This season’s December Fine Jewelry auction showcases an inviting range of pieces designed to captivate collectors of every kind. From treasured antique heirlooms to contemporary must-haves, the offerings include exquisite diamonds, vibrant colored stones and an array of signed pieces from renowned houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., Cartier and David Webb.
This extraordinary cut-cornered rectangular modified brilliant cut Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink diamond, weighing 3.63 carats, represents one of the most coveted color classifications in the world of fine gemstones. Certified by the Gemological Institute of America, its designation as Fancy Vivid affirms the highest level of saturation attainable in a natural colored diamond. Purple-pink diamonds of this caliber are exceptionally rare, their distinctive hue arising from disruptions in their crystal structure during formation.
The Ortiz-Patiño name looms large in the worlds of art and culture. At Sotheby’s, it holds particular resonance, especially for those who have made their careers here. Over the course of five decades, we have presented nearly twenty stand-alone sales from the Ortiz-Patiño family. The collection of Luz Mila Patiño, Countess de Boisrouvray, comprised an astonishing selection of impressive jewels—including a Kashmir sapphire necklace and a 32-carat Burmese ruby ring—that brought $31 million when offered in 1989. For comparison, the 1987 auction of the Duchess of Windsor’s jewels achieved $50 million, but across a far greater number of pieces.
The Patiño family fortune was built by Simón Patiño (1860-1947), the “Tin King” of Bolivia. During World War II he was one of the wealthiest men in the world, earning him the additional sobriquet of the “Andean Rockefeller.” As pater familias, Simón ensured that connoisseurship and an appreciation for quality and provenance became dynastic. These priorities extended to jewelry, and in the 1930s he acquired the “Andean Cross,” a jewel set with a 45-carat emerald carved from a single crystal that had passed through the collections of Queen Isabel II of Spain and Empress Eugenie of France.
Simón’s beautiful daughter, Graziella (1895-1980), married Jorge Ortiz Linares (1894-1965), Bolivia’s post-war ambassador to France. Graziella formed an exquisite collection of 18th-century decorative art while Jorge collected rare books and manuscripts. They raised their two sons, George (1927-2013) and Jaime (1930-2013), in France and the brothers later built two of the greatest art collections of the 20th century. George developed a passion for antiquities and Jaime acquired Impressionist paintings, books and 18th-century French and English silver. Jaime was also an accomplished sportsman: he competed in the French and Italian Opens, was an avid golfer and became a World Bridge Federation World Life Master.
It was into this rarified world that Uta Krebber entered when she married Jaime Ortiz-Patiño in 1970. Born in Germany and educated in Switzerland, she enjoyed a career as a fashion model before meeting the high-energy scion of the Patiño family. True jetsetters, she and Jaime maintained residences in Geneva, Rio de Janeiro, Megève, Paris, Sotogrande and Palm Beach. Uta’s fluency in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, complemented by working knowledge of several other languages, allowed her to move with ease across cultures and social circles. She has always surrounded herself with beauty and her passion for art and interior design is immediately apparent when visiting her historic home in Palm Beach. The majority of her jewels were acquired from the 1960s to the ‘80s with Van Cleef & Arpels her house of choice. Uta’s life amongst the highest levels of society has provided many opportunities to wear and enjoy her jewels, including Palm Beach’s Red Cross Ball and a visit to Buckingham Palace as well as both intimate and formal events with luminaries such as King Carlos of Spain, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, President George H. W. Bush and Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, whom she counted as a close friend.
Sotheby’s is honored to continue its tradition of offering works from the Ortiz-Patiño family this December.
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Geri Brawerman approached jewelry with the same quiet confidence and discernment that guided every aspect of her life. Her selections were about artistry, balance, and craftsmanship.
Like her art collection, Mrs. Brawerman’s jewels were expressions of curiosity and confidence, objects to be lived with and enjoyed. They mirror the qualities that defined her philanthropy: generosity, grace, and a deep belief in the power of creativity to enrich lives.
Mrs. Brawerman devoted herself to the same consideration and discernment in her philanthropy. She and her husband Richard supported education, healthcare, and the arts with deep generosity, fostering possibilities that transformed lives. Through the Brawerman Fellowship Program, she opened doors for students; at Cedars-Sinai, she helped nurses advance their training; and at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, she paved the way for educational initiatives that strengthened communities. Through her philanthropy, Mrs. Brawerman didn’t just support institutions, she touched lives, created opportunities and ensured that others could achieve what once felt impossible.
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This private collection brings together an irresistibly bold and imaginative selection of jewels, each chosen with a confident eye for artistry, color, and sculptural presence. At its heart are several iconic creations by David Webb, including the whimsical yet commanding “Hot Dog” necklace (lot 356) and a pair of gold, enamel, and ruby earclips (lot 353) that radiate the house’s signature blend of humor and glamour. Complementing these are two exceptional Verdura designs: a vibrant gold, colored-stone, and enamel bracelet (lot 354) and a refined gold rope-link wristwatch (lot 359), both embodying Verdura’s playful sophistication and timeless elegance.
Adding dramatic brilliance, a magnificent 17.31-carat sapphire and diamond ring (lot 362) stands as one of the collection’s most breathtaking gemstones—its vivid hue and remarkable presence reflecting the collector’s love for pieces of true distinction. That same taste for statement-making design continues with two wide, sculptural bracelets by Lorraine Schwartz (lots 371 and 372), one shimmering with diamonds and the other an architectural composition of onyx, rock crystal, and diamonds.
The collection’s Cartier pieces add a final note of refined luxury: a diamond star-set Trinity bracelet (lot 364), and a richly colored cuff-bracelet adorned with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds (lot 361), each a testament to the house’s enduring mastery of form and gemstone harmony.
Together, these jewels paint the portrait of a collector who embraced beauty in its most expressive forms—someone drawn to daring silhouettes, captivating color, and craftsmanship that celebrates both whimsy and sophistication. Radiant, eclectic, and deeply personal, the collection feels less like an assemblage of jewels and more like a love letter to the art of adornment itself.
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