percent over the last ten years. This year, at one of the most anticipated auctions of furniture and interior items, for the first time, pieces of furniture and decorative objects of the Ritz Paris hotel will be exhibited for auction.
Prices for Chinese ceramics dropped 5 percent last year and 3 percent over the decade. At the same time, investors from China and their purchases are firmly included in the number of records in 2017. Thus, the 1000-year-old bowl for washing brushes was sold twice as much as its preliminary estimate, for $40 million.
Many countries around the world amaze visitors with their vast size. In contrast, there are also those whose tiny size is equally surprising. In this article, we will talk about the five smallest countries on the planet.
The world of digital assets boasts a few flagship cryptocurrencies whose market capitalizations continue to impress both traders and analysts. Among them, Bitcoin stands as the undisputed leader, maintaining its top position for many years. Let's explore the other leading digital assets, true gems of the cryptocurrency space
The global financial market has numerous participants, each aiming to profit, but only a select group consistently executes multi-million-dollar transactions every day. These leading financial institutions play a pivotal role. Let's spotlight them in this article
