Sotheby’s New York will present a distinguished private collection of jewels this season, highlighted by rare works from Suzanne Belperron and JAR, and complemented by pieces from Cartier, Boivin, and Boucheron, with estimates exceeding $8 million.
Titled, “A Legacy of Elegance: Jewels from an Exceptional Collection,” it is the highlight of Sotheby’s December 8 jewelry auction. This auction will mark the opening of Sotheby’s new headquarters in the landmark Breuer building on Madison Avenue. It also will be the first evening jewelry auction at Sotheby’s New York in over a decade, the auction house said. In addition, this sale will open a series of luxury auctions by Sotheby’s.
Sotheby’s is calling this auction a “landmark” sale from a single owner only identified as “prominent international collector” who spent decades assembling a group of Parisian high jewels of “cultural significance.”
“This collection stands out for its compelling variety of characteristics—rarity, distinguished authorship, impeccable provenance and above all, iconic design,” Quig Bruning, Sotheby’s Head of Jewels, Americas and EMEA, said in a statement. “It is a true celebration of connoisseurship, showcasing the finest jewels and artisans from the late 19th century through to the present day.”
More than 20 pieces in the auction are by Suzanne Belperron (1900 – 1983), one of the most original artists to ever work with jewelry. She is known for developing groundbreaking techniques such as sculptural design, a unique crafting method for high-karat gold, and mixing precious gems with common materials, all of which was a substantial shift from the popular Art Deco jewelry trend of the time.
Belperron also is known for not signing her jewels, famously saying, “My style is my signature.” This has created a challenge in authenticating her pieces, although her signature style is identifiable. Her jewels appeared in the most influential fashion magazines of the time, such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar and her private salon was frequented by famous women of the time, including Elsa Schiaparelli, Diana Vreeland and the Duchess of Windsor.
In recent years, Belperron jewels have experienced a revival, with collectors at auction and in private paying increasingly high prices for her pieces.
Among the Belperron pieces on offer is a delicate and fluid necklace that uses pink topaz, aquamarine, morganite and diamonds (estimate $250,000 – $350,000). The subtle contrasts of blue aquamarines and pastel pink topazes represent her signature use of color.
Meanwhile, a chalcedony and amethyst cuff (estimate $80,000 – 120,000) exemplifies her unmistakable style of “using unorthodox materials and a machine-age, almost masculine aesthetic,” Sotheby’s said.
More than 10 jewels in the sale are attributed to JAR, led by Joel Arthur Rosenthal, the American-French jeweler considered a pioneer in contemporary high jewelry art ever since he set up a jewelry boutique at 7 Place Vendôme in 1977. His jewels represent a “depth of meaning, cultural layers, beauty and poetry and poignancy,” Sotheby’s said.
A pair of JAR diamond earclips offered in the sale (estimate $500,000 – 700,000) combines imposing scale and fragility with dendritic branches evoking the ephemeral nature of frost.
JAR’s vivid use of organic motifs is also represented with “Three Wild Rose Brooches,” (total estimate $850,000 – $1.15 million), featuring pavé-set colored gems in a variety of sizes.
Other important French jewels in the sale are as follows:
- A sapphire and diamond brooch by Parisian jewelry house, Boivin, (estimate $40,000 – $60,000) that the auction house says “shows the clear influence of Suzanne Belperron.” Belperron worked with the firm from 1919 to 1932. The brooch was originally in the collection of Daisy Fellowes (1890-1962).
- A ruby and diamond laurel leaf necklace by the original Place Vendôme jeweler, Boucheron, set with approximately 40 carats of rubies and 65 carats of old-cut diamonds (estimate $1 million – $2 million). It was once owned by Mary Louise Hungerford Mackay (1843-1928) and Countess Mona Bismark (1897-1983).
- An invisibly set ruby and diamond bracelet by Cartier (estimate $300,000 – $500,000) bears the mark of Rubel Frères, a Parisian workshop known for its Art Deco creations for competing Parisian jewelry house, Van Cleef & Arpels.
Highlights from the Sotheby’s sale will travel on a worldwide tour before returning for an exhibition at the Breuer building beginning December 5.