Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron and Chaumet Will Return To La Biennale Paris In 2018

The entrance to the Grand Palais during the 2016 La Biennale Paris. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

The big news for jewelry lovers wasn’t even announced at the Tuesday press breakfast hosted by a few of the new board members of the La Biennale Paris (formerly known as Biennale des Antiquaires), the annual event held at the Grand Palais in Paris in September. 

In the world I cover the story is that the Place Vendôme jewelers—Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron and Chaumet—will return to La Biennale in 2018. These French brands and other jewelers (Wallace Chan and Bulgari among them) left the antiques fair last year when the new board reduced the size of the exhibition booths. The French brands were a centerpiece of the annual fair. Their popularity also led the antiques complain that they were getting too much of the spotlight. it is after all an antiques and art fair

Mathias Ary Jan, president of the National des Antiquaires (SNA), which owns and operates the fair, said was important that the thoroughly French fair welcome these jewelry brands back into the fold. It seemed that the jewelers were also eager to return. 

“They are a vital part of our French heritage,” he said following the event. “It was important to have them participate.” 

Also representing the fair at the press breakfast were Eric Coatalem, SNA treasurer, and Christopher “Kip” Forbes, president of the Biennale Commission, which oversees the event. 

The jewelry portion of La Biennale was reduced from 14 exhibitors in 2014 to four in 2016—Cindy Chao, de Grisogono, Boghossian and Nirav Modi. (There were 14 jewelers in 2014.) None were from France and only one, de Grisogono, showed previously at the fair a number of years ago. They will all return this year. 

In addition, for the first time the fair will host Swiss watchmakers. The two chosen were F. P. Journe and DeWitt are known for producing a small number of high-end hand-crafted timepieces. This followed last year’s special presentation at the fair of an historical non-selling timepiece exhibit by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, an organization tasked with preserving the historical heritage of high watchmaking. 

The 2017 La Biennale Paris will be open to the public September 11 – 17, with a private viewing September 10. To date, there are 92 confirmed exhibitors, a number they would like to see improve as there were 113 exhibitors last year. 

A total of 29 exhibitors are from outside France. There are no exhibitors from the U.S., something that the SNA would like to change. In this regard one of Forbes’ major tasks will be to attract U.S. exhibitors and collectors to what is considered one of the world’s most important antiques fairs. On Monday, Forbes, vice chairman of the Forbes Publishing and avid art collector, with the two SNA representatives, hosted a reception for about 50 collectors and gallery owners. 

“For the Biennale not to have any American exhibitors, is something this dynamic new president (Jan) will address,” Forbes said. Both Forbes and Jan spoke about the landmark Grand Palais as an attraction and as a symbol of the fair’s importance.

“One of the challenges of the Grand Palais is everybody has to almost have to compete with one of the most staggeringly breathtaking buildings in Paris,” Forbes said. “So you have to raise the bar pretty high.” 

The main news has been known for some time. This year marks the first time the fair will be held annually since its founding in 1962. The organization, for now at least, will not change the “Biennale” name. 

This new group of leaders are very aggressive in making changes to the event so there will be more news coming. 

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Diamond Tiara from Maureen Swanson Could Fetch $235,000

Diamond tiara from the late Countess of Dudley, also known as the actress and dancer Maureen Swanson.

With the ongoing celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee, it seems fitting that Christie’s London sale of Important Jewels on June 13 would focus on royal and aristocratic jewels.

A total of 368 lots include jewels from the collections of Princess Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiary, Beatrice Countess of Granard OBE, and the late Countess of Dudley. Spanning four centuries, the sale has rare historic rings, diamonds and pearls. The roll call of signed jewels by the leading houses and designers includes: Boucheron, Cartier, Chaumet, Chopard, Graff and Van Cleef & Arpels.

One of the top pieces of the sale is an Art Deco diamond tiara by Cartier (pictured above) from the collection of the late Countess of Dudley, also known as the actress and dancer Maureen Swanson, with an estimate of £100,000 – £150,000 ($156,850 – $235,270). It is one of 17 jewels offered from the collection up for sale. The tiara is “composed of five graduated shield shaped clip brooches, each resembling the Pylon, the tapering monumental towers of ancient Egypt whose bold form inspired so much 1930s design,” Christie’s said. “Together, mounted atop the simple diamond line frame, these clips are transformed into a modern soaring geometric skyline, their design recalling both the architectural innovations of the era together with its inimitable style.”

