Who Bought What at the Elizabeth Taylor Auction and Why

 I’ve never thought of my jewelry as trophies. I’m here to take care of them and to love them – Elizabeth Taylor

After viewing one of the most complete and magnificent private collections of jewelry, art, memorabilia, accessories and other articles ever amassed by a single person during The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor exhibition at Christie’s New York, I wrote the following:

This collection represents a life well spent. Christie’s presentation of the exhibit makes it seem as if her life’s work was complete.

It’s almost a shame that these items will soon be separated.

However, after attending the two days of the fine jewelry sales (part of the four-day Elizabeth Taylor auction at Christie’s New York along with an “online only” component), my mind has changed.

I met friends of Taylor and those who never knew her. I met people who purchased the product because of their ties to Taylor, because of their fascination with a particular piece, or to use what they purchased in their business. It was auction that attracted some of the world’s wealthiest people, celebrities, top professionals in the jewelry and gems industries, and those of modest means.

Bidders prepare for the opening night auction to begin. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

The jewelry and other items amassed will be used in all sorts of ways. The important part is that it appears that the jewelry will be used and that’s the way Taylor, it seems, would have wanted it. After all, this is a woman who wore a 33-carat diamond ring almost every day and who was filmed wearing a priceless ruby jewelry collection by the pool. Taylor didn’t put her baubles away for special occasion, she wore them. And her collection showed an appreciation of priceless pieces along with far less expensive items because she either admired the work or they had personal meaning.

Photo credit: Christie's

Jewelry designer to the stars Lorraine Schwartz bought back the fringe diamond bracelet that Taylor bought from her for her 70th birthday.

“I was wearing it for her party at the Bel-Air Hotel, and she kept calling me over to look at it and to try it on,” Schwartz wrote on her facebook page. “Finally, the next morning she called me and said “‘I know who’s buying that bracelet for my birthday … I’m buying it for my birthday!’”

Photo credit: Christie's

Schwartz also bought a pair of earrings that Taylor’s third husband, Michael Todd, created just for her.

“I could feel Elizabeth nudging me telling me to buy them,” Schwartz said on the auction floor during the second day. “That’s what she used to do. She used to say, ‘go ahead buy it.’ She’d be kicking me under the table (saying), ‘Go ahead. You know you want it.’”

Photo credit: Christie's

Schwartz was very busy for the two days. In addition to what she purchased she lost a bid for one of her pieces and purchased a lot of three of her own bangles for Kim Kardashian, who paid $64,900, well above the high $8,000 estimate. “If you have a piece of jade, the energy goes into the piece and you absorb the energy,” Kardashian said by phone. “So I can feel Elizabeth in the piece.”

Photo credit: Christie's

Companies of course got into the act for the larger pieces. The 33.19-carat Elizabeth Taylor Diamond (also known as the Taylor-Burton diamond and formerly called as the Krupp diamond), a gift from Richard Burton, was reportedly bought by South Korean businessman Daniel Pang for $8.8 million. He was bidding on behalf of E-land World, a South Korean concern. The company plans to exhibit the diamond ring at “E World,” an amusement park in Daegu, according to reports.

Photo credit: Christie's

Bulgari, the Italian luxury jewelry house, bought back $20 million worth of jewels, including a 52.72-carat sapphire-and-diamond sautoir for $5.9 million and an emerald-and-diamond necklace for $6.1 million, according to the New York Post.

Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

Then there’s the paper jewelry. The gag gift from Malcolm Forbes to Taylor has garnered a great deal of media attention—much of it from me. The suite of paper jewelry had a high estimate of $300. It sold on the second day for $6,875. It was purchased by Jenny and John Caro, owners of Jewelry By Design, an independent jewelry store in Woodbridge, Va.

The couple came to the auction with a $50,000 line of credit and in a few minutes it was obvious they were being priced out of buying any real jewelry. So when the paper jewelry came up on the second day, they went all out to win the lot. The couple is using the paper jewelry along with two jewelry pieces they purchased on the online only auction to create an Elizabeth Taylor display for their customers. The jewelry was chosen because they had pictures of Taylor wearing the pieces in books that will be used in the display.

“We’re a good example of a business doing things, being different and taking risks to help our business grow,” Jenny said in a phone interview.

“You couldn’t go by the intrinsic value of jewels, because the truth is everything was selling so high that what you bought you couldn’t turn around,” she added. “The South Korean who bought the Burton diamond bought it for a business reason. What is $8.8 million when it comes to advertising worldwide? What’s $6,800 when it comes to local advertising?”

Using the Forbes gift as inspiration, Christie’s created its own full-color paper jewelry book with recreations of 15 of Taylor’s most iconic jewels. It ran as a limited edition of 5,000 and was available for purchase in person at Christie’s headquarters during the New York exhibition, which was held December 3 -12. It was sold for $25 each, $5 of which went to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

Los Angeles jewelry designer Sandra Müller had her own unique story. She first met Taylor as a child while living in Europe and credited the actress with inspiring her to build a life in the jewelry field. Taylor was a friend of her parents. As an adult working and living in Los Angeles, she said she would visit Taylor’s house often as a friend and to show her work. In 2001, Taylor bought three of her pieces.

