Sotheby’s New York Auction of MAGNIFICENT JEWELS - April 29th

Sotheby’s New York Auction of

MAGNIFICENT JEWELS

Featuring 

Singular Colored Gemstones

&

Jewels from the Estate of Eydie Gorme:

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NEW YORK, 29 APRIL 2014

Sotheby’s annual spring auction of Magnificent Jewels in New York will be held on 29 April 2014. The auction will offer more than 450 lots at a wide range of estimates, together expected to achieve more than $37 million*. Highlights from the sale have traveled to three continents this spring, and will return to New York for exhibition in Sotheby’s York Avenue galleries beginning 25 April. The exhibition also will include: highlights from the 13 May sale of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels in Geneva; a selection of Important Watches to be sold on 10 June; and pieces from our Sotheby’s Diamonds retail collection.

AN EXCEPTIONAL KASHMIR SAPPHIRE

The April sale will offer one of the finest Kashmir sapphires ever to appear at auction. The Exceptional Platinum, Sapphire and Diamond Ring (est. $4/5 million) features a square emerald-cut Kashmir sapphire weighing 28.18 carats set in a tapered baguette diamond mounting designed by Oscar Heyman & Brothers.

The stone has no indications of heat treatment and is described by the American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) as “a gem of singular importance.”   According to the AGL, “It possesses the quintessential, velvety blue color that distinguishes a fine Kashmir sapphire….The pleasing color of this sapphire is further enhanced by a square emerald-cut fashioning which resulting in deep, internal color reflections and brilliance that complement the overall visual appearance of the stone, as well as a high clarity that results in a heightened degree of transparency.” 

Gary Schuler, Senior Vice President and Director of the New York Jewelry Department commented: “The current world record price per carat for a Kashmir sapphire at auction is $175,821, achieved for the Richelieu Sapphires (26.66 and 20.88 carats) at Sotheby’s in Geneva in November 2013. The exceptional quality of this sapphire has the potential to reach historic heights as well, with proceeds benefiting a charitable foundation.”

MAGNIFICENT DIAMONDS 
and COLORED STONES

The selection of colored diamonds on offer in April is led by the Magnificent Fancy Intense Orangy Pink Diamond and Diamond Ring (est. $6/7 million). The beautifully-shaped, cushion-cut diamond of 15.23 carats, VS2 clarity, displays a soft, feminine color reminiscent of pink diamonds in historic and royal collections.

Also highlighting the important stones in the sale is The El Dorado Emerald (est. $1.8/2.2 million), an emerald-cut Colombian emerald weighing 36.53 carats, set in a platinum, 18 karat gold and diamond ring mounting. A prime example of the finest emerald material, the Classic Colombian emerald combines size, color and clarity without any kind of oil or resin enhancement.

In total, the April auction will offer more than 30 top-quality white diamond rings and diamond ear-studs weighing between 5 and 15 carats, estimated from $50,000 to $900,000.

  

JEWELS FROM THE ESTATE 
OF EYDIE GORME

The April auction will offer a stunning, romantic selection of jewels from the estate of Eydie Gorme, comprising both classic diamonds and decorative pieces. Almost all of the jewels in the collection were given to Gorme by her husband Steve Lawrence – together for more than 55 years, ‘Steve and Eydie’ reigned for decades as America’s most sophisticated and award-winning pop vocal duet.

Highlighting the collection are a Platinum and Diamond Ring, Harry Winston, 17.40 carats (est. $350/450,000) and a Platinum and Diamond Ring, set with a marquise-shape diamond of 7.51 carats, D color, Internally Flawless (est. $350/450,000) that Gorme received from Lawrence on the occasion of their 10^th wedding anniversary.  Also featured is a rivière style Platinum and Diamond Necklace (est. $250/350,000), which Lawrence gave to his wife for their 25^th wedding anniversary.

Lisa Hubbard, Chairman, The Americas, Sotheby’s International Jewelry Division said: “Not only were Eydie Gorme and Steve Lawrence gifted performers, they were a wonderful love story. Her very personal jewelry collection is a testament to one of the great, enduring romances in show business history. Eydie dreamed of one day owning a diamond in every classic shape, and Steve Lawrence made her dreams come true.”

