Oct 31 2011
Magnificent Jewels In Geneva
Each year, for about a week each spring and fall, Geneva turns into planet auction capital of the finest jewels and watches as Sotheby’s, Christies and a couple of other players preview and then conduct sales in the city’s five-star hotels bordering Lake Geneva.
As Christies on-line catalogue to its November 18 sale (called simply ‘’Jewels: The Geneva Sale’’) shows, this fall’s 237 lots are alluring, with a variety of items of diamond jewelry estimated in the million dollar range, but it is no contest as far as who is leading the pack: Sotheby’s with a beautiful array (over 430 lots) of rings, earrings, brooches, bracelets, necklaces, tiaras and other items some of which are also historically vital, like a Cartier cigarette box and the sapphire and diamond brooch and earrings belonging to a member of the imperial Russian Romanov family.
Downturn Not Affecting High Costs
As New York and other sales about the world this season have shown, the economic downturn doesn’t seem to be making itself felt in sales at this level. David Bennett, Sotheby’s Chairman for Europe and the Middle East and the jewelry specialist who will be auctioneer at the November 17 sale, agrees. ‘’November a year ago, we had been in the eye of the storm. Buyers had been confused, didn’t know where things had been headed, and that was reflected in auction final results. But by May perhaps of this year points were back on track.’’
Besides the 5 colored diamonds rocks, weighing between 2.52 and a whopping 74.80 carats, Bennett highlighted quite a few other items of certain rarity in the sale such as a ruby and diamond, late 19th century necklace (high estimate $975,000) that belonged to Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe; a 21 carat diamond ring ($1,170,000) from Harry Winston; and a 19 carat emerald ring ($540,000). Each rings are illustrated here.
Yet another item Bennett qualified as exceptional is a ‘30s Cartier brooch representing an iris that is completely encrusted with sapphires and diamonds, with a stem of emeralds. Component of the jewelry collection of London socialite Daisy Fellowes, who died in 1962, it is a comparative bargain with a high estimate of $249,000. Many different other items belonging to Fellowes, who was acknowledged for her fabulous jewels, contain a extended, 13-row pearl and coral necklace produced by Cartier in the ‘30s (high estimate $80,000).
Jewels From 1935-1950
Some of the sale’s most fascinating items are catalogued below the heading ‘’Glamour and Extravagance’’ and feature jewelry in the style of that worn by movie stars like Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, and Joan Crawford. Amongst the most effective pieces – all of which have a very contemporary feel to them – is a gold bracelet made by French jeweler Boucheron circa 1947: three gold snake link chains held in location by 13 bold, upright chunks of gold (high estimate $15,600).
An additional bracelet in the same vein (from Chaumet, Paris, 1940s) characteristics gold and silver squares and rectangles highlighted with sapphires ($16,600). Equally contemporary-seeking: two gold situations dated mid-thirties to 1940 by Van Cleef and Arpels, 1 a gantique vanity situation for compact, lipstick and mirror with a clasp of rubies and diamonds ($24,400), the other a minaudière, or multi-objective case some use as an evening bag, in gold with emerald and diamond decoration on the lid ($20,500).
Sales results will be posted on the web sites of the respective auction houses.
Lovers of fine jewels might also be interested in the article on Location Vendôme jeweler Lorenz Bäumer.
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