Müller was already planning to go to the auction to bid for a client. While looking through the auction catalog, she discovered that those pieces were being sold as part of the fashion and accessories auction, held on the third day. Her pieces didn’t include her as the creator. She contacted Christie’s and the auction rectified the error.

The high estimate for the jewels was $300. Müller e-mailed me to let me know that her pieces sold for $15,000. With commission the total was actually $18,750.

“The 18k gold value alone would be about 10,000.00 if melted,” she added. “I think it was one of the few good deals in auction.”

I asked her how it felt to sit in the auction room and watch her pieces being sold at the historic event. Her reply was brief.

“Thrilled”

Kim Kardashian Buys Jade Bracelets at Elizabeth Taylor Auction

The Jade bracelets by Lorraine Schwartz.

NEW YORK - Kim Kardashian purchased three jade bracelets created by Los Angeles jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz during the second day of the Elizabeth Taylor auction at Chrstie’s New York. Schwartz, a friend of both the reality TV star and the famous actress and humanitarian, was at the auction and purchased the jewelry for Kardashian. They were sold in one lot for $64,900, well above the high $8,000 estimate.

Schwartz said Taylor wore the white, black and lavender bangles nearly every day, particularly in the latter part of her life.

She also said that Kardashian was going to buy those same bangles directly from her but really wanted the pair that Taylor actually wore.

“She loved those bangles for a long time,” Schwartz said. “She bought them because they’re Elizabeth’s.”

Schwartz is known for creating jewelry for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Taylor and Kardashian.

Kardashian, who was the last person to interview Taylor, said by phone that she admired the movie star and jewelry lover. She also spoke about the power of Jade.

“If you have a piece of jade, the energy goes into the piece and you absorb the energy,” Kardashian said. “So I can feel Elizabeth in the piece.”

She added, “Elizabeth Taylor is iconic. She is my idol and my icon.”

Elizabeth Taylor Auction Fetches Nearly $116 Million

Christie's employees receiving bids by phones.

NEW YORK - By any measure the first night of the Collection of Elizabeth Taylor auction on Tuesday at Christie’s New York was, as the auction houses often say, exceptional. The auction of some of Elizabeth Taylor’s most precious jewels took in nearly $116 million, a world record for a private collection of jewels.

All 80 lots offered were sold and estimates were shattered then crushed throughout the auction. To the best of my knowledge only two items sold within auction estimates. The rest of the lots made the estimates look like afterthoughts as a jammed room full of bidders competed for items with telephone buyers from around the world.

The auction broke six other world records, including the price achieved for a pearl jewel, the per carat price for a colorless diamond, the price for an Indian jewel, and a ruby per carat.

View the jewels of the auction by following this link.

The big winner of the night was the “La Peregrina,” the 16th Century pearl on a necklace designed by Cartier for Taylor, sold for $11.8 million, setting the world record for a pearl jewel. The pre-auction estimate was $2 million to $3 million. Applause and nervous laughter came from the bidders as the price of the diamond hit the $10 million mark. It was the only 12th lot sold on a day that already started incredibly strong.

La Peregrina upstaged what was expected to be the top lot for the evening, The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond. The 33.19-carat Asscher-cut D color potentially flawless diamond set on a ring that Taylor wore nearly everyday, sold for $8.8 million, well above its $2.5 million to $3.5 million estimate.

Less than halfway into the auction it was estimated in the press area that the $30 million pre-auction estimate for the evening was topped. It was a marathon night where rapid, high-speed bidding was offset by long pauses as prices reached levels that few could have imagined. The auction was led by two of Christie’s jewelry experts, beginning with Francois Curiel, Christie's Asia president and longtime head of Christie’s jewelry department who came in from his post in Hong Kong; followed by Rahul Kadakia, head of Christie’s jewelry department in the Americas.

At one point Curiel said, “I don’t know where to start. Should I ask you? Maybe I’ll start at $10 million.”

The Taj Mahal Diamond, a gift from Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor for her 40th birthday sold for $8.8 million. The heart-shaped diamond is believed to have been owned by emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666). He presented the diamond to his favorite and most beloved wife, Mumtaz-i-Mahal. The emperor’s grief at her death just four years later inspired him to commission the majestic Taj Mahal in her memory. The estimate was $300,000 - $500,000.



A Bulgari 18.26-carat emerald and diamond pendant brooch sold for $6.5 million, spectacularly above the $500,000 to $700,000 estimate.

It was a big night for Bulgari. An emerald and diamond necklace sold for $6.1 million, well above its $1 million to $1.5 million estimate. This was followed by a sapphire and diamond sautoir that sold for $5.9 million, smashing the high estimate of $800,000.

Van Cleef & Arpels also had a big night. A ruby and diamond ring, a gift from Burton, sold for $4.2 million, a world record for a ruby per carat.

The Mike Todd Diamond Tiara, which made some of the women weak in the knees, sold for $4.2 million, totally smashing its estimate $60,000 to $80,000 estimate.

A Bulgaria emerald and diamond bracelet sold for just over $4 million.

Cartier also had a great night. A ruby and diamond necklace from the Parisian luxury jewelry house sold for $3.7 million, smashing its $200,000 to $300,000 estimate.

At the brief press conference that followed, Curiel was asked to explain why the prices for the jewelry were so far above the actual prices. He explained that the items were priced according to their “intrinsic value” and not based on Taylor’s celebrity appeal.