ICONIC & VINTAGE SIGNED JEWELS

An Art Deco period Platinum, Emerald and Diamond Bracelet, Cartier, France, (est. $700/900,000) from a private collection leads the selection of beautiful signed jewels on offer in April. Also by Cartier is the iconic 18 Karat Gold, Colored Diamond, Diamond, Onyx and Emerald Bangle-Bracelet (est. $600/800,000) designed as twin tigers in repose on the wrist. In the menagerie of bejeweled animals created by Cartier, it is the felines, originally conceived by Jeanne Toussaint – the enlightened director of Haute Joallerie for Cartier during their most innovative years, who leapt into fashion history accessorizing the world’s best-dressed women. From Daisy Fellowes and Princess Nina Aga Khan to Barbara Hutton, Cartier’s ‘big cat’ jewels were much admired by the social elite once the trend-setting Duchess of Windsor was seen sporting their sleek, distinctive silhouettes in the late 1940s and 1950s. The influence of Jeanne Toussaint’s early designs has been ever-present in Cartier’s jewels for more than seventy years, as the cats remain one of the jeweler’s most popular motifs around the world.    

Another highlight of the signed jewels is the Gold, Fancy Intense Yellow Diamond and Emerald Ring, designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, signed Tiffany & Co., and made circa 1915-1920 (est. $100/150,000). On offer from a private collection, this rare example of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s work with yellow diamonds presents a lovely marquise-shaped diamond of 4.27 carats – potentially Internally Flawless – within an intricate filigree mounting reminiscent of ancient jewelry motifs.

FASHIONABLE DESIGNS

Fashion-forward collectors will love the array of jewels by Tony Duquette, the legendary American artist and designer whose fantastic jewels are distinguished by his bold use of color and volume. Featured from the collection of best-selling author Danielle Steel is Duquette’s Gold and Smoky Quartz Bracelet (est. $15/20,000), designed with nearly 700 carats of emerald-cut smoky quartz links. Collectors will also find bold style and vibrant color in pieces made by René Boivin, David Webb and contemporary designer Michele del la Valle.  

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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), andthe first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby’s presents auctions in eight 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 aglobal network of 90 offices in 40 countries and is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID).

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

World Auction Records Set By Sotheby's Geneva

History is Made in Geneva 

SOTHEBY'S ACHIEVES HIGHEST JEWELRY SALE TOTAL IN HISTORY 

The Magnificent Jewels Sale Totals 

$199,512,930 (CHF 183,054,500) 

The Pink Star renamed 'THE PINK DREAM' 

sets A WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A DIAMOND OR JEWEL 

AT $83,187,381 (CHF 76,325,000) 

The 59.60-carat Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid, Pink Diamond 

was bought by famous New York-based diamond cutter Isaac Wolf 

who renamed it "The Pink Dream" after the sale 

Among Other Auction Records Set Today: 

World Auction Record for a Jewel by Van Cleef & Arpels, 

A Pair of Colourless Diamonds, 

Sapphire Jewels, a Burmese and a Kashmir Sapphire 

& A Record Price Per Carat for a Sapphire 

David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby's Jewellery Division in Europe and the Middle East and
Chairman of Sotheby's Switzerland auctioneering the record-breaking Pink Star

This week, Sotheby's Geneva made history when it sold The Pink Star - a 59.60-carat oval cut pink diamond - for $83,187,381 (CHF 76,325,000), a world auction record for a diamond and any gemstone or jewel. This land mark price eclipsed the previous record at $46.2 million established three years ago by Sotheby's Geneva for the magnificent 'Graff Pink' - the 24.78 carat fancy intense pink diamond. 

Today's historic sale of Magnificent Jewels achieved $199,512,930 (CHF 183,054,500), the highest jewellery sale total in history (est. $121,635,591-165,432,534/ CHF 111,601,500- 151,785,500). 

Commenting on tonight's results, David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby's Jewellery Division in Europe and the Middle East and Chairman of Sotheby's Switzerland, said: "The Pink Star is a true masterpiece of nature. Its immense importance was reflected tonight in the strength of the bidding and we are thrilled that the record price it achieved earned it a place in history. Today's record sale is a further testimony to the strength and depth of the diamond and jewellery market. " 
Four bidders competed for the Pink Star which is the largest internally flawless fancy vivid pink diamond that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has ever graded. The diamond was bought after nearly five minutes by by the famous diamond cutter Isaac Wolf who has renamed it 'The Pink Dream' after the sale. The diamond - lot 372 in the sale - received the highest colour and clarity grades from the GIA for pink diamonds, it has also been found to be part of the rare subgroup comprising less than 2 % of all gem diamonds - known as Type IIa: stones in this group are chemically the purest of all diamond crystals and often have extraordinary optical transparency. Mined by De Beers in Africa in 1999, the 132.5 carat rough diamond was painstakingly cut and polished over a period of two years and transformed into this stunning gemstone. This was the first time the diamond was presented at auction, with an estimate of $60 million. The landmark price achieved established a world auction record for a diamond (including for a pink diamond and any coloured diamond) and for any jewel.

