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Magnificent Jewels

OVERVIEW

This December Sotheby’s is honored to offer exceptional diamonds and signed jewels from the collections of Estée Lauder and Evelyn H. Lauder, sold to benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, an organization founded and championed by Evelyn Lauder. Highlighting the Lauder jewels are two particularly special diamonds: a beautiful Fancy Intense Pink diamond ring of 6.54 carats and a heart-shaped Fancy Intense Yellow diamond of 47.14 carats, set in a diamond necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels for Estée Lauder, and once owned by the Duchess of Windsor.  The collections also feature a spectacular D color diamond of 22.16 carats by Graff and a very fine selection of wearable evening and daytime jewelry, all reflecting the classic style and refined taste of the women who wore them.  

The Magnificent Jewels sale also includes a compelling array of white and fancy colored diamonds, precious gemstones, period designs and jewels signed by esteemed European and American jewelers of the past and present.  Leading the selection of magnificent diamonds from private collections are the 52.73 carat Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond ring and the 33.84 carat D color diamond ring.   Jewels crafted by Suzanne Belperron, Mauboussin and Fouquet highlight the vintage jewels on offer, and designs by Nirav Modi and Michele della Valle will appeal to collectors seeking more contemporary styles.

Select highlights from the Magnificent Jewels auction will be on public exhibition at Sotheby’s locations in Geneva from 10-13 November, in Los Angeles on 18 November and in London from 23-26 November.  This is an extraordinary sale, to be sold alongside Magnificent Jewels from the Collection of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, and we look forward to presenting all of the jewels at the pubic exhibition opening in New York on 1 December.

RESULTS

WEDNESDAY, 5 DECEMBER, NEW YORK - Jewelry from the collections of Estée Lauder, Evelyn H. Lauder and Mrs.Charles Wrightsman led today’s auctions at Sotheby’s New York to achieve $64,765,013, exceeding their overall pre-sale high estimate of $63.3 million. This figure raises the 2012 total for Sotheby’s worldwide jewelry auctions to $450.5 million – already a new record high for the company’s sales in this category, with one auction remaining this month – and also marks the highest-ever total for a day of jewelry sales at Sotheby’s New York.

“It has been an honor to present the collections of these great women at auction,” commented Lisa Hubbard, Chairman, North & South America, Sotheby’s International Jewelry Division. “With Mrs. Wrightsman’s jewels, we saw how her connoisseurship and legendary eye translated to a collection encompassing everything from coral pieces to antique diamonds and natural pearls. And in researching the Lauder collections, we have been overwhelmed by how many lives both Estée and Evelyn touched. It is particularly gratifying to know that the success of today’s sale will continue Evelyn Lauder’s mission by supporting The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®.”

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