“We wanted to let the market decide what premium to pay over the value of the stones or the value of the stones or the value of the jewels,” he said.

The market decided.

Elizabeth Taylor Auction Expected to Fetch $30 Million

The Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, a 33.19-carat, Asscher-cut gem that's expected to fetch $2.5 million-$3.5 million.

The first day of the most anticipated jewelry auction in (well, who knows how long?) will begin at 8 p.m. The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor sale at Christie’s Rockefeller Center headquarters in New York is expected to fetch $30 million for 61 lots.

“This is without a doubt the greatest private collection of jewelry ever assembled in one place,” said Marc Porter, chairman and president of Christie's Americas.

This is only the beginning. Another auction of the actress’ jewelry will be held Wednesday, followed by two more days that will see Taylor’s jewelry, couture clothing, accessories, memorabilia and decorative arts sold to the highest bidders.

Among the items in the sale tonight is the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond, a 33.19-carat, Asscher-cut diamond on a ring that was a gift from her husband Richard Burton. This was the ring that Taylor wore nearly every day. Burton purchased the stone at auction in 1968 for a reported $305,000. It's expected to fetch $2.5 million-$3.5 million.

There’s also the La Peregrina, the pear-shaped pearl, ruby and diamond necklace centered with a 203-grain pear-shaped pearl discovered in the 16th Century as its centerpiece. Taylor and Al Durante of Cartier designed the piece. It’s expected to sell for $2 million to $3 million.

Another highlight is The Taj Majal Diamond, a gift from Richard Burton, for Elizabeth Taylor’s 40th birthday in 1972. Inscribed with the name Nur Jahan, the wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahangir, this heart-shaped diamond is believed to have been a gift from the ruler to his son, who became the great emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666). It is believed that the young prince presented the diamond to his favorite and most beloved wife, Mumtaz-i-Mahal. The emperor’s grief at her death just four years later inspired him to commission the majestic Taj Mahal in her memory. Estimate: $300,000 – $500,000

I will be attending tonight’s auction and will be either tweeting or blogging live from it, so stay tuned.

Read more about the auction on Jewelry News Network by following this link.

Elizabeth Taylor Auction Includes Pieces by Sandra Müller

The upcoming Collection of Elizabeth Taylor auction at Christie’s New York will include three pieces from a Los Angeles jewelry designer who had a personal relationship with jewelry-loving star.

“I would often go to visit Elizabeth Taylor at her house and she would say that her heart would jump a certain way when she saw a jewel that was just right for her. And these did it,” said Sandra Müller, who has a store in Beverly Hills.

The items that caught Taylor’s fancy was an 18k gold necklace and bracelet set covered with smoky quartz, citrines, corals, fresh water pearls, tiger's eye, crystal de roche and chrysophrase; And a stand-alone 18k gold bracelet with lavender overtones that uses amethyst, citrines, aquamarines, rubelite, fresh water pearls and ametrines (All pictured above). Taylor bought the pieces in 2001.

“The style is very Capri chic 1970’s,” Müller said. “My inspiration was to create something fun, colorful, charming, and full of life, using fine semi-precious gem beads and combining colors that would have suited an Emilio Pucci or Thea Porter colorful gown—very much Elizabeth’s style.”

The pieces will be placed on the block December 15 as part of the Fashions and Accessories (IV) portion of the auction. The estimate is $200 - $300. The entire Elizabeth Taylor auction will be held over a four-day period, December 13-16.

Müller said she first met Taylor at the Palace Hotel in Gstaad when she was nine years old. Taylor was having lunch with the wife and daughter of Yul Brynner and she joined them. In fact, it was at this meeting that Müller decided that she wanted to be a jewelry designer.

“I was mesmerized by her (Taylor’s) headdress, with an emerald dangling on her forehead,” Müller said. “She had an incredibly eclectic taste for jewelry. This encounter awakened in me an aspiration to become a jeweler. Little did I know that one day she would be wearing my creations.”

Müller grew up in Paris and Geneva. At eighteen, she moved to California to study gemology and jewelry manufacturing at the Gemological Institute of America. Since then, she has been creating one-of-a kind jewels and limited editions for a clientele that includes many celebrities.

Elizabeth Taylor, Malcolm Forbes and Christie's Love Paper Jewels

The Paper Jewelry Suite on sale as part of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor auction.

 
The friendship of Malcolm Forbes and Elizabeth Taylor was as legendary as the lives they led. Part of what they shared was a great sense of humor.

This humor and affection toward one another was evident when the founder of Forbes once presented Taylor with a suite of paper jewels. It turns out that Taylor, who has been gifted with some of the most priceless pieces of jewelry in the world, loved the sentiment and recounted the story of it in her 2002 book, My Love Affair with Jewelry.

The paper cut-out of a necklace, a pair of ear pendants and a pair of ear clips will be among the statement jewelry, couture creations, memorabilia and other items that make up “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor” auction, December 13-16 at Christie’s New York headquarters. It will be sold on December 14 and has an estimate of $200 to $300.

The sale of the paper jewelry gave Christie’s the inspiration for Marissa Wilcox, International creative director at Christie's, to create a paper-jewelry collection as part of the unprecedented auction.

