Christie’s New York Announces December Magnificent Jewels Sale
New York – Christie’s New York announces the December 8 auction of Magnificent Jewels and the concurrent Jewels Online & Colorful Whimsy: Jewels by Michele della Valle sale from November 23 – December 7. The auction will offer over 200 lots, highlighted by renowned private collections, noteworthy diamonds and colored gemstones, and an impressive assemblage of important signed jewels by Bvlgari, Cartier, Graff, Harry Winston, JAR, Jean Schlumberger, Suzanne Belperron, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels. An exhibition by appointment will be held at Christie’s New York from 3-7 December.
The Magnificent Jewels auction is led by three important colored diamonds including: a rare fancy vivid orangy pink diamond ring of 5.38 carats, VS2 clarity ($2,200,000-3,200,000); an important fancy vivid yellow diamond pendant of 70.19 carats, VS2 clarity ($2,000,000 – 3,000,000; and a fancy dark gray-blue diamond ring of 8.74 carats Internally Flawless ($1,200,000 – 1,500,000).
A notable collection included in the sale is A Superlative Eye: Property from a Distinguished Chicago Collection, which features jewels by Cartier, Graff, Jean Schlumberger, Chanel, Carvin French, and Marcus & Co. The collection is highlighted by a strong selection of Art Deco Cartier jewels, such as an Art Deco emerald, sapphire and diamond brooch ($200,000-300,000) once belonging to Mrs. Cole Porter, alongside colored stones including a Graff ruby and diamond ring ($1,000,000-1,500,000), and a Carvin French Kashmir sapphire, colored diamond and diamond ring ($500,000-700,000).
Another highlight of the sale are eight lots of Van Cleef & Arpels Mystery-Set jewels, including a ruby and diamond bracelet ($300,000-500,000) and a pair of ruby and diamond pendant earrings ($300,000-500,000). A triumph of jewelry design, the ‘Mystery-Set’ or ‘Serti Mystérieux’ represents the culmination of Van Cleef & Arpels’ revolutionary eye for design and spirit of innovation. The exceptional technique, perfected by only a few master jewelers, not only transcends technical perfection but also reflects the art of the jeweler. Taking an average of 1,200 hours to complete one Mystery-Set jewel, this process is a testament to the exceptional craftsmanship, dedication and ambition of the firm’s artistic and technical vision.
Additional private collections within the sale include a Van Cleef & Arpels Art Deco diamond bracelet ($1,000,000-1,500,000) previously featured in the exhibition The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York; an historic late 17th Century emerald, diamond and enamel rosary ($400,000-600,000) descended from Prince Heinrich to the Dresden Green Vaults into the private collection of Mrs. Jayne Wrightsman; and a Gillot & Co. antique natural pearl and diamond pendant ($500,000-700,000) formerly in the collection of Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge.
The Jewels Online & Colorful Whimsy: Jewels by Michele della Valle sale (November 23 – December 7) features a curated assemblage of fine jewelry ranging from antique through contemporary jewels to white diamonds and colored stones by Buccellati, Bulgari, Cartier, David Webb, Graff, Harry Winston, JAR, Tiffany & Co., and Van Cleef & Arpels. The sale also includes 64 works by Michele della Valle, who is well known for his designs of fine jewels with colorful whimsy, all offered without reserve.
About Christie’s
Founded in 1766, Christie’s is a world-leading art and luxury business. Renowned and trusted for its expert live and online auctions, as well as its bespoke private sales, Christie’s offers a full portfolio of global services to its clients, including art appraisal, art financing, international real estate and education. Christie’s has a physical presence in 46 countries, throughout the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with flagship international sales hubs in New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris and Geneva. It also is the only international auction house authorized to hold sales in mainland China (Shanghai).
Christie’s auctions span more than 80 art and luxury categories, at price points ranging from $200 to over $100 million. In recent years, Christie’s has achieved the world record price for an artwork at auction (Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvador Mundi, 2017), for a single collection sale (the Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, 2018), and for a work by a living artist (Jeff Koons’ Rabbit, 2019).
Christie’s Private Sales offers a seamless service for buying and selling art, jewellery and watches outside of the auction calendar, working exclusively with Christie’s specialists at a client’s individual pace.
Recent innovations at Christie’s include the groundbreaking sale of the first NFT for a digital work of art ever offered at a major auction house (Beeple’s Everydays, March 2021), with the unprecedented acceptance of cryptocurrency as a means of payment. As an industry leader in digital innovation, Christie’s also continues to pioneer new technologies that are redefining the business of art, including the creation of viewing and bidding experiences that integrate augmented reality, global livestreaming, buy-now channels, and hybrid sales formats.
Christie’s is dedicated to advancing responsible culture throughout its business and communities worldwide, including achieving sustainability through net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and actively using its platform in the art world to amplify under-represented voices and support positive change.
