Formerly in the Collection of Amélie of Orléans, Queen of Portugal (1865-1951)
Antique Emerald and Diamond Brooch
Estimate
70,000 - 100,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
Featuring a cabochon emerald within a double border of old mine-cut diamonds, suspending a detachable emerald drop surmounted by a pear-shaped diamond; late 19th century with later alterations.
Approximate measurements: 60 x 35mm
SSEF report no. 155326, 15 June 2026: two emeralds, Colombia, moderate oil
Amélie of Orléans, Queen of Portugal (1865-1951)
Princess Esperanza of Bourbon-Orléans (1914-2005)
Princess Maria da Gloria of Orléans-Braganza, Crown Princess of Yougouslavia
Sotheby's New York, December 9-10, 1981, lot 428
Gabriele Murdock (1941-1985), Sotheby’s, New York, December 7, 1999, lot 623
GABRIELE MURDOCK (1941-1985)
Gabriele Murdock had a short but remarkable life. Born in Munich in 1941, she came to the United States as a young woman. In 1967, she married financier David Murdock and they had three sons. They entertained some of the world's most influential people at their homes in Bel Air and Hidden Valley, California, and in New York City.
Mrs. Murdock was a woman of many talents and achievements. She had exquisite taste and she embraced interior design with the flair of a professional. She restored the Hay-Adams Hotel, a Washington landmark, to its former grandeur after it was purchased by her husband in 1983.
Gabriele Murdock is also remembered as a great patron of the arts. She was appointed to the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. Two years prior she was named to the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art where she helped make important decisions regarding development, acquisitions and finance. She was also a member of many art organizations, both nationally and in the Los Angeles area, including councils of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the School of American Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet.
Mrs Murdoch acquired three emerald jewels formerly in the collection of Queen Amélie of Portugal at Sotheby’s in 1981, including the emerald and diamond bangle and brooch (lots “” and “”). With characteristic flair, Mrs Murdoch had the brooch altered to become an interchangeable clasp to be worn from a cultured pearl necklace.