A collection of pieces amassed by late Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten will become the most valuable private jewelry assortment ever to come to auction, according to Christie’s.
Christie’s will offer the collection, called The World of Heidi Horten, at its Geneva sale in May, the auction house said Tuesday. It carries a combined price estimate of $150 million. All proceeds will benefit the Heidi Horten Collection, a museum of modern and contemporary art Horten founded in Vienna, as well as medical research.
“The World of Heidi Horten is the collection of a lifetime,” said Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry for Christie’s. “From Bulgari to Van Cleef & Arpels, from a small personal memory piece to the Briolette of India, this is a collector’s dream. Building from extraordinary early pieces she acquired in the 1970s and 1980s, Mrs. Horten continued to grow and curate her sophisticated collection, eloquently combining vintage and modern designs from leading jewelry houses of the world that today represent some of the finest examples ever to come to market.”
The auction house will present 400 of the 700 jewels across two live auctions on May 10 and 12 as well as at an online sale from May 3 to 15. Another online sale featuring the remaining jewels is set for November.
Here are some of the top pieces:
Main image: Heidi Horten. (Christie’s)