The Wolf Family Collection: Exceptional Jewels

Frank’s Files: The Wolf Collection

The Wolf Family Collection includes nine stunning mystery-set jewels by Van Cleef &amp; Arpels. Each exquisite creation incorporates delicate mosaics of colored gemstones held in place without visible metal claws or collets. Van Cleef &amp; Arpels first introduced pieces incorporating the “serti mystérieux” in Paris in 1933 and patented the technique in France and the United States, as well as in a number of other countries. The style was immediately popular and became iconic for the firm. Early examples of mystery-set jewels were either flat or slightly curved, but over time refinements to the process allowed for the creation of more complex, undulating surfaces, as found in the Wolf Collection’s stunning flower brooches. Assembled over a lifetime of impassioned and assiduous study, the nine pieces constitute one of the largest offerings of Van Cleef &amp; Arpels mystery-set jewelry ever to come to auction.

Van Cleef & Arpels Mystery-Set Jewels

French-born Jean Schlumberger (1907-1987) was the first of a series of artist-jewelers hired by Tiffany &amp; Co. to have his own studio within the company. He had been personally selected for his reputation as a great talent, having worked under Schiaparelli in Paris in the 1930s. Schlumberger moved to New York in 1946 and enjoyed great success on his own before joining Tiffany &amp; Co. in 1956. The distinctive jewels and precious objects he created for Tiffany’s high profile clientele demonstrated his unique point-of-view and superb sense of style. The Wolf collection includes a number of Schlumberger pieces that reflect his distinctive aesthetic, including vivid gem-set brooches and earrings, bright enamel bracelets, and jeweled compacts.

Jewels by Jean Schlumberger

Splendid Brooches

New York

Senior Vice President | Vice Chairman, Jewelry Americas

Frank Everett

Senior Vice President | Head of Magnificent Jewels, Geneva

Catharine Becket

Senior Cataloguer, Jewellery

Alexia Palmer

Assistant Vice President | Specialist, Jewelry

Vivian Chen

Meet our Specialists

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Like the fine and decorative art in the The Wolf Family Collection, the jewels reflect a lifetime of connoisseurship and an appreciation for rare, often one-of-a-kind designs. The vast majority are signed by esteemed makers, from inventive creations by René Boivin, Jean Schlumberger, and JAR to classic styles by Van Cleef &amp; Arpels, David Webb, and Harry Winston. Perhaps the greatest triumph of the Collection is the extensive selection of Van Cleef &amp; Arpels mystery-set jewels — one of the most impressive of its kind ever to appear at auction – with nine stunning examples from a variety of periods in sapphires and rubies.

Exceptional Jewels: The Wolf Family Collection