Harry Winston Diamond Earrings Could Fetch Nearly $4 Million at Christie’s Geneva Sale

Pear-shaped diamond earrings by Harry Winston estimated to fetch $3.2 million and $3.9 million. Photo Credit: CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2012

Pear-shaped diamond earrings by Harry Winston weighing 16.21 and 15.67 carats is the top lot of the May 16 Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. The set of D/VVS2, potentially flawless diamond earrings is expected to fetch $3.2 million and $3.9 million.

More than 340 lots estimated to bring in more than $50 million will be offered by the auction house in Geneva, including a colored diamond ring (whose history is closely linked to Hollywood legends Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton), jewelry that once belonged to Mexian movie icon Maria Felix, a diamond tiara commissioned for the wedding of Count Carlo Raggio and Marchioness Tea Spinola in 1909, and a collection of Cartier cats.

Photo Credit: CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2012

A 12.6-carat fancy brown-orange diamond ring (pictured above) that was offered to Elizabeth Taylor by Richard Burton in 1975 while they were in Africa is estimated at $600,000 – $800,000. Taylor refused the present, arguing that the money should be spent for building a hospital in Botswana.

Photo Credit: CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2012

Other significant items include a diamond flower brooch (pictured above) that is expected to fetch $2.5 million – $3 million and a 33.07-carat cushion-shaped Kashmir sapphire ring that is estimated to sell for 2.5 million – $3 million.

Photo Credit: CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2012

A Belle Epoque old-cut diamond tiara (pictured above) was part of a large group of exceptional jewels, specially commissioned by Italian jeweler Filippo Chiappe (1863-1936), for the wedding of Count Carlo Raggio and Marchioness Tea Spinola in 1909. Appointed court jeweler to the Savoy House and official supplier to the Italian Royal Family in 1913, Filippo Chiappe is one of the most famous Italian jewelers of his time. It has an estimate of $320,000 – $530,000.

Photo Credit: CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD. 2012

Jeanne Toussaint, appointed director of jewellery at Cartier in 1933, is credited with the creation of “Big Cat” jewelry. The Duke of Windsor commissioned a panther brooch in the late 1940s, and since then the panther has become an iconic Cartier motif. A great example of the legendary “Big Cat” series is a diamond, colored diamond, onyx and emerald tiger brooch created by Cartier in the 1960s. Designed as a tiger hanging from a baguette-cut diamond hoop, its body, tail and head set with yellow diamonds and onyx, its estimate is $290,000 – $380,000.

The highlight of a section dedicated to antique Indian jewels is the set of diamond, enamel and gold jewelry from the collection of Mexican movie legend María Félix (1914-2002). Comprising of a brooch designed as a Mughal tulip set with table-cut diamonds, a bracelet set with octagonal and pear shaped table-cut diamonds, a necklace centering upon a table-cut diamond flower-head with old-cut diamond leaves, and a pair of modern ear pendants, designed as diamond flower-heads, this set dates back to the 19th century and will be offered as a single lot with an estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million.

Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale will be held at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, May 16 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Viewings in Geneva will be held May 11 till May 16.

Elizabeth Taylor Two-Day Jewelry Sale Fetches a Record Breaking $137.2 Million

Francois Curiel Leads the auction Wednesday.

NEW YORK - Nothing could have topped Tuesday night’s $115.9 million jewelry auction of Elizabeth Taylor’s Legendary Jewelry and no one expected that to happen. However, the second and final day of the jewelry sale, held Wednesday at Christie’s New York fetched another exceptional result: $21.3 million.

The two days of marathon auctions achieved the combined total of more than $137.2 million, making it “not only the most valuable private collection of jewelry ever offered at auction, but also the most valuable sale of jewelry in auction history,” the auction house said Wednesday. 

Again, 100 percent of the lots were sold during the eight-hour sale and no more than one item sold for its auction estimate. Sales 10 times the high estimate was the norm. Two items sold for more than $1 million. They are:

An antique garland-designed necklace with suspended natural and rose cut diamonds sold for nearly $1.5 million and was the top lot of the daylong session. The high estimate was $150,000.

The other was the most anticipated piece, the Burton wedding bands. Two eternity bands, the first designed as a baguette-cut diamond eternity band, mounted in gold; the second designed as a circular-cut and single-cut diamond octagonal-shaped eternity band, mounted in white gold. The pair sold for just over $1 million after 15 minutes of intense bidding. The high estimate was $8,000.

“It took eight hours and three auctioneers to sell 190 more jewels from Elizabeth Taylor’s storied collection,” said François Curiel, international director of jewelry at Christie’s. “The atmosphere was electric from the very first to the last lot, with collectors from Asia, the Middle East, Europe and America chasing each individual jewel with a tenacity never seen before.”

Wednesday’s event at Christie’s Rockefeller Center headquarters was more casual than the intense black tie affair Tuesday night, but it had plenty of moments of intense bidding, dramatic pauses and even moments of humor. Like the previous auction estimates were treated as something one needn’t be bothered with.

Online bidders were strongly involved in many items and there were many other bidders on the phone from around the world. Curiel said the spectacular results of the prior night’s sale led to more international interest. Circular cut amethyst with turquoise ear clips led to a battle among three online bidders before selling for $52,500. New Zealand’s name came up during several bids.

Jewelry from the House of Taylor did very well with three lots selling for more than $200,000. Taylor licensed her to the company, which produced fine jewelry at several price points. Rge short-lived company had a spectacular rise and sudden fall in 2008 during the beginnings of the economic recession.

Pieces from many of the luxury jewelry brands associated with Taylor for years (Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Bulgari and others) had another exceptional day.

Bidders whom I spoke with were awestruck by the selling prices over the two days. But they were smiling, knowing that they were part of a once in a lifetime event. Los Angeles-based jewelry designer, Lorraine Schwartz, a friend of Taylor who designed some of her jewelry, tried to buy back one of the pieces. She lost.

“I was thinking like the dealer that I am,” she said. “I just couldn’t bring myself to go higher.”

One of the more unusual lots was a suite of paper jewelry that Forbes founder, Malcolm Forbes, gave to Taylor as a gag gift. It sold for $6,875. Its estimate was $200 to $300. How do you explain this?

The longest and most intense bidding was for the Burton wedding rings, the last lot of the two-day sale. There was several moments of extended silence as Rahul Kadakia, head of Christie’s jewelry department in the Americas, extended the bidding as the price moved up in tiny increments.

When the gavel finally sounded, the audience let out a breath and applauded.