The marquee erected on Geneva’s lakeside for the sale of the Collection of the Duchess of Windsor in 1987. With models provided by Givenchy to present the jewels and television crews from all over the world filming proceedings, the sale proved to be a turning point in the history of jewellery auctions.
A model provided by Givenchy displays a jewel from the Collection of the Duchess of Windsor during the landmark auction at Sotheby’s in 1987. In this case, the so-called ‘Flamingo Brooch’ by Cartier, one of the leading highlights in the sale.
A visitor to Sotheby’s pre-sale public exhibition in November 2014 admires the intricate and complex Henry Graves Supercomplication, the pocket-watch known as the ‘Holy Grail’ of watches. The piece travelled the world during pre-sale presentations, before shattering the previous world record to sell for $24 million.
David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby’s Switzerland, on the rostrum during our November 2016 sale of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels. As his backdrop, the stunning ‘Sky Blue Diamond’, which went on to sell that evening for $17.1 million.
This snapshot from the pre-sale public exhibition of the Schmid & Muller Collection gives a flavour of the more than 4000 items which chart the history of the early years of iconic Swatch design. Colourful and fascinating, the collection is a testament to this much-loved and ground-breaking chapter in Swiss watchmaking history. The collection was sold at Sotheby’s in November 2015 for $1.3 million.
Sotheby’s sale of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels in May 2015 set a new world record for any jewellery auction in history, beating the record set in the same Geneva saleroom one year earlier. The total soared to $175 million, led by the stunning Unique Pink diamond, which sold for $30.1 million.
Ahead of Sotheby’s biannual sales of Swiss Art in Zurich, Geneva collectors are given the chance to preview the works on offer. Here, selected highlights from our December 2016 sale include Le Corbusier’s Nature morte au portrait de famille, 1940, which went on to achieve $485,800 at auction.
With cameras poised to capture a memorable moment in auction history, collectors in our Geneva saleroom held their breath as David Bennett fielded bids on the Blue Moon of Josephine, which holds the current world record per carat for any diamond at more than $4 million.
The striking Cartier ring setting for the ‘Sky Blue Diamond’ shows off the stone’s celestial blue at the pre-sale public exhibition for our Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale in November 2016. Visitors flocked to see this mesmerising stone, which sold just days later for $17.1 million.
Gareth Jones, Sotheby’s General Manager for Switzerland, presides over the Important Watches sale in November 2016, which saw strong prices for independent watchmakers including Richard Mille and Greubel Forsey.
Chairman of Sotheby’s Switzerland, Caroline Lang, during the sale of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels in May 2012. In her role as Chairman, Caroline Lang has spearheaded the strong performance of Sotheby’s in Switzerland, through her unrivalled relationships with Swiss collectors and her vital contribution to the prominent position of the country on the international stage.
Sotheby's Geneva has sold some of the most exquisite examples of jewellery and watches, from the landmark auction in 1987 of the collection of the Duchess of Windsor to more recent record-breaking pieces, such as the Blue Moon of Josephine, which holds the current world record per carat for any diamond. In addition to these auctions Sotheby's Geneva also hosts exhibitions of highlights from the global salerooms. Click ahead to view just some of the highlights from over 40 years of business.