Sotheby’s to Offer over 250 Jewels from Iconic Designers

Sotheby’s will showcase more than 250 iconic jewels from a single collector, including the largest collection of René Boivin pieces ever to come to auction.

The jewelry, which was amassed over half a century, will feature at a sale called Iconic Jewels: Her Sense of Style, Sotheby’s said last week. It will take place across two auctions, one during Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sales in Geneva on May 14, and the other online from May 2 to 16.

The entire collection is expected to fetch between CHF 4.7 million and CHF 7.3 million ($5.4 million and $8.3 million). It includes the most iconic pieces and influential trends from prestigious houses such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Boucheron, Chaumet, and David Webb.

Within the offering is a group of nearly 30 lots designed by French jeweler René Boivin, a record number for the designer at auction, Sotheby’s noted.

The top item at the sale is a pair of Bulgari earrings containing two fancy-yellow diamonds each weighing just under 10 carats. The set, which previously belonged to the Baroness di Portanova, is estimated to fetch up to CHF 600,000 ($678,673).

“When you come across a jewelry collection as consistently stunning and substantial as [this one], it’s a heart-stopping moment — the kind you know you’ll never forget,” said Marie-Cécile Cisamolo, a jewelry specialist at Sotheby’s Geneva. “[It] is truly one of a kind and one of the most important private jewelry collections I’ve ever seen.”

Here are the rest of the top items: