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A Tiffany & Co. brooch featuring The Vanderbilt Sapphire will take the spotlight at an upcoming Phillips auction in Geneva.
Designed in the early 20th century, the brooch features a sugarloaf, 42.68-carat Kashmir sapphire in an openwork design, embellished with old-cut diamonds. The piece, which carries an upper estimate of CHF 1.2 million ($1.5 million), will take center stage at the November 10 Geneva Jewels Auction: V, Phillips said last week. The 12-piece Vanderbilt Family Jewels collection of Belle Epoque origin includes items from Cartier and Tiffany.
Another notable lot is a Cartier brooch circa 1908, sporting a pear-shaped, 4.55-carat, E-color diamond. The item was originally part of a Belle Epoque tiara that Gladys Moore Vanderbilt wore at her wedding, which was later dismantled. The piece could fetch up to CHF 120,000 ($150,000). The collection includes an additional brooch, designed as a bow carrying diamonds and emeralds, with an upper estimate of CHF 6,000 ($8,000).
The auction house will also offer a Cartier gold vanity case bearing the monogram of Gladys Vanderbilt. Featuring diamonds and a ruby, it has a high estimate of CHF 9,500 ($12,000). A diamond-studded comb from the early 20th century has an upper price of CHF 4,000 ($5,000), while a Cartier wristwatch is set to fetch up to CHF 4,000 ($5,000). The timepiece is designed in gold and bears rubies and diamonds.
The Vanderbilt dynasty had come to symbolize wealth and social influence by the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the core of this legacy is the Vanderbilt family’s exceptional jewelry collection, with timeless pieces that symbolize elegance and prestige. Gladys Moore Vanderbilt, countess Széchény, who lived between 1886 to 1965, previously owned the collection on offer. She was raised in the Vanderbilt II family mansion on Fifth Avenue, the largest private residence ever constructed in New York City. In 1908 she married Count László Széchényi.
Phillips will exhibit the jewels worldwide ahead of the auction, with a showing in New York on October 5 and 6.
Image: The Vanderbilt Sapphire. (Phillips)