The "Walska Briolette Diamond" Brooch 

Among the iconic jewels with important provenance presented was The "Walska Briolette Diamond" Brooch. Created by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1971, this masterpiece of design showcases the historic "Walska Briolette Diamond'', a fancy vivid yellow diamond weighing 96.62 carats. On this night it achieved $10,555,778 - an auction record for a jewel by Van Cleef & Arpels (lot 373, est. in excess of $8 million), Once in the collection of opera singer and jewellery connoisseur, Ganna Walska (1887-1984), the briolette was subsequently mounted as a brooch and most recently exhibited at Van Cleef and Arpels retrospectives both at the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York, in 2011, and at the Palais Royal, Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, in 2012-13. 

Important Diamonds Also included in this rich offering of white diamonds of D colour - the finest colour grading for white diamonds. Among them was a pair of magnificent earrings set with brilliant-cut diamonds weighing 23.77 and 23.78 carats respectively, which surpassed the pre-sale high estimate to sell for $9,213,009 - a record for a pair of colourless diamonds. Both diamonds were cut from the same 161 carat rough and form a perfectly matched pair (lot 354, est. CHF 6,600,000-7 ,500,000/ $7,250,000- 8,250,000).
Blue diamonds featured strongly. A magnificent rectangular mixed-cut fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 5.04 carats and mounted as a ring rose above estimate and achieved $6,649,541 (lot 349, est. CH F 5,100,000-5,700,000/ $5,600,000-6,300,000), while a 5.51 carat pear­ shaped fancy intense blue diamond ring realized $5,428,842 (lot 330, est. CHF 4,220,000-5 ,000,000/ $4,650,000-5 ,450,000).
A further highlight of this section was an outstanding 20.80 carat marquise-shaped fancy vivid yellow diamond of exceptional hue, mounted as a ring which achieved $5,184,702, again well above its pre-sale high estimate (l ot 357, est. CH F 1,600 000- 2,500,000/ $1,750,000-2,750,000). 

Impressive Gemstones 

A group of impressive gemstones, led by a magnificent Burmese "Royal Blue" sapphire weighing 114.74 carats which almost quadrupled its pre-sale low estimate and sold for $7,137,821 - a world auction record for a Burmese sapphire (lot 355, est. CH F 1,650,000- 2,600,000/ $1,800,000-2,800,000). According to the SSE F, "a natural sapphire from Burma of this size and quality is very rare and exceptional and thus can be considered a true treasure of nature ".
Another fine example of Kashmir sapphire was found in a cushion-shaped sapphire weighing 21.42 carats, mounted as a ring and coming from the Estate of a European Royal Princess. The gemstone achieved$3,231,583), again four times its pre-sale estimate (lot 332, est. CHF 680,000- 910,000/ $750,000-1,000,000) . 
Burmese sapphires were also sought after, with a pair of very fine sapphire and diamond ear clips, each set with a Burmese sugarloaf cabochon weighing 32.47 and 36.80 carats respectively surpassed the pre-sale estimate and sold for $816,343 (lot 322, est. CHF 455,000-725,000/ $500,000-800 ,000). 

A cushion-shaped cabochon ruby weighing 31.30 carats and mounted as a ring by Cartier generated alot of attention. It almost tripled the pre-sale low estimate, selling for $1,077,921 (lot 314, est. 365,000-545,000/ $400,000-600,000)

Natural pearls - the rising stars of all gemstones - achieved strong prices. An extremely fine and highly important natural pearl necklace realized $5,672,982, almost four times its pre-sale estimate (lot 356, est. CH F 1,320,000-2,250,000/ $1,450,000- 2,450,000) . It was designed as a graduated row of fifty-two pearls measuring from approximately 7.95 to 12.50mm with a length of approximately 525 mm. 

Jewels with Important Provenance 

Continuing Sotheby's long tradition of offering jewels with noble and important provenance, the sale presented jewels from th e Collection of Odile de Richelieu (1879-1974), Countess Gabriel de La Rochefoucauld , Princess de La Rochefoucauld, daughter of the Duke of Richelieu and descendant to the family of the Cardinal de Richelieu, Louis XIII's chief minister and eminence grise. Sold in aid of a charitable foundation , the collection included The Richelieu Sapphires, a pair of rare and magnificent Kashmir sapphires weighing a total of 47 carats, mounted with diamonds as earrings which generated a lot of enthusiasm and sold for $8,358,520 - an auction record for sapphire jewels, a Kashmir sapphire and a record price per carat for a sapphire (lot 371, est. CHF 2,300,000-4,200,000/ $2,500,000- 4,500,000, photo below).

