Dec 11th - Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels New York

MAGNIFICENT JEWELS AT SOTHEBY’S NEW YORK 

  December 11, 2013, Featuring:

RARE EGYPTIAN-REVIVAL JEWELS BY CARTIER 

JEWELS FROM DISTINGUISHED FAMILY AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS 

December 11th, Sotheby’s will hold their auction of Magnificent Jewels in New York, with a public exhibition beginning December 7th in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries. 

Lisa Hubbard, Chairman, North & South America, Sotheby’s International Jewelry Division, said: 

“Sotheby’s has broken world auction record after world auction record in our jewelry sales this fall in both Hong Kong and Geneva, establishing new benchmark prices for any diamond, any jewel and any jewelry auction. Our December sale in New York is distinguished by a number of true masterpieces, including five extremely rare Art Deco Egyptian-revival jewels designed by Cartier, and an iconic Boucheron bracelet of African inspiration that was first exhibited at the 1931 Exposition Coloniale Internationale in Paris. We also are offering two important private collections: one from the family of an American heiress, whose jewels have spent most of the last 60 years secreted in a bank vault and testify to a glamorous lifestyle in the first half of the 20th century, and the other a contemporary collection of sensational emerald jewels and fancy vivid yellow diamonds."

MAGNIFICENT JEWELS FROM A DISTINGUISHED FAMILY COLLECTION 

More than 30 jewels from a Distinguished Family Collection provide a fascinating look at the taste of an American heiress who lived in Europe in the 1930s–50s. She favored Cartier, 

Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels for her own jewels, and refashioned others inherited from her mother. The group offered in December represents only a portion of the original collection, as Sotheby’s previously sold jewels from the collection in 2009 and 2011. 

The group is led by a Magnificent Platinum and Diamond Ring, set with a 24.48 carat D-color, VS1 clarity emerald-cut diamond (left, est. $1.5/2.5 million), as well as an Indian inspired Important 18 Karat Gold, Emerald and Diamond Necklace, Cartier, London, special ordered in 1947 and set with more than 100 carats of Colombian emeralds (above, est. $600/800,000). 

Also from Cartier, London is a Pair of 18 Karat Gold, Emerald, Ruby and Diamond Earclips, circa 1940 (est. $75/100,000), inspired by the lush flora and fauna of India. Complementing the Cartier jewels is a Gold, Emerald, Diamond and Ruby Brooch, circa 1945, encasing a 41.20 carat Colombian emerald in an ornate diamond frame . A selection of Art Deco evening bags, fine gemstone rings and decorative jewels complete the collection. 

RARE EGYPTIAN-REVIVAL JEWELS 

The discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 ignited a blaze of Egypt-mania and the 

instantaneous introduction of decorative elements from Egyptian culture into fine arts, interior design, fashion and jewelry. At this time, Louis Cartier, a collector of Egyptian antiquities, had the novel idea of reincarnating some of his ancient Egyptian faience fragments by mounting them into modern settings using platinum, diamonds and colored stones. 

It is believed that Cartier produced only 150 such Egyptian-revival jewels in the mid-to-late 1920s, and several very rare examples are featured in the December auction. The Magnificent and Rare Egyptian-revival Faience and Jeweled Brooch, Cartier, London, circa 1923 (right, est. $300/500,000) is designed as an Egyptian fan centering an ancient green glazed bust of the goddess Sekhmet, set against the lapis lazuli sky twinkling with diamond stars – one of only two fan-shaped brooches ever made by Cartier, London. This particular brooch was exhibited in 1924 at the French Industrial Exposition, Grand Central Palace, New York. 

Sotheby’s also will offer property formerly from the Estate of Iya, Lady Abdy, which includes four Egyptian-Revival jewels – two signed by Cartier. Lady Abdy was a leading light of Parisian society in the 1920s-30s, a friend of Coco Chanel and Jean Cocteau, and a style icon in her own right. She was much photographed by Man Ray and Cecil Beaton, and for Vogue by George Hoyningen Huene. Her remarkable collection at Sotheby’s includes the Rare and Important 18 Karat Gold, Platinum, Faience, Diamond, Colored Stone and Enamel ‘Sekhmet’ Brooch, Cartier, Paris, circa 1925 (left, est. $200/300,000) and the Platinum, Gold, Diamond, Faience and Colored Stone ‘Pylon’ Brooch, Cartier, London, circa 1923 (est. 

$50/70,000). Lady Abdy was photographed wearing the latter jewel for American Vogue in 1928. 

THE COLLECTION OF MARIA MONET MARKOWITZ 

The Collection of Maria Monet Markowitz comprises 40 elegant pieces dating from the 19th to mid-20th centuries. Markowitz is actively involved in the acclaimed Jewelry Arts Institute in New York, which teaches the ancient technique of granulation and more modern approaches to jewelry-making. Her curated collection focuses on period timepieces and the chronological progression of jewelry design.  Highlights on offer include the Platinum, Colored Stone and Diamond Lapel Watch, Udall & Ballou, circa 1930 (est. $20/30,000), and a Pair of Platinum, Colored Stone and Diamond Clips by Tiffany & Co., late 1920s (right, est. $30/50,000) – purported to be the only known example of Tiffany & working in the ‘Tutti Frutti’ style. 

CUSTOM BULGARI EARRINGS 

BENEFITTING THE ELIZABETH TAYLOR AIDS FOUNDATION 

Bulgari will offer a custom-designed exclusive Pair of 18 Karat Gold, Spinel, Turquoise and Diamond Earrings (left, est. $18/22,000) inspired by Elizabeth Taylor and her film CLEOPATRA, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. In tribute to Ms. Taylor, Bulgari will donate 100% of the proceeds of the sale of the earrings to The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in support of her courageous life’s work in raising awareness and providing care for those affected by HIV/AIDS around the world. 

ADDITIONAL AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS 

Seminal designs by Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. from a Distinguished American Collector include the 18 Karat Gold, Platinum, Sapphire and Diamond ‘Morning Glory’ Necklace (detail right, est. $100/150,000), an example of which was most recently presented in Vivienne Becker’s book The Impossible Collection: The 100 Most Important Jewels of the Twentieth Century. 

Also featured in Becker’s book is the 18 Karat Gold, Malachite, Purpurine and Ivory Bracelet, Boucheron, Paris, circa 1931 (est. $150/250,000). An iconic modernist jewel which exemplifies the influence of African art and artifacts on jewelry design, this bracelet 

was exhibited by Boucheron at the 1931 Exposition Coloniale Internationale in Paris. 

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Sotheby’s has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. Sotheby’s became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby’s presents auctions in nine different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby’s BidNow program allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids in real-time from anywhere in the world. Sotheby’s offers collectors the resources of Sotheby’s Financial Services, the world’s only full-service art financing company, as well as private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby’s Contemporary Art department, as well as Sotheby’s Diamonds and Sotheby’s Wine. Sotheby’s has a global network of 90 offices in 40 countries and is the oldest company listed 

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*Estimates do not include buyer’s premium and prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium.