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Flawless diamonds to shine in Sotheby's sale
November 17, 2009
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| Designed by master jeweler JAR, these diamond, ruby and emerald rings will be among the items up for auction at Sotheby's Dec. 9 Magnificent Jewels sale. The rings hail from the collection of Lucia Moreira Salles, a philanthropist and model who was a muse to Valentino and Coco Chanel. |
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New York--An array of flawless colorless diamonds, artistic works by master jewelers such as Cartier, JAR and Louis Comfort Tiffany, and an offering of jewels from the collection of a late fashion model will be among the highlights of Sotheby's New York sale of Magnificent Jewels.
The Dec. 9 auction is expected to bring in more than $20 million, Sotheby's said in a media release, with pieces of exceptional provenance and craftsmanship defining the sale.
"From the perfection of flawless diamonds and the rarity of natural pearls to the originality of one-of-a-kind pieces, our sale this season presents a captivating array of jewels that can only be found at auction," Lisa Hubbard, chairman of Sotheby's International Jewelry Department, North and South American divisions, said in a media release.
Hubbard added that after the success of the auction house's recent sales in Hong Kong and New York, it has been clear that buyers are actively seeking diamonds with an extra something special, whether that be the stone's inherent charm, rare shape or perfect quality.
Among the important colorless diamonds set for auction is a magnificent and rare oval diamond weighing 30.48 carats, of D color, with flawless clarity and type IIa "Golconda-like" classification, estimated to sell for more than $3.3 million.
Additional unmounted specimens worthy of attention include a round diamond weighing in at 18.11 carats, of H color and graded triple-X with excellent cut, polish and symmetry, as well as a pear-shaped diamond cut for candlelight and weighing 13.85 carats, with D color and VS2 clarity. The stones are estimated to fetch between $750,000 to $1 million, and $400,000 to $500,000, respectively.
As for mounted stones, highlights include a square emerald-cut diamond of 9.69 carats set as a ring and estimated between $350,000 and $450,000. The stone has E color, VVS2 clarity, is potentially flawless and certified type IIa.
Works of art by 20th-century master jewelers that are slated for the auction include two seminal pieces from Cartier's famed 1920s period, including an Egyptian-style jeweled scarab belt buckle ($250,000-$350,000) and an Egyptian-style lapis lazuli, turquoise, diamond, black onyx and enamel bracelet ($75,000-$100,000).
The pieces feature exceptional provenance: The belt buckle was purchased in 1926 by Mrs. Cole Porter, and the bracelet was made by special order for her in 1929. Prior to her death in 1954, Porter gave the jewels to her friend, Princess Natalie Paley, in whose family collection the jewels have remained to the present day.
A rare and important, fancy intense-yellow diamond and emerald ring from Tiffany and Co., designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany circa 1915-1920, will also be featured ($200,000-$300,000), as well as a colored-stone and diamond bracelet designed by Van Cleef and Arpels, dating to 1930 ($100,000-$150,000). The yellow diamond in the Tiffany ring weighs in at 11.05 carats and is decorated with calibre-cut emeralds, while the Van Cleef bracelet incorporates 11.25 carats of colorless European-cut diamonds accented with sapphires, rubies, emeralds and onyx.
Also highly anticipated are pieces from the collection of Lucia Moreira Salles, a former model from Brazil and a dedicated philanthropist. Salles began her career in Paris at the end of the 1950s, and became a muse for both Valentino and Coco Chanel.
Highlights from her collection include three gemstone rings accented with diamonds and mounted in platinum by Paris designer JAR: one featuring a 27-carat cabochon Colombian emerald ($400,000-$600,000); another featuring a sugarloaf cabochon Burmese ruby weighing approximately 16.3 carats ($150,000-$200,000); and the third, a diamond "String" ring set with a 16.04-carat oval diamond of F color, SI1 clarity and type IIa ($350,000-$450,000).
Salles' collection also features a selection of pearls, including a natural-pearl and diamond necklace ($250,000-$350,000) and a natural-pearl and diamond ring ($30,000-$50,000).
"Lucia Moreira Salles' very personal collection offers a window into the innate style and elegance for which she was revered," Hubbard said in the release. "She did not collect to impress; these are pieces that she loved to wear and which were part of the remarkable style that enabled her to work for two of the most influential fashion designers of all time during a legendary era in Paris."
Prior to the December pre-sale viewing, highlights from the Magnificent Jewels auction will be exhibited in Geneva, Hong Kong and Los Angeles.
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