Tiffany & Co. [蒂芙尼] | Natural Pearl and Diamond Necklace [天然珍珠配鑽石項鏈]

PROPERTY FROM THE ESTATE OF MARY LILY KENAN FLAGLER

LOTS 24 & 25

Before he married Mary Lily Kenan, New York native Henry Flagler first visited Florida in the winter of 1878. Flagler instantly saw potential in the state, which at the time had less than half a million residents, and was struck by the stunning ocean views and serene breezes the state offered.

Moving methodically down the east coast of Florida Flagler began buying land and creating fantastical destination hotels, resulting in revenues previously unseen in the state. At the end of the 19^th century Flagler was the force behind the modern creation of the resort towns and cities such as Lake Worth, Palm Beach and Miami, in addition to being the creator of the consolidated Florida East Coast Railway, a system that included the first Over-Sea Railroad all of which helped build tourism to Southern Florida down through the Florida Keys.

In August of 1901, Henry Flagler married Mary Lily Kenan, a socialite from the philanthropic Kenan family of Kenansville, North Carolina. The home and life they created together was an American Beaux-Arts dream, complete with an impressive home in Palm Beach Flagler named Whitehall, described at the time by the New York Herald as, “… more wonderful than any place in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world.” Today Whitehall has been turned into the well-known Flagler Museum that pays homage to the impact Henry Flagler had on his beloved state. Unfortunately, the couple was married only until Flagler’s sudden passing in 1913, making his young bride the wealthiest widow in America.

With the wealth that the Industrial era brought, so came opulence into the lives of those such as Henry Flagler and his family. The women of the American elite wore ropes of pearls and didn’t shy away from large gemstones, their collections rivaling those of European royalty. The 35-carat Flagler emerald, sold by Sotheby’s for nearly $3 million in 2015 and but one of Mary Lily’s spectacular jewels, speaks to the importance that was placed not just on size but on quality. This appreciation for the best-of-the best is further evidenced by her long strand of glossy pearls by Tiffany & Co (lot 24) and her Raymond Yard necklace (lot 25), boasting jade beads of sensational color and translucency.