Gold, cultured pearl and diamond necklace. Estimate $25,000–35,000.
“Black pearls – so glamorous, so unusual and so very chic. And they remind me of the cover of my new novel!”
Pair of 18-karat gold, platinum and gem-set ‘Pansy’ earclips, Oscar Heyman & Brothers. Estimate $12,000–18,000.
“Oscar Heyman is a favourite jeweller of mine. I have an Oscar Heyman engagement ring, and I have always hankered for one of his famous pansy brooches or earring sets. They are so unique, and anyone who loves Heyman’s work can identify them immediately.”
Platinum, diamond and gem-set charm bracelet. Estimate $5,000–7,000.
“This is the ultimate charm bracelet. Ever since I was a teenager I wanted a charm bracelet, but I still don’t have one. They are quite a 1980s sort of piece, very jangly and fun to wear on your arm. Fabulously casual but glamorous.”
18-karat white gold, sapphire and diamond necklace. Estimate $7,000–9,000.
“I adore this combination of exquisite white diamonds mixed with dark stones. So original and dramatic.”
18-karat white gold, rock crystal, cultured pearl and diamond necklace and earclips, Seaman Schepps. Estimate $20,000–30,000.
“This necklace is just so over the top, the kind of thing a rich Palm Beach socialite would wear – dreamy!”
Pair of 18-karat gold, silver and diamond earclips. Estimate $7,000–9,000.
“I love the 1950s-inspired look of these earrings, and the monochrome in the colouring is so exquisite.”
18-karat white gold, cultured pearl and diamond necklace. Estimate $50,000–75,000.
“There is nothing like huge, Gobstopper-sized pearls to really make an impact. Just worn with a little black dress, it’s so classic and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Adorable!”
When Plum Sykes and her sister Lucy came to the US in the mid-90s, the Portobello princesses quickly became fixtures in New York society. With English style and wit, the twins continue to charm the worlds of fashion, journalism and literature. Currently a New York Times best-selling author and contributor to American Vogue (this April will mark her 20th anniversary at the magazine), Plum is set to release her latest book and soon to be series, Party Girls Die in Pearls (HarperCollins) this May. Part chick lit, murder mystery and autobiography, the novel follows the experiences of two new best friends, the modest, English country Ursula and the impossibly chic American Nancy, at Oxford University in the 1980s. Given her penchant for depicting high society style, Sotheby’s couldn’t wait to talk to Sykes about her taste in jewellery. Click ahead for Sykes’s favourite pieces from our upcoming sale.
Magnificent Jewels
25 April | New York
Photograph by Robert Fairer