During The Magnificent Jewelry Sale in Sotheby’s Geneva on May 14th, Iconic Jewels: Her Sense of Style, comprising over 250 pieces assembled over five decades by a European female collector will come up at auction. In a press release the company sent out, they wrote, “It is one of the most important private collections to come up at auction.”
This comes to light during Women’s History Month and it captures the essence of the taste, foresight and level of understanding by a woman collection who amassed some of the most spectacular signed pieces from many of the renowned houses and importan design periods in jewelry’s history.
In speaking about the auction Marie-Cécile Cisamolo, Jewelry Specialist, Sotheby’s Geneva explained, “I love the fact that this is a collection edited so expertly and lovingly by a woman over nearly fifty years. She started when she was just in her late teens, at university, and very quickly developed a passion for collecting jewelry which took her all across Europe and the world, looking for specific pieces. Her sustained commitment throughout all those decades to collecting the highest quality jewels, from the most exciting jewelry houses, but never buying a piece she didn’t absolutely love and felt she could wear easily, is extraordinary,” Cisamolo continues.
“She hand-picked the vast majority of the collection herself, which again is unusual in a world where so many of the most remarkable jewelry collections ever sold, have historically been financed to some extent by men, often chosen their favorite pieces for the women in their lives”.
The collection showcases iconic pieces and influential trends creations from the most prestigious jewelry houses including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Boucheron, Chaumet, David Webb, Mauboussin, Marina B, Sterlé and Mellerio dits Meller. With a particular large amount of jewelry from the house of René Boivin. The literature from Sotheby’s states, “Boivin’s style held such great appeal to the private collector that, overtime, this connoisseur acquired what may be the most extensive selection of works by the French jeweler in the world. With nearly thirty lots to be offered as part of “Iconic Jewels: Her Sense of Style”, this is the largest collection of Boivin jewels ever to come to auction. His death in 1917 placed the business in the hands of his wife, Jeanne, who made the trailblazing decision to hire women, including her daughter, Germaine, and Suzanne Belperron who went on to become the most influential female designer of all time.”
The literature on the sale goes on to state, “One of the most defining characteristics of “Iconic Jewels: Her Sense of Style” is its sheer eclecticism, unified by the private collector’s unerring curatorial eye – balancing the more iconic jewelry collecting with a self-assuredness in actively seeking more unusual, often eccentric, sometimes unique, or specially commissioned pieces. While most jewelry collectors concentrate on certain periods, brands or styles, this collector sought to acquire the most remarkable examples of jewelry from all the most important decades and design trends of thetwentieth century: Art Nouveau, Belle Epoque, Art Deco, and Modernism.”
Cisamolo concludes, “The vast majority of jewelry collectors keep their prized possessions in a safe, wearing them on special occasions and that’s totally understandable. This collector, however, was celebrating her finest jewelry by making a point of wearing it fearlessly every day, just to enjoy the way it made her feel. There is something bold and inspiring about her attitude towards wearing high jewelry – utterly reverential like a ritual, yet completely relaxed like wearing an ordinary pair of jeans. It is sure to inspire collectors from around the globe.