The sale was further distinguished with jewels from the Estate of the late Gunter Sachs (1932-2011), including a gem-set and diamond parure "Tutti Frutti" by Cartier which achieved $607,080 (lot 337, est. CH F 230,000-365,000/ $250,000- 400,000). A superb Art Deco bracelet from the 1930s, centering on a marquise-shaped diamond weighing 9.38 carats, which can also be worn as a choker realized $1,051,763, four times its pre-sale low estimate (lot 338, est. CHF 230,000-365,000/ $250,000-400,000).

The auction also featured a magnificent jewel that once belonged to Lily Pons (1898-1976), the celebrated international opera singer. Th is emerald and diamond necklace made by Van Cleef & Arpels circa 1948 almost doubled the pre-sale expectation and sold for $450,133 (lot 336, est. CH F 230,000- 320,000/ $250,000-350,000).

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 8 different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris, and Geneva 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, 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 on the New York Stock Exchange (BID).

For More News From Sotheby’s:Visit: www.sothebys.com/en/inside/services/press/news/news.htmlFollow: www.twitter.com/sothebys
Join: www.facebook.com/sothebys & www.weibo.com/sothebyshongkong
Watch: www.youtube.com/sothebys

Sotheby's Shatters Records For Magnificent & Noble Jewels in Geneva

SOTHEBY’S 17 MAY 2011 GENEVA SALE OF 

MAGNIFICENT & NOBLE JEWELS 

SETS A WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A TIARA

A Magnificent and Extremely Rare Emerald and Diamond Tiara

formerly in the Collection of Princess Katharina Henckel von Donnersmarck Achieves

$12,736,927 (Est. $5-10 million) 

...also Represents a World Auction Record for a Piece of Emerald Jewelery

A Superb Pink Diamond Sells To International Jewellers Leviev

For $10,840,358

The Third Highest Price for a Pink Diamond at Auction

The Ninth Highest Price for a Diamond at Auction

Auction Sale Totals  $89,121,687

Third Highest Total For A Sale of Jewellery At Auction

Last night, Sotheby’s Geneva sold the most important emerald and diamond tiara to have appeared at auction in over 30 years for $12,736,927, the highest price ever achieved for a tiara at auction. Six bidders competed for the magnificent and extremely rare emerald and diamond tiara, circa 1900, which was formerly in the Collection of Princess Katharina Henckel von Donnersmarck (est. $5-10 million [lot 443]); the price it fetched also represented an auction record for a piece of emerald jewelery. The total for the entire sale of Magnificent and Noble Jewels was $89,121,687 (est. $ 47.3 – 77.9 million).

Commenting on this evening’s sale, David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Department for Europe and the Middle East, said: “Sotheby’s was honoured to be able to offer perhaps the grandest piece of jewellery to come to sale in over 30 years and the market responded with enthusiasm. This evening’s results, across the board -- in Noble Jewels, diamonds, coloured gemstones, and pieces signed by the world’s greatest jewelers – show the extraordinary appetite among connoisseurs for rarity, quality and provenance.”

International jewellers Leviev outbid four underbidders to purchase a superb fancy intense pink diamond, weighing 10.99 carats, for $10,840,358, the third highest price for a pink diamond (the ninth highest price for a diamond at auction). Pink diamonds have been prized for their rarity and spectacular beauty ever since they were first discovered in the mines of India centuries ago. This superb stone, mounted as a ring, has been graded “fancy intense pink”, natural colour and VS1 clarity by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). It has been further assessed to be part of a very rare subgroup of diamonds known as type IIa and comprising less than 2% of all of the world’s gem diamonds. Estimated at $9-16 million this stone was offered for sale from a private collection and has not appeared on the market for more than 30 years.

NOBLE JEWELS

Among other highlights of the Noble Jewels section were jewels from the Collection of the Excelentísima Sra. Condesa vda. de Romanones, a Grande de España who was recruited to become an OSS agent in Madrid during World War II before marrying Don Luis de Figueroa y Perez de Guzmán el Bueno, Count of Quintanilla in 1947. From the Countess of Romanones collection was an emerald and diamond demi-parure from the 1960s, which was competed for by six bidders and sold for $409,230 (lot 407, est. $103,000-147,000), a ruby and diamond necklace/brooch combination from the 1970s, which sold for $192,479 (lot 409, est. $81,500-147,000) and a pair of ruby and diamond pendent earrings, 1950s, which sold for $19,756 (lot 410, est.
$15,000-20,000).



