Sotheby’s New York Magnificent Jewels auction boasted pieces of jewelry from famous collections. The collections of Helen Hay Whitney, Estée Lauder, Evelyn H. Lauder and Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia garnered the most interest from bidders.
The auction opened with a necklace that belonged to Helen Hay- a wedding present she received when she married Payne Whitney in 1902. The platinum-topped gold necklace featuring 4 diamonds of 7.48, 15.53, 13.08 and 8.91 carats respectively, sold for nearly $3.2 million. All seven jewels belonging to Helen Hay sold for $4.8 million.
Jewels from the Lauder collection, including pieces owned by Estée and Evelyn sold for $3.9 million. 32 of the latter’s jewels were sold to aid the Breast Cancer Research Foundation starting with a Cartier Tutti Fruity bracelet from 1928, that sold for over $2.1 million. The sale set a new auction record- the highest value ever for a Cartier Tutti Fruity bracelet. 10 pieces were sold from Estée Lauder’s collection to benefit the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. The beauty legend’s Van Cleef and Arpels brown-yellow diamond and diamond earclips fetched $233,000.
A set of platinum, emerald and diamond pendant-earclips that once belonged to the Grand Duchess Vladimir of Russia sold for more than $1 million. Hollywood star Marlene Dietrich’s 14k tri-color gold and lapis lazuli bracelet by Cartier – circa 1940- sold for $179,000, an amount that was almost six times the estimates provided.
Other newsworthy sales were a 25.44-carat emerald-cut diamond and platinum ring that fetched $2.96 million, a 47.48- carat, round brilliant-cut diamond and platinum ring that sold for $1.8 million and an Egyptian-revival platinum, diamond and colored stone bracelet from LaCloche Frères, Paris that sold for $1.5 million.
[Via – Forbes]
