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MAGNIFICENT JEWELS AND NOBLE JEWELS
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TO BE AUCTIONED BY SOTHEBY'S IN GENEVA ON MAY 15, 2008 GENEVA, APRIL 2008 – Sotheby’s forthcoming sale of Magnificent Jewels will take place in Geneva on Thursday May 15, 2008 at the Beau-Rivage Hotel. For the second consecutive year, a special session ill be devoted exclusively to Noble Jewels.
David Bennett, Chairman, Europe and
the Middle East, Sotheby’s International Jewellery Department, said:
“Following the success
of last year’s sale of Noble Jewels, we are very pleased to announce that our
Spring Jewellery auction will be once again highlighted by jewels with noble
provenance. Sotheby’s is continuing its long tradition of offering aristocratic
jewels at auction, as with the sale of the Duchess of Windsor’s collection in
1987, jewels from the princely house of Thurn und Taxis in 1992 and French
Crown Jewels in 1997. In November 2005, Sotheby’s sold a Russian Imperial
necklace that belonged to Empress Catherine the Great. In addition to the Noble
Jewels section, the Spring sale will feature 64 pieces from the prestigious
collection of Lily Marinho as well as important diamonds and precious stones
from various owners. Enthusiasts and collectors of exceptional jewellery
should, once again, find much to inspire them”. NOBEL JEWELS Among the jewels of noble provenance to be auctioned in May are two very fine pieces from the Collection of Daisy Fellowes. Of American and French origin, Daisy Fellowes was born in Paris in 1890. From the 1920s onwards, she was one of the uncrowned queens of the social scene and a fashion leader. Regarded as one of the most glamorous and elegant women of the 20th century, Daisy Fellowes’ collection of jewellery matched her unique image. A number of her pieces were auctioned by Sotheby’s in Geneva in 1991 and 2005. Daisy was renowned for her passion for jewellery and her collection was so celebrated in her lifetime that the news media and fashion press relayed to the world reports of the latest pieces she was seen wearing. Daisy Fellowes patronised the leading jewellers of her time, such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boivin and Jean Schlumberger. The jewels from her collection to be offered in Geneva have not been on the market previously. They include an exquisite tiara dating from the early 19th century. Set with diamonds in the shape of oak leaves, it is estimated at $/CHF 60,000-100,000 Also included is a cabochon sapphire-set ring dating from the 1930s, its mount inlaid with diamonds and cabochon sapphires (estimate: $/CHF 20,000-30,000). Also in the sale are some very fine pieces from the Collection of Henriette de l’Espine, S.A.S. La Princesse Louis de Croÿ, including a topaz and diamond bracelet, dating from circa 1830 (estimate: $/CHF 32,000-48,000). The central oval pink topaz can be detached to be worn as a brooch. The strong pink colour of the stone is set off by vine leaf motifs set in diamonds. Another highlight of the collection is a mid-19th century diamond devant de corsage, its design inspired by nature (estimate: $/CHF 80,000-110,000) and an impressive and important diamond corsage ornament, signed by Vever, circa 1900 (estimate: $/CHF 155,000-235,000. This piece has remained in the same family collection for a century and is one of the most important pieces of French Belle Epoque jewellery to come to the market for many years.
Another sale highlight is an impressive 206.82 carat sapphire pendant let with diamonds, created by Cartier in 1951. Formerly in the collection of the Duchess of Windsor, this piece is estimated at $/CHF 1.1-1.5 million. Throughout their lives together, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor shared a passion for jewellery and commissioned many pieces from some of the greatest jewellers of their time. Those ordered by Edward for Wallis here often based on his own ideas, for he derived considerable pleasure from the creative hours spent watching master jewellers at work. The auction of the Duchess of Windsor’s jewellery collection created a sensation in Geneva in April 1987. Jewellery lovers and collectors rubbed shoulders with history enthusiasts at the event. And while some simply wanted a chance to see or bid farewell to the magnificent jewels of the lady who had lit up post-war French high society and for whom the King of England had abdicated, others cherished the secret hope of capturing part of the legend for themselves. A marquee had to be set up on the lakeside in front of the Beau-Rivage Hotel, which could not cope with the crowds who attended. For two days, as many as 2,000 people followed the two auction The Noble Jewels sale also includes a fine pearl and diamond tiara from an aristocratic collection. This piece, set with diamonds and estimated at $/CHF 120,000-160,000, is designed as a garland of stylised myrtle leaves. It is embellished with seven pearls, and part of the garland detaches to be worn as a brooch.
A diamond tiara dating from circa 1900 (illustrated left) fromthe collection of a European Princely Family, is estimated at
Another piece from the Collection of a Noble Family included in the sale is a brooch bringing together two miracles of nature,
An important emerald and diamond sautoir from the 1930s, the property of a British Noble Family, is expected to fetch $/CHF
MAGNIFICENT JEWELS The diamond owes its incomparable beauty to its unique capacity for capturing light, holding it, fragmenting it and dispersing it, glittering as nothing else can. The various possible cuts enhance this effect still further. A diamond’s colour often depends on the mine from which it came; it can be white, yellow, green, blue, pink, red or brown. Once again, the diamonds offered in Sotheby’s Spring auction this year are in a variety of colours; they include a Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond, oval-cut and weighing 5.06 carats (estimate:$/CHF 2.35-2.85 million and a Fancy Vivid Blue pearshaped diamond of 3.73 carats1, potentially flawless, offered with an estimate of $/CHF 2.8-3.5 million. These two very fine stones are both mounted as rings. Also in the sale is a magnificent pear-cut diamond, Fancy Deep Yellow-Brown in colour, weighing 41.73 carats and suspended from a diamond necklace. It is estimated at $/CHF 310,000- 510,000. Among the coloured gemstones on offer is a ring set with an extremely rare 14.63 carat Burmese ruby which is estimated at $/CHF 2-3 million. There is general agreement among gemmologists that the greatest rubies in the world come from mines in a small area of Northern Myanmar (Burma), close to the town of Mogok. They would also agree that such rubies rank among the rarest of precious stones. Sotheby’s is therefore proud to be offering this superb Burmese ruby at auction. A magnificent bracelet composed of four rows of emerald beads separated by brilliant-cut and baguette diamonds also features in the sale (estimate: $/CHF 100,000-150,000. Emeralds, together with diamonds, rubies and sapphires, are among the four most precious of stones. The colour of this gemstone, whose name derives from the Greek word smaragdos, meaning ‘to shine’ is so unique that any colour approximating to it is described as ‘emerald green’. In the late 1920s, Van Cleef & Arpels signed a very fine sautoir ncluded in the sale, a detail of which is shown on the left2. Set with diamonds of various cuts, this necklace’s geometric design is typical of the 1920s, suspending a diamond tassel pendant (illustrated left). As was the fashion at the time, the necklace separates into bracelets, a choker and a pendant. It is estimated at $/CHF 150,000-250,000. A very fine necklace dating from 1905 from a private collection is also likely to be of interest to lovers and collectors of vintage jewellery.
MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, NOBLE JEWELS AND JEWELS FROM THE COLLECTION OF LILY MARINHO
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