Sotheby’s upcoming “Magnificent Jewels” sale will feature an array of exceptional pieces, including the “Lavender Dream” diamond, set in a ring with diamond side stones, and estimated to sell for $1 million to $1.5 million.
Among other colored diamonds in the sale are:
A 2.82-carat fancy intense blue-green diamond (estimated at $500,000 to $700,000)
A 0.73-carat fancy purplish red diamond (estimated at $400,000 to $600,000)
A 1.41-carat fancy vivid green-blue diamond (estimated at $350,000 to $550,000)
Highlights also include a David Morris necklace featuring graduated oval-shaped diamonds interspersed with pear-shaped and marquise-shaped diamonds, and set with cushion-cut Kashmir sapphires with no indications of heat. Another notable sapphire piece is a 1930s Cartier ring with a 14.51-carat Kashmir sapphire, estimated to sell for up to $1.2 million.
From Van Cleef & Arpels, a diamond tie necklace created in 1929 is expected to fetch up to $1.2 million. Van Cleef & Arpels produced several designs in this style during the mid-1920s to early 1930s, showcasing the geometric-shaped diamonds characteristic of the Art Deco movement. These necklaces, designed as long pendants or tassels, could be worn at the front of a dress or draped over one shoulder. This style evolved from shoulder brooches popular in Paris at the time, but by the mid-1930s, shorter bib styles and collars became more fashionable, leading to the discontinuation of tie necklaces by 1935. Only a few were ever made, making them exceedingly rare.
“It is exceedingly rare to find a Van Cleef & Arpels tie necklace and the example offered here is the first of its kind to come to auction in recent times,” Sotheby’s noted.
Additionally, a 7.46-carat emerald and diamond Van Cleef & Arpels ring that once belonged to Hollywood icon Ava Gardner will be up for auction. Known for her roles in “The Barefoot Contessa” (1954) and “Night of the Iguana” (1964), Gardner had a discerning eye for jewelry. She sourced the Colombian emerald herself in Los Angeles and had it mounted in a ring by Van Cleef & Arpels New York in 1961. Gardner auctioned several of her pieces at Sotheby’s New York in 1989, and upon her death in 1990, the remainder of her collection, including this ring, was auctioned at Sotheby’s London. The ring is estimated to sell for $420,000 to $520,000.
