Lot 355: Important sapphire and diamond tiara/crown/necklace combination, second half of the 19th century. Estimate: CHF200,000–280,000 / US$250,000–350,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: V.
Elegantly en route
Lot 355: Important sapphire and diamond tiara/crown/necklace combination, second half of the 19th century. Estimates: CHF200,000–280,000 / US$250,000–350,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: V.
Let’s set the stage: It’s sometime after 1850, and the world is obsessing over the latest tech release — the steam engine. You find yourself on a luxury locomotive, your brand-new trunk made by a man named Vuitton in tow. You’re heading from Vienna to Paris to see some art by these so-called Impressionists you’ve been hearing all about, and right now, you’re readying yourself for dinner in the dining car. We can think of nothing better to wear for such an occasion than this remarkable piece, which gives the impression of flowers through intricate settings of sapphires and diamonds. What’s even better is that when we arrive in Paris, this necklace can transform into a crown or tiara that you can wear to the exhibition that’s getting the académie so huffed. What an impression that will leave.
Showtime in Paris or New York
Lot 349: Natural pearl and diamond tiara, early 20th century. Estimates: CHF14,000–19,000 / US$18,000–24,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: V.
Speaking of tiaras, anyone fancy a night at the opera? We’re now in the early 20th century, and choosing between Paris and New York is proving tricky. Sure, Toscanini’s Puccini is first rate, but our money’s on Paris for the premiere of Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande. This natural pearl and diamond tiara is sure to stun at intermission — after all, Mélisande does lose her crown in the first scene — but staying low-key with this beautiful early Cartier bracelet and its matching earrings and brooch is an elegant choice too. Either way, we find that these pieces attract us with an irresistible force, just as the titular characters are mysteriously drawn to each other (never mind the ending, though).
Lot 356: Cartier, Ruby and diamond bracelet, circa 1904, a pair of earrings and a brooch. Estimates: CHF38,000–65,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: V.
Speaking easily at the hotel
Lot 415: Van Cleef & Arpels, Diamond sautoir, 1920s. Estimates: CHF180,000–240,000 / US$220,000–300,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: V.
Ella sings softly:
I used to visit all the very gay places
Those come-what-may places
But what’s an elegant continental lush supposed to do when visiting San Francisco in the ’20s?
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
To the St. Francis Hotel basement bar we go, before the after at the Palace. What doorman could turn us away in this magnificent diamond sautoir from Van Cleef & Arpels? The 10.79-carat diamond at the center of the detachable pendant reminds us of our favorite aspect of Art Deco design — within its geometric form lies an infectious sense of curiosity and freedom. Within these borders, anything goes, so from Tipperary town we steer…
To get the feel of life
From jazz and cocktails
To be a swan
Lot 408: Schlumberger, Ruby, sapphire and diamond necklace, ‘Plumes’, circa 1960. Estimates: CHF240,000–400,000 / US$300,000–500,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: V.
For us more literary jewelry lovers, the 1960s are synonymous with the glamour surrounding Truman Capote. These pieces from that time could do no better than join us for a party with the Swans, and what better fit than the ‘Plumes’ necklace by Schlumberger fastened of ruby, sapphire and diamond? It isn’t just the desire to be a muse to Capote that draws us in, it’s the sense of the freewheeling open-mindedness of the era that is echoed in its designs.
Lot 411: Cartier, Gem set and diamond brooch, 1960s. Estimates: CHF24,000–40,000 / US$30,000–50,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: V.
What we long to remember of the ‘60s is the promise of newness, progress, and change. Like today, the era was a fresh chance for modernity and an opportunity to be more than a model or muse. After all, it worked for Fiona Thyssen-Bornemisza.
Breakfast with Bulgari
Lot 370: Bulgari, Gem set and diamond necklace, circa 1980. Estimates: CHF40,000–60,000 / US$50,000–80,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: V.
Finally, we’ve arrived at the kind of New York City power breakfast that defined the late ‘70s through the ‘80s. (These days we prefer Four Twenty Five, but back then it would have been Le Cirque). Bulgari is a perfect match for this meal — no hostile takeovers here, just pure leisure — and this remarkable necklace, set with cabochon citrines and peridots and accented with brilliant-cut diamonds, is fittingly designed as a bib. Don’t worry that you might not be able to stack a Serpenti necklace with it; we’ve got one you can wear as a belt, and we won’t judge if you loosen it after the third glass of champagne. Power breakfast indeed.
Lot 374: Bulgari, Enamel belt, ‘Serpenti’, circa 1970. Estimates: CHF180,000–240,000 / US$220,000–300,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: V.
Lot 374: Bulgari, Enamel belt, ‘Serpenti’, circa 1970. Estimates: CHF180,000–240,000 / US$220,000–300,000. The Geneva Jewels Auction: V.
Discover more from The Geneva Jewels Auction: V >