“She has wanted to create a book of paper jewelry for ages because our jewelry clients have told us that they will sometimes cut images of individual jewels out of our sale catalogs and ‘try on’ bracelets, necklaces, rings and brooches,” said Erin McAndrew, head of Communications, Christie’s America. “When the Collection of Elizabeth Taylor came to us, we knew it was the perfect opportunity to launch our first book of paper jewelry.”

Using the Forbes gift as her inspiration, Wilcox selected 15 of Taylor's most iconic jewels to recreate in paper and incorporated them into a full color booklet. Among them is the Peregrina pearl—a historic 16th century pearl that was part of the Spanish crown jewels for generations, the Schlumberger "Night of The Iguana" brooch, the BVLGARI emerald suite, and of course, the 33.19 carat D-color Elizabeth Taylor Diamond. All will be part of the auction.

“Each jewel is perforated around the edges so you can just pop them out and pop them on, so to speak,” McAndrew said.

The book is available for purchase in person only at the New York exhibition (which has begun and will run till Monday) and the four-day auction that follows the exhibit. The auction house created 5,000 books and they are being sold for $25 each, with $5 going to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

Christie’s Elizabeth Taylor Exhibit is a Big Draw

People line up outside the entrance of Christie's to view the Elizabeth Taylor collection.

The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor opened Saturday to large crowds and long lines outside of Christie’s N.Y. Rockefeller Center headquarters.

“It was a great opening day for us, with a packed house and lots of happy Elizabeth Taylor fans,” Erin McAndrew, head of Communications, Christie’s Americas, said Sunday. “We sold over 15,000 tickets thus far.”

The exhibition continues through December 12, which will be followed by the sale of one of the greatest collections ever amassed by a single person. Tickets are timed, are still available and can be purchased on Christie’s website online for the day and time slot of your choice.



I first went past Christie’s at around 11 a.m. Saturday, an hour before the doors open to the public, and was surprised to see very few people. I returned at 3 p.m., and the line stretched for more than a block and was mixing in with the throngs of holiday tourists at nearby Rockefeller Plaza. 

Follow this link for more coverage of the Elizabeth Taylor exhibition and auction at Christie's.

Also opening Saturday was the online only auction of 950 items from the Taylor collection, including fine jewelry, costume, jewelry, fashion and accessories and decorative arts. Online bidding will run concurrently with the live auction. Lots begin closing on December 15 and all lots will close December 17.

“At 10 a.m. (Sunday) 12,000 bids have been submitted thus far,” McAndrew said. “There are many more items still available at the $250-500 level, including Louis Vuitton bags, Versace coats, Valentino dresses, and my favorite, a 14k gold flashlight by Van Cleef & Arpels.”

Christie’s Hong Kong Auction Sets Several Records

A pair of round diamonds and emerald ear pendants both set auction records at Christie’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels sale Tuesday.

The auction brought in $82.7 million, the most ever for a jewelry auction in Hong Kong, said said Vickie Sek, director of Christie’s Asia Jewellery and Jadeite Department. Fine colored stones and natural pearls “fetched extremely strong prices.”

A total of 241 of the 310 offered were sold (78 percent) and 79 percent were sold by price.

A pair of near identical round diamonds (top picture) combined for the two top lots of the sale. A 35.77-carat D flawless type IIa brilliant-cut diamond fetched $8.27 million ($231,000 per carat). A 35.61-carat D flawless type IIa brilliant-cut diamond sold for $8.1 million ($228,000 per carat). The combined $16.4 million achieved for the two diamonds was the highest price ever for colorless diamonds in Asia, Sek said.

In addition, a pair of 25.38- and 23.12-carat cushion-shaped Columbian ear pendants (pictured above) fetched more than $4 million ($83,000 per carat), a world record for emerald-cut earrings.

Other big sales include the following:

A 26.41-carat cushion-shaped Kashmir sapphire and diamond brooch fetched more than $3.8 million, or $145,000 per carat.

A 52.12-ct. Burmese ruby and diamond cluster necklace by JW Currens that sold for more than $3.7 million.

A natural colored pearl and diamond bead necklace that sold for $3.1 million.

 

A 43.26-carat, cushion-shaped fancy vivid yellow diamond ring that sold for $2.64 million, or $61,000 per carat.

Two Blue Sapphires Fetch Big Prices at Christie’s London Sale

A sapphire and diamond brooch, circa 1890s, centered with a 14.66-carat, Kashmir sapphire (pictured above) sold for nearly $2.2 million (150,000 per carat), nearly triple its 783,499 high estimate. It was the top lot at Christie’s London Important Jewels sale. 

The cushion shaped sapphire is surrounded by an old-cut diamond cluster raised on a scalloped gallery mounted in silver and gold. The auction house said the jewel was from the collection of the late Clive Behrens, and before that part of the collection of the late Evelina Rothschild. 

In addition, a sapphire and diamond pendant, circa 1880 (above), centered with a 41.54-carat Burma sapphire sold for more than $1.6 million ($39,000 per carat), more than triple its high estimate of $470,099. The sapphire on the gold plated pendant has an old-cut diamond line border and is further surrounded by cushion shaped diamonds. 

Both sapphires show no indications of being heat treated, according to the accompanying reports. 

Colored diamonds continue to demand high prices as a ring featuring a crossover design, set with two opposing pear shaped diamonds, a 1.54-carat fancy deep blue and a 1.78-carat fancy intense pink, sold for nearly $1.2 million, well above its $783,499 estimate.

