This week Christie’s Dubai will auction one of the world’s largest pearls in its spring jewelry sale. Pearls are a unique heritage item to Dubai and recall the Emirate’s early history in pearl diving.

The pearl is a baroque drop-shaped in a silver and gray shade and is mounted on a pendant on a diamond-studded chain necklace.  It weighs almost 60 carats and is estimated to sell for as much as $250,000. It was once part of the collection of Valda Virginia Vaughn Scott, the daughter of an English diplomat and a member of the prestigious Alessi family. Such a magnificent provenance also lends itself to the rarity of the pearl.”This part of the world likes things that are unique and rare,” said David Warren, head of Christie’s Middle East jewelry department in a recent interview with Reuters.

The jewelry sale will feature close to 100 lots estimated at a total of $5 to $6.5 million. Featured are rubies, colored-diamonds, and natural pearls jewelry items including an elephant-shaped gem ring estimated at $4,000-$6,000; a diamond flower necklace which becomes a tiara with matching earrings is the highest valued lot with an estimate of $450,000-$550,000; and two rare cushion-shaped Burmese ruby rings, one which weighs 10.03carats and the another of 22.06carats, both are estimated at $240,000-280,000 and $200,000-250,000 respectively.

The sale is smaller than the previous one which included watches and also a private collection. This year’s Spring sale has an estimate of around $13.5 million and features some very rare and unique pieces complimentary also of the United Arab Emirates pearl diving heritage.

Christie’s auction of Jewels; The Dubai Sale, takes place at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel on Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at 7pm