Ultra-rich bid for all that glitters at Swiss auctions

Geneva

GENEVA'S autumn jewel auctions got underway on Tuesday, with Russian oligarchs and Chinese billionaires among those eyeing up the array of eye-wateringly expensive bling on offer. The city's twice-annual sales of rare jewels are often dominated by stones the size of door-stoppers.

But this week, gems valued by their weight in carats will share centre stage with gems enriched by the weight of history - including Russian diamonds that reputedly helped broker peace between warring empires three centuries ago.