The November 26 auction totaled $22.75 million in sales with 75 percent sold by lot and 89 percent sold by value. 

“The London sale of Important Jewels showed that quality, rarity and provenance continue to be the key factors sought by collectors worldwide,” said Keith Penton, head of Christie’s London Jewellery Department. 

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes website.

Christie's to Host Exclusive Online Sale of Elizabeth Taylor's Jewelry

Diamond and 18k white gold necklace set with approximately 126 circular-cut diamonds, weighing approximately 18.50-20.50 carats total, mounted in 18k white gold. Estimate: $10,000-15,000

Christie's will hold a separate online sale of some of Elizabeth Taylor’s most cherished possessions to coincide with the auction house's live auction of "The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor," to be held in New York next month.

Out of the more than 2,000 pieces that Christie’s will sell, 950 pieces will be offered online in the categories of fine and costume jewelry, designer fashion and accessories, and decorative arts and objects online. The online sale will be held December 3 – 17. While Christie’s has offered real-time bidding online since 2006, this is the first time the auction house will host an exclusive online addition to a private collection sale.

18K white gold and diamond Cartier "Love" hoop earrings, in original box. Estimate: $3,000-$5,000

The online sale complements four days of back-to-back live auctions of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor that will begin on December 13 with the film star’s most iconic jewels, and continues through December 16 with additional auctions of fine jewelry, fashion, accessories, decorative arts and film memorabilia. It also coincides with the exhibition of the collection at Christie’s New York Rockefeller Plaza headquarters from December 3 – 12. Impressionist and Modern Art from the collection will be auctioned in London in February 2012.

“This is a collection of the highest caliber, from Elizabeth Taylor’s magnificent collection of one-of-a-kind historic jewels, to her haute couture and ready-to-wear fashions, and her exceptional collection of fine and decorative arts,” said Marc Porter, chairman and president of Christie’s Americas. “To ensure the full breadth of the collection is accessible to collectors worldwide, Christie’s has taken the innovative step of adding this special, online-only component to our live auctions, so that bidders from around the world can participate in this landmark two-week-long event.”

A circular-cut multi-colored, multi-gem swirl edged cocktail ring with approximately 38 marquise-cut diamonds weighing approximately 1.75-2.00 carats, mounted in 18k white gold. Estimate: $2,000-4,000

A select group of items from the collection are currently on a world tour before heading to Christie’s New York showroom for the final exhibition and sale.

The curated selection of online fashion and accessories mirrors the offering of top designer gowns, coats, capes, handbags and designer goods that will be featured in the live auction. It includes more than 500 pieces of fine and costume jewelry, including Art Deco-era jewelry, and signed jewels by Cartier, Chanel, Christian Dior, and Ruser. This selection is reflective of Elizabeth Taylor’s lifelong love affair with jewelry in all its forms. Starting estimates for the top jewels range from $10,000 for a diamond and 18K white gold necklace set with 126 circular-cut diamonds, and as low as $100 for a pair of Chanel ear clips with the designer’s signature “CC” pendants.

The items for the online sale can be viewed in a special online preview with luxury fashion retailer, Moda Operandi. Beginning November 18 the full complement of online-only lots will be available for viewing at Christie’s website.

A gold, sapphire and Mississippi pearl hummingbird brooch, by Ruser. Estimate: $2,000-$3,000

Online registration and bidding begins December 3 in a timed auction that will run concurrent with the public exhibition and live auctions of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor at Christie’s New York. For easy navigation, the online-only sale is divided into four categories – Fine Jewelry, Fashion & Accessories, Costume Jewelry, and Decorative Arts and Memorabilia.

Christie’s also recently announced ticket purchase information for the 10-day public exhibition of The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor at Christie’s flagship Rockefeller Plaza location. The New York exhibition will be the most expansive presentation of the collection thus far, including selections from all of the major categories – jewels, fashion, fine art, film memorabilia and costumes, and decorative items. The exhibition includes a video tribute to Elizabeth Taylor’s life and legacy, and five richly illustrated catalogues of her collections and other commemorative publications will be available for purchase both online and on-site.

Tickets are on sale on Christie’s website for $30 per person and must be purchased in advance for a specific time slot. There will be no other way to buy tickets. Below are listings for the dates of the online sale and the dates and times of the New York exhibition and auction.

Bidding for all Categories of the Online-Only Sale Opens December 3, Closing Dates, by Category are as follows:

Fine Jewelry, December 14

Fashion and Accessories, December 15

Costume Jewelry, December 16

Decorative Arts and Memorabilia, December 17


Christie’s New York Exhibition Days and Hours:

December 3, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

December 4, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

December 5, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

December 6, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

December 7, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

December 8. 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

December 9, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

December 10, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

December 11, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

December 12, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.


Sale Dates:

The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor The Legendary Jewels, Evening Sale – December 13

Jewelry (Sessions II & III) – December 14

The Icon and her Haute Couture, Evening Sale – December 14

2011 Fashion and Accessories (Sessions II, III & IV) – December 15

Fine and Decorative Art & Film Memorabilia, including costumes – December 16

Online-Only Auction – December 3 – 17

Impressionist & Modern Art – February 2012, Christie’s London

Jewelry From Empress Eugenie and Duchess of Windsor Headlines Christie’s Geneva Sale

Empress Eugenie's Feuilles De Groseillier brooch

The “Feuilles de Groseillier” brooch, commissioned in 1855 by Empress Eugenie of France (1826-1920) to French jeweler Alfred Bapst, is one of two statement lots of jewelry with royal provenance to be offered at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels sale on November 11. Once part of the French Crown Jewels, of which very few examples in original condition have survived, it has an estimate of $2 to $3 million.