The sale also will be led by the Cowdray Pearls, a rare natural pearl necklace, composed of a single row of thirty-eight graduated natural grey pearls, with an estimated price of £280,000 – £350,000 ($440,000 – $549,000). It is from the collection of the late Viscountess Cowdray, Lady Pearson (1860-1932).

Leading the small group of jewels formerly from the collection of Princess Soraya Esfandiary Bakhtiary is a 12.15 carat diamond circular single-stone ring (estimate: £70,000 – £100,000; $110,000 – $156,850). Another ring with notable provenance is an Edwardian sapphire and diamond ring, circa 1905, which was formerly in the collection of Beatrice Countess of Granard OBE (estimate: £30,000 – £40,000; $47,000 – $63,000).

A selection of 40 lots from Cartier, including jewels, cufflinks, watches and clocks, is a highlight of the auction. This portion of the sale is led by an Art Deco diamond and gem bracelet of Oriental inspiration, circa 1925 (estimate: £100,000 – £150,000; $156,850 – $235,270), and a pair of platinum and diamond ear pendants, composed of a graduated line of three brilliant-cut diamonds, suspending a pear-shaped diamond drop (estimate: £100,000 – £150,000; $156,850 – $235,270).

For information on all the lots offered in the sale, view the online catalog.

Lily Safra’s Jewels for Hope Raises $38 Million for Charity, Sets 2 Records

The highly anticipated auction of “Jewels For Hope: The Collection of Mrs. Lily Safra,” held Monday at Christie's Geneva raised $37.9 million with 100 percent sold by lot and by value, far exceeding its pre-sale estimate. 

The top lot of the sale was a 32.08 carats cushion-shaped Burmese ruby and diamond ring, known as “The Hope Ruby”by Chaumet (pictured above), which sold for $6.7 million, well above its $5 million high estimate. It is a world record price for any ruby sold at auction. 

Tourmaline and diamond flower brooch by JAR sold for more than $1.2 million.

A group of 18 jewels by JAR, the largest ever seen on the market from a single-owner collection, sold 100 percent by lot and by value, totaling more than $11.4 million—the most valuable private-owner collection of JAR jewels ever sold at auction.

“Mrs. Safra received a standing ovation as she walked into the saleroom at the end of the sale to thank every buyer and bidder who contributed to this evening’s great success,” said Rahul Kadakia, head of Christie's Geneva and New York Jewellery Departments.

It was announced prior to the sale that the full proceeds from the auction would benefit 20 charitable institutions. As a result of the sale’s success, The Lily Safra Foundation decided to add 12 additional organizations as beneficiaries.

“From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone who participated in this evening’s success,” Safra said. “I am overjoyed, knowing that so many people in need around the world will benefit.”

The 32 organizations that will benefit from the sale are as follows:

* Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, Rwanda
* ALEH: Caring for Israel‟s Disabled
* Alfredo J. Monteverde School, Natal, Brazil
* A Window to Tomorrow – A Computer for Every Child, Israel
* Children Action, Geneva, Switzerland
* Claude Pompidou Institute for Alzheimer‟s Disease, Nice, France
* Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
* Edmond and Lily Safra Children‟s Hospital, Tel Hashomer, Israel
* Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland
* Elton John AIDS Foundation (worldwide)
* Fight AIDS Monaco
* Henry Street Settlement, New York
* Hope and Homes for Children, Romania
* Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
* Imperial College, London: Edmond J. Safra Chair in Neuropsychopharmacology & Edmond J. Safra Chair in Radiochemistry
* Institute for Brain and Spinal Cord Disorders, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris
* Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
* Jordan River Village Camp for seriously ill children
* Keren Shemesh, Israel
* King‟s College, London: Edmond and Lily Safra Parkinson‟s Research Fellowships
* Le ballet de l‟Opéra national de Paris
* Les Restaurants du Coeur, France
* Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson‟s Research, USA
* Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York
* New York University, Parkinson and Movement Disorders Center
* Royal Opera House, London
* UNICEF, USA
* Université Joseph Fourier, Institut des Neurosciences, Bâtiment Edmond J. Safra & Institut Clinatec, Centre de Recherche Edmond J. Safra, Grenoble, France
* University of Toronto and Toronto Western Hospital, Canada: Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson‟s Disease (Dr. Anthony Lang & Dr. Andres Lozano)
* Water Treatment Program, Amélia Rodrigues (Bahia), Brazil
* Yad Vashem International School, Israel
* Yahad-In Unum, France