This was despite the fact that it was antique (not smart and modern) and there was no bidding by dueling dealers from China.
The sleeper was a natural antique pearl platinum-set pendant.
Had the pearl been cultured the estimate would have been only $800 to $1000, Leonard Joel's head of jewellery John D'Agata said.
The low estimates were based on the clients' readiness to sell, The estimates were therefore a little lower than previous overseas estimates.
Bonhams had one such mounted pearl in New York in September last year estimated $US6000 to $8000 and it made $US8750 including premium.
The same auction house had one at Lstg4000 to Lstg6000 the same month in London and it made Lstg46,800.
Natural antique pearls are exceptionally rare especially as big as 13.5 cm by 26 cm..
Baroque and tear drop shaped with silver white hues, the pearl at Leonard Joel's was set with a rose cut diamond cap and suspended on a trace chain, all in platinum. .
Leonard Joel's in-house gemmologist Julie Valk examined it and concluded the auction house had an exceptional item.
This was confirmed when overseas started to grow.
After sleeping in the deep for several decades, and been kept moderately secure in a drawer by the couple that had inherited about 20 years ago, the pendant received a big wake-up call to become the star lot in one of Joel's regular five-a-year jewellery sales.
D'Agata said that seven overseas telephone bidders competed for the piece which was finally knocked down to a New York dealer against another New York dealer.
The only Asian interest came from Thailand.
Bidding slackened at around $30,000, the price at which local interest including Melbourne dealer Mary Titchener faded away.
D'Agata said he thought the pearl may have been wanted to complete an order, such as a make up a tiara or another piece of jewellery.
Including premium the pendant sold $146,000 which puts it up with rhino horns and jade urns in the stellar sleeper ranks worldwide and helped lift Joels 340 lot sale total to $615,000 IBP.
And it had neither documentation nor was it Art Deco.