The jewel is designed as a cluster of three gold and silver openworked currant leaves with three tassels. It is set throughout with old mine diamonds and is centered with a cushion-shaped mine diamond.

The Parure de Feuilles de Groseillier was originally designed as a guirlande (garland) and worn in multiple ways. In 1870, at the fall of the Second Empire, Empress Eugenie and her husband Napoleon III moved to England, leaving behind most of the Crown Jewels. Seventeen years later, the French government conducted a 12-day auction where all the belongings of the French Royal Family were offered for sale, including the jewelry. Several of the larger pieces were broken up prior to the auction so the stones could be sold individually. The guirlande was sold as eight parts and the present brooch was acquired by Tiffany & Co. The jeweler then gifted the brooch to the Metropolitan Opera of New York as a tribute to the famous opera singer Madame Lucrezia Bori (1887-1960).

Duchess Of Windsor's Cartier Tiger jewels

The other lot is of British royal provenance. They are two pieces of tiger jewelry by Cartier, formerly from the collection of the Duchess of Windsor. They were given to Sarah Brightman, the world’s best selling soprano, by her then husband Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer and impresario of musical theater. They were a present to her to celebrate the London and Broadway success of “The Phantom of the Opera,” which he wrote and she starred. They were purchased during the legendary sale of Duchess of Windsor’s collection in 1987.

The two tiger pieces comprising of an onyx and diamond clip brooch and bracelet, with emerald eyes, were both made in the 1950s and will be sold as one lot with a combined estimate of $1.8 million to $2.5 million.

The Cartier Tiger Collection has been a highlight of 20th Century jewelry design since it first appeared in 1928. These pieces were bought by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor from Cartier between 1956 and 1959.

Brightman will offer a portion of the proceeds from the sale to The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, which supports the arts, music in schools, The Architectural Heritage Fund and awards 30 performing arts scholarships annually.

Bulgari diamond ear pendant

While the two items of monarchial heritage are impressive, the top lot for the upcoming sale at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues goes to a sparkling pair of Bulgari pear-shaped colored diamond ear-pendants with a pre-sale estimate of $12 million to $15 million.

The ear pendants, which the auction house is calling “A Bulgari Masterpiece,” have marquise and pear-shaped diamond cluster tops weighing approximately 19.28 carats. Suspended from the clusters are a 6.95-carat, pear-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond and a 6.79-carat, pear-shaped fancy vivid pink diamond. Both statement diamonds are detachable. The diamonds are mounted in platinum and gold.

This auction of 390 lots has several other significant colored gems, signature jewels and important natural pearls. Among them are:

The "Blue Belle of Asia"

* The fourth largest faceted sapphire in the world, the “Blue Belle of Asia,” a cushion shaped Ceylon sapphire of 392.52 carats. It has an estimate of $7 to $10 million. The gem was discovered in 1926 at Pelmadula, Ratnapura (‘The City of Gems’), in Ceylon and was sold to British motor magnate Lord Nuffield (1877-1963), founder of Morris Motors Limited in 1937, according to the auction house. It was rumored that he purchased the sapphire to present to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, on her Coronation Day on May 12, 1937. The gem is suspended on a diamond tassel pendant and attached to a diamond neckchain mounted in gold.

* A 23.66-carat Burmese ruby mounted by Cartier, known as “The Queen of Burma,” was purchased at Cartier in London on November 1937 by the Maharao of Cutch (1866-1942). Its estimate is $5.5 - $7 million. The auction house says the gem “combines all the most sought-after qualities in a ruby: an attractive vivid pinkish red color, an excellent purity, an impressive size and the finest origin.”

* Seven jewels by JAR, some of which were recently on display at the ‘Jewels by JAR’ exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Among the group of jewels offered for sale are the ‘Gardenia’ ring, formerly in The Collection of Ellen Barkin ($330,000 - $390,000), the sculpted gold Parrot Tulip cuff ($210,000 - $310,000) and a pair of diamond ‘String’ ear pendants ($140,000 - $200,000).

Art Deco diamond and pearl necklace

* Formerly in the collection of Baroness Edouard de Rothschild, an Art Deco diamond necklace, suspended with two natural pearls, measuring 16mm each ($700,000 - $1 million).

Harry Winston diamond ear pendants.

* Diamond ear pendants by Harry Winston with two drop-shaped natural pearls weighing more than 100 grains each ($2.8 - $3.5 million).

* A two-strand natural pearl necklace with rose overtones by Cartier ($530,000 - $850,000).

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24-Ct. Graff Diamond Ring Could Fetch $3.5 Million at Auction

Graff diamond ring. Photo credit: Denis Hayoun - Diode SA

Superb jewels, top-quality colorless diamonds, rare gemstones, natural pearls, and signed jewels from Bulgari, Cartier, Boivin, Graff, JAR, Tiffany & Co, Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston will be part of Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction on November 16.

