Talk about auctions, this wasn’t one that can be compared with the ordinary! Not for the way the décor was done, but it was about the most valued Ferrari getting all it was worth as the hammer went down. The most admirable of them all, the Ferrari 250 GTO shattered all records by fetching €20 million.

We would not get into the intricacies of judging whether the money spent by the unnamed Englishman was logical, for it is simply a timeless ruby that eventually turned valuable.

A rare pick for the early ’60s considering those 302 horses under the hood, and a top speed of 283km/hr, it is a desirable gem that wouldn’t surprise us even if someone pays double the amount the next time around.

An American has purchased a rare intense red 3.69 carat ruby on eBay India for Rs. 8,20,000 ($19,600) making it one of the most expensive jewelry items sold on the country-specific Web auction site.

Arvind Juneja, a Jaipur resident has a family business of Jewellery and registered on eBay in October 2007. He has sold more than 90 pieces of jewelry and gems since October, 2007 on the Web site. His eBay id is “Jewelsafari.”

“I am an avid collector of precious gemstones,” he said. “I wanted to trade my collection with the buyers who really understand the worth of these priceless and unique gemstones.

A rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe sold for $7.92 million at Gooding & Co.’s auto auction during the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California over the weekend

With its streamlined styling, low-slung chassis and supercharged engine, the Type 57SC Atalante is one of the most desirable Bugattis.

It was designed by Jean Bugatti as a two-seater sports coupe and became the rarest of the four different body styles offered at Carrosorie Bugatti : only seven were manufactured.

After an absence of seven years, Christie’s wine department will be back in Asia for an auction on 29 Nov 2008 at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre and it will open Christie’s Hong Kong Fall 2008 Sale Season.

Christie’s International Wine Department will conduct a focused sale of fine wine including select offerings from the cellars of first growth, Château Latour.

Christie’s Hong Kong sales totaled HK $2.4 billion in Spring 2008, the highest total ever achieved for any auction season in Asia.

The evening sale will feature around 250 selected lots, with 150 lots from Ch̢teau Latour. One of the top prizes is a 1900 magnum estimated at $18,000 Р$24,000. The Latour selection in its entirety is expected to realize in excess of HK $10 million.

Alongside the unique offering from Château Latour will be a further range of fine and rare wines, all sourced from impeccable European cellars, including rare Pétrus and other First Growth Bordeaux, a selection of exceptional Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, vintage Champagne and venerable Vintage Port and Old Cognacs.

Fruit is generally expensive in Japan and the locals seem to buy the fruits only as luxury gifts. After the Watermelon auctioned for $6,100 and the $2,000 mangoes, a bunch of grapes fetched a record $900 (for 35 grapes).

“We believe the price was probably a record high,” said local agricultural official Hirofumi Isu. Of course, as a French guy, I treasure grapes, but still… $26 per grape !

That’s how much one hotel manager in Japan paid for a bunch of Ruby Roman grapes, though, at an auction in Japan’s northwestern Ishikawa region where the grapes have been under state development since 1994.

On August 15-16, the world-renowned auction house, RM Auctions, will present the Sports & Classics of Monterey, an auction event featuring a varied selection of the finest sports and classic cars in their largest offering to date – $50-60 million.

A rare and coveted 1958 Chrysler Diablo, considered the most valuable concept car of the late 1950s and conceived by Virgil Exner, will make its auction debut as one of the headlining cars alongside 24 Ferraris, the largest collection of Ferraris ever presented at the classic car weekend in Monterey.

Last year’s auction brought a record-breaking $46 million in total sales as 190 cars crossed the block. Nine cars broke the magic million-dollar mark !