Archives for 2017

Christie’s

Lovely reader Linda sent me a message this week with all the details on a major upcoming jewelry sale at Christie’s in London, including pieces from two princesses and a fascinating parure of Victorian jewels. Here’s the scoop on a few notable items that will be sold on June 13.

Christie’s

Lot #221 in the upcoming “Important Jewels” sale is a “Victorian Diamond Star Parure.” This remarkable suite of diamond jewels was made around 1870 by Collingwood and Son. The date of the parure’s creation places it at the zenith of the trend for diamond star jewelry, when royals like Empress Elisabeth of Austria and the Princess of Wales popularized the style.

Christie’s

The suite includes numerous pieces of jewelry, able to be mixed and matched in various configurations. The lot notes describe the set as follows: “comprising a tiara, the front set with six graduated old-cut diamond flowerhead clusters, each interspersed by an old-cut diamond collet and similarly-set graduated triangular intersections, surmounted by nine detachable star motifs, mounted in silver and gold, circa 1870, 30.0cm; a necklace of similar design, suspending five detachable star motifs and a pair of pear shaped diamond ear pendants.” It also notes that the set includes “various fittings for brooch and pendant conversion.”

Christie’s

The photographs of the parure sitting in the fitted case give us a unique look at the way that antique suites of jewels are stored. Christie’s expects the suite, which is advertised as “property of a noble family,” to fetch between 100,000 and 150,000 pounds (or approximately $128,600-$192,900 USD).

Christie’s

Lot #50 in the auction is a pearl and diamond bracelet that belonged to Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen (1890-1972), the wife of Grand Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. The piece is described as follows: “an early 20th century natural pearl and diamond bracelet; the bouton shaped natural pearl measuring approximately 7.0 x 10.0mm, within a millegrain-set old-cut diamond cluster surround, to a series of openwork single-cut diamond panels and further oval polished links, to a concealed clasp, circa 1920, 17.0cm.” It’s expected to bring between 5,000 and 7,000 pounds (or $6,430-$9,002 USD).

Christie’s

Listed as belonging to “a European princess,” this diamond and emerald brooch from Cartier is Lot #187 in the auction. It features a “rectangular-cut cornered emerald weighing approximately 10.84 carats, within a graduated old-cut diamond border, to the similarly-set diamond shield-shaped surround, double prong fitting, circa 1950, 4.5cm, with French assay marks for gold.” The auction estimate for this piece, with its large Colombian emerald centerpiece, is between 40,000 and 60,000 pounds, or $51,440-$77,160 USD.

Christie’s

Here’s another gorgeous item belonging to “a European princess”: a classic diamond floral brooch, dated to the late nineteenth century. Lot #222 is “designed as a floral spray, the central old-cut diamond flowerhead mounted en tremblant, raised above the similarly set diamond stem, to a diamond leaf and bud surround, mounted in silver and gold, circa 1880, 12.0cm, in original fitted case.” It’s a steal at an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 pounds, or $$7,716-$10,288 USD.