Several private collections also will be part of the auction at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, including the collection of Richard Burton’s former wife, Susan Hunt Burton, and a private collection featured in a separate catalog: “Timeless Elegance - Important Jewels from the Collection of a European Family.” (Follow link to read more about this collection).

The top piece among the 360 lots for sale is a 24.30-ct. oval cut diamond ring by Graff. The D color, internally flawless gem is estimated to fetch $2.9 million to $3.5 million (top picture).

The auction of haute joaillerie is expected to fetch more than $50 million.

Diamond “en tremblant” flower brooch, by Bulgari, 1960s. Estimate $110,000 - $220,000. Photo credit: Denis Hayoun - Diode SA

Bulgari will command its own section of more than 40 lots in the upcoming sale. It amounts to the largest sale of Bulgari jewels since a Christie’s Geneva auction in 1993. Among the highlights is an emerald, ruby and diamond sautoir suspending a hexagonal-shaped emerald of 44.90 carats, dated from the 1970s and estimated at $270,000 – $360,000. Also for sale will be a diamond and yellow gold necklace estimated at $73,000 – $89,000.

Diamond and yellow gold necklace by Bulgari. Estimate $70,000 - $90,000. Photo credit: Denis Hayoun - Diode SA

Among the colored gemstones and diamonds to be offered are an 8.11-carat, oval-cut Burmese ruby estimated at $2 million – $2.5 million, a pair of Colombian pear-shaped emerald and diamond earrings, weighing 23.66 and 23.55 carats, estimated at $1.8 million – $2.5 million, and a 55.98-carat Kashmir cabochon sapphire mounted with diamonds as ring by Mouawad, estimated at $800,000 – $1.2 million. A 30.15-carat, D color, VS1 clarity, Type IIa pear-shaped diamond with an antique cut is estimated to sell at $1.9 million to $2.3 million.

Pair of detachable 7.60 & 7.57cts pear-shaped diamond and diamond ear pendants by Van Cleef & Arpels has an auction estimate of $1.5 million - $2 million. Photo credit: Denis Hayoun - Diode SA

Richard Burton, the Welsh actor of stage and screen, was at the height of his fame when he married Susan Hunt, an international model, in August 1976. Among the jewels from the Susan Burton collection are 6.17 carats oval-cut diamond ring (estimate: $56,000 – $78,000), an emerald and diamond necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels (Estimate: $45,000 – $67,000) and a two row cultured pearl, pink tourmaline and diamond necklace with cultured pearl, sapphire and ruby ear pendants (Estimate: SFr. $40,000 – $63,000).

Emerald, ruby and diamond sautoir suspending an hexagonal-shaped 44.90-ct. emerald by Bulgari has an auction estimate of $260,000 - $360,000. Photo credit: Denis Hayoun - Diode SA

From the “Property of a Royal House, Christie’s November sale will present three fancy yellow diamonds: a 79-carat cushion-shaped diamond ring weighing estimated $1.5 million – $2 million, a 67.54-carat, brilliant-cut diamond brooch estimated $1.4 million – $1.5 million and a 32.62-carat brilliant-cut diamond ring with an estimate of $700,000 – $800,000.

From what is billed as the “Estate of a Gentleman,” a selection of 19 jewels created by the famous Swiss jeweler Meister mainly in the 1960s and 1970s. Among the highlights are a diamond fringe necklace estimated at $230,000 – $330,000) and a gold, diamond ruby and emerald snake bracelet estimated at $14,000 – $17,000).

Mystery-Set sapphire and diamond leaf brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels, circa 1930s, has an auction estimate of $300,000 - $500,000. Photo credit: Denis Hayoun - Diode SA

A group of Period and Art Deco jewels featured in the sale is highlighted by a diamond necklace created by René Boivin, circa 1960, (estimate: $340,000 – $440,000) and an emerald and diamond bracelet mounted in platinum, 1930s, estimated at $400,000 – $600,000.

Bulgari Blue Diamond Fetches $15.7M at Auction

The Bulgari Blue Diamond, the largest triangular-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond ever to appear at auction, sold for $15.7 million—making it the top jewel sold at auction thus far in 2010. The gem, mounted as a two-stone diamond ring designed in the 1970s by the House of Bulgari in Rome, was the star lot of Christie’s “Jewels: The New York Sale” on October 20.

After five minutes of bidding, the hammer fell to an unidentified Asian collector who paid a world record price per carat for a blue diamond.

“The bidding opened with an $8 million bid from a client on the phone with Vickie Sek, Christie’s head of Jewelry for Asia,” said François Curiel, president of Christie’s Asia and international head of Jewelry at Christie’s. “It swiftly turned into a one-on-one bidding war with a European collector on the phone with Rahul Kadakia, head of Jewelry for Christie’s Americas. The pair traded bids back and forth in $500,000 increments until the final bid was reached.”

The ring features a triangular-shaped colorless diamond of 9.87 cts. paired with a triangular-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond of 10.95 cts. Fancy vivid blue diamonds are among the rarest and most sought-after of colored diamonds, as only one in about 10 million possess a color pure enough to qualify as “fancy vivid.” Due to their rarity and increasingly limited supply, demand has rapidly driven prices to great heights, with particular strength seen for those stones weighing more than 10 cts., Christies said. Large, natural blue diamonds, in particular those possessing the coveted vivid blue tone and saturation, have become highly prized on the international market.

