An antique pearl necklace gifted to legendary Arab singer Um Kulthum by His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the late president of the UAE, and an emerald and diamond choker and earrings designed by Elizabeth Taylor for her House of Taylor boutique are among the rare and historic jewels to be sold at Christie’s Jewels and Watches: The Dubai Sale.

The event will take place at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers on April 29 at 6.30pm. The stunning jewels will be on public display at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers from 2pm on April 27 till 4.30pm on April 29.

Collectors will find contemporary jewellery by famous designers Margherita Burgener, Wallace Chan, Michele Della Valle, Margherita Ferri, Vicente Gracia, and Michael Youssoufian, limited edition watches by leading watchmakers Franck Muller and Girard-Perregaux and a selection of valuable gemstones such as a 17.02 carat sugar-loaf Colombian emerald ring and a 10.80 carat cushion shaped Burmese ruby ring.

A special highlight of the auction is an outstanding selection of pearls that includes Um Kulthum’s necklace, a 60.36carat pinkish orange natural pearl, which is the largest known pearl of this colour, the second largest round pearl ever recorded and the fourteenth largest natural pearl ever recorded as well as an exceptional greenish-grey drop pearl, which is the largest grey-drop pearl and the sixteenth largest pearl ever recorded.

“For centuries, many of the finest pearls in the world came from the waters of the Arabian Gulf and we are thrilled to bring some of those rare gems back to this region,” said David Warren, Christie’s Director of Jewellery Middle East.