Sotheby's Geneva Sale Features Rare, Nobel Jewels

The Magnificent and Noble Jewels auction on May 14 at Sotheby's Geneva offered more than 650 lots of aristocratic jewels, diamonds and gemstones.

Auctions are amazing and riveting to say least when pieces designed and crafted by the old world jewellers, who made their name since the 50s and 60s become showpieces.

It is a sad, undisputed truth today amongst us in the fine jewellery trade to see so many precious jewellery making techniques no longer passed down. Today's fine jewellers pushes the bottom line, the sales figures, the mass market of middle-upper class who jump on the brand bandwagon.. with not much left for art and craftsmanship. Pick up a 1960s - 80s made Bulgari jewel and a 2010 made one and hold it in your hand... it is different. The feel, the weight, and hand made finish. Same with Cartier and many countless other established jewellery houses. Hence making auctions of such scale and caliber truly in demand.

The centerpiece of this auction includes a group of 23 pieces from the collection of actress, photojournalist and sculptor Gina Lollobrigida. Much of this collection was designed by Bulgari in the 1950s and 1960s and the jewelry was worn by the actress at key events earlier in her career. She is selling her diamond jewelry to raise money for stem cell research, saying now is the time to give back for the fortunate life she has had. Read about it here.

Highlights include a pair of natural pearl and diamond pendant earrings, circa 1964, which is estimated to fetch up to $1 million; sold for 2.29 million francs ($2.37 million), an auction record.
The earrings beat the $1.98 million figure set in 2011 from the sale of natural pearl and diamond earrings by Bulgari, owned by late actress Elizabeth Taylor.

Other highlighst included a a 19.03-carat diamond ring, circa 1962, with a pre-sale estimate of up to $800,000 and a diamond necklace-bracelet combination from 1954 that was projected to sell for as much as $500,000.

Noble and historic jewels play a prominent role in this auction, such as a 74.53-carat fancy yellow cushion-shaped diamond that once belonged to the late Imperial Majesty Sultan Ahmed Shah Qajar, the seventh and last ruler of the Qajar dynasty of Persia. This piece had a high presale estimate of $1.8 million and was sold for 2.85 million francs ($2.95 million), an auction record for a fancy yellow diamond.


An important light pink diamond and diamond necklace formerly belonging to a lady of title, is estimated to fetch up to $2.5 million. The necklace (pictured) features a  detachable pendant set with two marquise diamonds, a 6.93-carat brilliant-cut light pink diamond and two circular-cut diamonds of 34.78 carats and a 11.38 carats.

Sotheby's will auction a 27.90-carat, D, internally flawless cushion modified brilliant-cut diamond ring with a high presale estimate at $6 million.

The diamond received the highest color and clarity grade from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and is in the type IIa subgroup, which comprise of less than 2 percent of all gem diamonds and often have extraordinary optical transparency.

Colored diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and Burmese rubies also appear in the sale alongside jewels designed by  Suzanne Belperron for her close friend Cecyle Simon. Sotheby's sale of jewels from Belperron's personal collection fetched $3.5 million at the Geneva auction last year.