The ring was offered for sale by a private European collector who has kept the ring in his family for almost 40 years. He had originally purchased the ring at the Bulgari flagship boutique on Via dei Condotti in Rome in 1972, as a gift for his wife in celebration of the birth of their first child, a baby boy. The final sale price in 1972 was about $1 million.

The Bulgari Blue provided a dramatic finish to the 447-lot auction and brought the collective total to $52.5 million. Earlier in the day, Christie’s achieved an impressive 100 percent sell-through rate for Jeweled Elegance: The Eye of A Distinguished Collector, a single-owner collection of signed jewels from celebrated designers, including Cartier, David Webb, Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston. The entire morning session of the October 20 auction was devoted to this assemblage of more than 160 individual pieces, which raised $11.4 million, far above its pre-sale high estimate.

Diamond Adorned Barbie Fetches $302,000 at Auction

Billed as the world’s most expensive Barbie, the doll, designed by Stefano Canturi was sold at auction for $302,000.

The Australian jewelry designer spent four weeks working on the doll. It is adorned with a diamond collar necklace made of three carats of white diamonds centered by a 1-ct. emerald cut fancy vivid pink diamond.

All proceeds from the October 20 auction at Christie's New York went toward the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

101-Carat Diamond Fetches $5 Million

The top lot at Christie’s Important Jewels auction held Wednesday was a 101.36-carat, cushion-cut, L-color, VS2 diamond that sold for $4.98 million, or $49,100 per carat. The diamond, worn as a necklace, is suspended by a black silk cord with pavé-set diamonds mounted in platinum (pictured above).

In a slight turn of events, seven of the top 10 lots from the sale were colorless diamonds with five of the items selling for more than $1 million (including commission and fees). In recent years, fancy colored diamonds have been stealing the spotlight, achieving record-breaking sales.

Other top lots in the sale included the following:

* A diamond necklace featuring a detachable pendant K-color faint brown VVS1 Potentially Internally Flawless diamond pendant weighing 81.38 carats that sold for $3.19 million. Two other detachable diamonds weigh 15.30 and 7.04 carats, spaced by circular-cut diamonds. The necklace is designed as a line of 17 circular-cut diamonds, the largest weighing 15.46 carats, spaced by rectangular and square-cut diamonds, mounted in 18k white gold (pictured above).

* A 23.89-carat rectangular-cut, H-color, Potentially Internally Flawless diamond mounted in platinum ring that sold for $1.56 million, or 65,500 per carat.

* A 16.07-carat rectangular-cut F-color, Potentially Internally Flawless diamond on a ring set within a circular-cut and pear-shaped diamond surround, to the pear-shaped diamond shoulders, mounted in platinum, with maker's mark that sold for $1.5 million, or $93,700 per carat.

* In addition to diamonds, a Ceylon sapphire and diamond of 63.65 carats on a ring, flanked on either side by a half-moon diamond, mounted in platinum by Tiffany & Co. sold for $587,000, smashing its high estimate of $150,000.

All totaled, the sale of 347 lots fetched $33.7 million, with 75 percent sold by lot and 77 percent sold by value.

“Fine quality colorless diamonds achieved strong prices with international bidding,” said Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Christie’s Jewelry. “Collectors also bid competitively for natural pearls and special jeweled objects such as the Art Deco fish bowl clock, by Black, Starr, and Frost, which realized $137,000 against a pre-sale estimate of $15,000.”

Christie's Geneva Auction to Include Private Jewelry Collection

Ruby and diamond jewelry set mounted by Cartier.

A highlight of Christie’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction on November 16 is a sale of an “extraordinary” group of jewels from a private collection.

Harry Winston

“Timeless Elegance – Important Jewels from the Collection of a European Family,” has 67 jewels gathered together in the mid-20th Century, bearing the style and signature of some of the most talented jewelry houses during the period, including Boucheron, Cartier, Mauboussin, Ostertag, Tiffany & Co, Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston. The family that owns the collection isn’t identified.

The collection, featured in a separate catalog, will be sold at 3 p.m.

“During my entire career I have never been asked to sell a group of jewels of such variety and outstanding beauty,” said Jean-Marc Lunel, Head of Christie’s Geneva Jewellery Department. “(It) will, no doubt, be among the very highlights of this auction season in Geneva. Unquestionable quality is behind every piece, each of them is a work of art in its own right.”

Diamond flower brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels.

Dating from the early 1900s to the present day, the collection contains all of the major periods and styles of the 20th Century, covering every type of jewel and gemstone.

Highlights from the collection include a timeless diamond necklace by Harry Winston from 1964 (estimate: $1.5 million – $2.5 million), a set of ruby and diamond jewelry, mounted by Cartier in 1951 ($800,000 – $1.2 million) and a mystery-set ruby and diamond flower brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels (estimate: $300,000 – $500,000).

Belle Epoque emerald and diamond brooches.

Among the period highlights are an Art Deco diamond, emerald and onyx bracelet by Gattle (estimate: $ 200,000 – 300,000) and a pair of Belle Epoque emerald and diamond brooches (estimate: $ 200,000 – $240,000).

Art Deco diamond, emerald and onyx bracelet by Gattle.