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Sotheby’s upcoming Geneva sale of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels will include finest quality examples in every category of jewellery, led by the superlative Blue Moon Diamond, a 12.03-carat stone boasting internally flawless clarity and truly outstanding colour.
The sale on 11 November will also offer further exceptional coloured diamonds, precious jewels combining illustrious provenance with the most highly coveted physical characteristics and signed jewels displaying the finest design and workmanship of houses including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet and JAR.
Here are the highlights.
Diamond Choker by Chaumet 1910. From the collection of a French noble family, this wonderfully refined choker will be offered at auction to benefit a charitable organisation. Created by Chaumet in 1910, this exquisite piece of open work design set with diamonds is a stunning example of the designer’s delicate motifs and workmanship. Estimate $80,000-120,000.
A Diamond pendant, D colour, the highest possible grading for diamonds. Weight: 53.53 carats. Estimate: 4,700,000-6,000,000.
A Diamond ring, D colour. Weight: 27.07 carats. Estimate: $2,500,000-4,000,000.
Emerald and diamond necklace, Harry Winston, 1959. From the beautiful jewellery collection of the late Dolores Sherwood Bosshard comes a magnificent emerald and diamond necklace, designed by Harry Winston in 1959. This stunning piece showcases the legendary jeweller’s bold, innovative designs and superior workmanship. Estimate $2,000,000-4,000,000.
A Fancy Orangy Pink diamond pendant. The selection of coloured diamonds to be presented in November also includes a sublime fancy orangy-pink diamond pendant, which comes directly from the celebrated actor Sir Sean Connery. The briolette-shaped stone weighs 15.20 carats and boasts VS2 Clarity. Estimate $1,200,000-2,400,000.
A Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond ring: an extraordinary yellow diamond ring weighing 22.43 carats. The stone has been graded “Fancy Vivid Yellow” by the GIA, with VS2 Clarity. Estimate $1,300,000-1,600,000.
A Kashmir sapphire-diamond ring. A superb sapphire and diamond ring weighing 16.40 carats with certified no evidence of heating. Origin: Kashmir. Estimate: $1,800,000-2,800,000.
Suite jewels, ‘Sherkhan’, Cartier. Three exceptional jewels by Cartier combining diamonds, onyx and a touch of emeralds will no doubt capture the attention of collectors in November. The “Sherkan” suite is composed of a bangle designed as a tiger with an articulated head, a ring featuring the head and paws of a similar great cat and a brooch showing a tiger stealthily moving along a branch of diamonds. Suspended from the brooch is a briolette fancy vivid yellow diamond weighing 5.05 carats, with VS1 clarity. Estimate $1,200,000-1,800,000.
Steel and diamond tiara, Cartier, circa 1912. This striking tiara by Cartier is made of blackened steel and decorated with rows of diamonds; its rarity adds to its resolutely modern style. This fabulous wedding gift was originally one of a series of five Cartier diadems of the same type – but featuring different motifs – made between 1912 and 1915. Estimate: $520,000-720,000.
The Queen Maria-José Ruby Ring. This exceptional ruby and diamond ring was formerly part of the personal collection of the last Queen of Italy, Maria-José (1906-2001). The superb jewel has impeccable provenance: it was a gift from Italian bibliophile Tammaro de Marinis on the occasion of Maria-José’s wedding to Crown Prince Umberto in 1930. The captivating ring is set with an exquisite Burmese ruby weighing 8.48 carats, with no evidence of heat treatment, boasting the most sought-after hue for rubies: “pigeon’s blood”. Estimate: $6,000,000-9,000,000.
Purple-Pink Diamond Ring. Among the other leading highlights of the upcoming sale are a superb fancy vivid purple-pink diamond ring weighing 8.24 carats of exceptional colour. $12,500,000-16,500,000.
The Blue Moon Diamond. Among the world’s largest known fancy vivid blue diamonds, this exquisite stone weighs 12.03 carats and has been graded Fancy Vivid Blue – the highest possible colour grading for blue diamonds – by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The cushion brilliant-cut stone also boasts exceptional clarity, having been declared Internally Flawless by the GIA. Estimate $35-55 million.
Marguerite, Lady Allan, Cartier Tiara. Designed as an open work Greek key band set with diamonds and with an outer border of pearls, this tiara lies at the centre of a fascinating story. Ordered from Cartier by Canadian ship owner Sir Hugh Montagu Allan around 1909, it was part of the jewellery collection of his wife Lady Marguerite Allan (1873-1957). The tiara was among the jewels which Lady Allan took with her on board the ill-fated RMS Lusitania in 1915; the ship sank after being torpedoed by a German submarine. Lady Allan survived the disaster, as did the tiara, and remained in the family. Estimate: $300,000-450,000.
Natural pearl and diamond tiara, second half of the 19th century. Having belonged to Viscountess de Courval, born Mary Ray (1835-1901), this exquisite tiara from the second half of the 19th century is adorned with diamonds, which in turn are surmounted with eleven slightly baroque drop shaped natural pearls. Estimate: $2,000,000-4,000,000.
Pair of beryl, tourmaline and diamond ear clips, JAR. Boasting striking scroll motifs set with green beryls, green tourmalines and diamonds. Estimate: $150,000-250,000.
Pair of sapphire and diamond ear clips, JAR. Of bombé design, it features two sugarloaf cabochon sapphires within a mount pavé-set with diamonds. Estimate $500,000-800,000.
Pair of spinel and diamond earclips, JAR. Adorned with brilliant-cut diamonds of brown tint each clip featuring at its centre a stunning octagonal spinel. Estimate $150,000-250,000.