OAKLAND, CALIF. — A 34-carat mine diamond with a storied history, and a monumental Japanese cloisonné vase made for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, made headlines when Clar’s Auction Gallery announced they would be sold February 16-17. Both pieces were from the collection of Berkeley, Calif., restaurant, Spenger’s Fish Grotto, which closed last year and whose collection Clar’s had been contracted to sell. The ring led the sale, finishing to an undisclosed private buyer for $530,000 ($400/600,000), with the vase selling for $135,000 ($30/50,000) to a private New York buyer. A more comprehensive sale recap will follow in a future issue. For information, 510-428-0100 or www.clars.com.