For auction at Sotheby's this month, from the Collection of Patricia Kluge, a Platinum, diamond and sapphire "panthere" wristwatch, Cartier, French, circa 1985 Est. $100,000-150,000 (Courtesy of Sotheby's)
NEW YORK—Sotheby’s art auction house in New York is presenting three sessions of superb jewelry on April 20th. The day begins with Always in Style: 150 Years of Artistic Jewels, which is a comprehensive review of period and signed jewels dating from the 19th century to modern day, representing the main design themes of the last two centuries.
The Magnificent Jewels part of the sale features important diamond and colored stone jewels, many from distinguished private collections, including those of Patricia Kluge.
A pair of platinum and diamond pendant-earclips set throughout with pear-shaped diamonds worth $600,000-800,000, from the Patricia Kluge collection. (Courtesy of Sotheby's)
The Patricia Kluge collection is a major highlight of the sale, with the foundation of her collection being her white diamonds, including the impressive pair of platinum and diamond pendant-ear clips, set with almost 64 carats of pear-shaped diamonds, worth an estimated $600-800,000.
Intense yellow diamonds along with suites of sapphires and rubies are also featured in the glamorous Kluge jewels. A sapphire and diamond panthère Cartier wristwatch made around 1985 speaks of Mrs. Kluge’s refined taste; it has an estimated value of $100-150,000.
The sale offers superb examples of the natural colors found in nature, from warm yellow and red, to cool green and blue. A magnificent fancy vivid yellow diamond necklace worth $2-3million, from another private collection, is believed to be the first necklace like it to ever to appear at auction.
Another stunning example from Tiffany & Co. is a bracelet with fourteen beautifully matched Colombian emeralds. Weighing almost 40 carat’s, it’s skillfully set in an art deco design, and made around 1925. This piece is expected to fetch about $350-550,000.
This yellow diamond necklace set with 42 GIA-certified fancy vivid yellow diamonds weighs a total of 100.17 carats is expected to fetch $2,000,000-3,000,000. (Courtesy of Sotheby's)
Among the other superb jewels on offer is a ruby and diamond ring formerly owned by Isabella Stewart Gardner, and is one of the finest ‘pigeon blood red’ rubies to be offered on the market (est. $1-1.5 million). Another highlight is a rare fancy intense pinkish orange diamond ring, set with a 7.67 carat’s. It is the largest flawless diamond of this color graded by the Gemological Institute of America to date, and is worth $2.5-3.5 million.
A majority of white diamonds in the sale are the highly sought wearable sizes weighing ten carats and under.
This ruby and diamond ring was formerly in the collection of Isabella Stewart Gardner. The cushion-shaped ruby ring is up for auction this month, at an Est.