Testament to the Countess’ close relationship to the Duke and the Duchess of Windsor was an important “Cadenas” diamond bracelet/watch, gifted to the Countess by the Duchess herself. Dating circa 1936, this exquisite piece signed Van Cleef & Arpels, which sold for five times the high estimate to fetch $409,230 (lot 411, est. $49,900-68,500).

White Diamonds

Among a group of exceptional white diamonds which are D colour were signed pieces, including an attractive
diamond ring by GRAFF, set with a cushion-shaped brilliant-cut internally flawless diamond weighing 16.53 carats, which sold for $2,874,769 (lot 490, est. $1,500,000-2,500,000) and a diamond ring by M. Gerard, featuring a marquise-shaped diamond weighing 15.76 carats, which was competed for by five bidders and sold for $1,483,952 (lot 471, est. $900,000-1,600,000).

Coloured Gemstones

The offering of coloured stones was led by an exceptionally large assortment of Kashmir sapphires, the finest sapphires in the world, including a sapphire and diamond ring, set with an octagonal step-cut sapphire weighing 8.74 carats and dating from circa 1930, which sold for $463,418 (lot 464, est. $250,000-340,000); an attractive sapphire and diamond brooch designed as stylised floral spray, competed for by five bidders and sold for more than three times the estimate to bring $1,610,390 (lot 488, est. $200,000-400,000), and a pair of sapphire and diamond pendent ear clips, suspending a cushion-sapphire weighing 7.30 and 7.07 carats respectively, which sold for $1,222,045 (lot 489, $200,000-400,000.

Completing this selection of coloured gemstones were two impressive Burmese rubies: The first - a spectacular 30.20 carat cushion-shaped ruby, mounted as a ring - sold for $4,265,586 (lot 484, est. $2,000,000–4,000,000); the second – a 29.40 carat oval ruby mounted as a ring by Cartier - sold for $1,483,952 (lot 469, est. $1,000,000-2,000,000).

A superb emerald and diamond ring, set with an octagonal step-cut Colombian emerald weighing 12.03
carats, which has been described by the SSEF laboratory as “a very exceptional treasure”, sold for $625,981 (lot 468, est. $500,000-800,000).

Fine period and signed jewels...

Among the period jewels was a masterpiece of Art Deco jewellery, a fine diamond bracelet created by Boucheron circa 1925, which sold for $625,981 (lot 485, est. $120,000-180,000). Among the other great signatures in the sale was a stunning pair of gem-set and diamond ear clips by JAR, which sold for $382,136 (lot 447, est. $100,000-200,000).

Sotheby's Magnificent Pink Diamond

The undeniable highlight of the forthcoming Magnificent Jewels sale is an exceptionally important and truly magnificent Fancy Intense Pink Emerald-cut Diamond weighing 24.78 carats. Join David Bennett for an intimate view of this superb jewel in advance of its sale on the 16 November in Geneva.

AUCTION: Magnificent Jewels (Click auction title for full catalog) DATE & TIME Session 1: Tue, 16 Nov 10, 10:00 AM, Lots 1 - 185 Session 2: Tue, 16 Nov 10, 2:00 PM, Lots 237 - 431 Session 3: Tue, 16 Nov 10, 7:00 PM, Lots 432 - 550

Canturi Designer Barbie to Benefit Breast Cancer Research

Canturi Jewels unveiled their "Barbie by Stefano Canturi" in NYC at Vogue's Fashion's Night Out events last month and that started this glamorous Barbie's Tour of the US and Europe which will end at Christies Auction House.

The New York Daily News reports:

The curvaceous, custom-designed doll is donning a necklace featuring a 1-carat pink diamond. She's being offered Oct. 20 at Christie's auction house in New York for an estimated $300,000 to $500,000. At that selling price, Christie's says she would be the world's most expensive Barbie.

All proceeds will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Jeweler Stefano Canturi arranged the emerald-cut, fancy vivid diamond in a geometric pattern with smaller white diamonds, totaling 3 carats. He also designed the doll's black strapless dress, stilettos, hair and other features.

The world auction record for a Barbie is $17,091, set in 2006 at Christie's London.

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