Christie's will hold its Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva

KOLKATA: On 14 May 2014, Christie's will hold its Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva. The early selection of highlights is led by a sensational Belle Epoque Devant-de-Corsage brooch, crafted by Cartier in 1912 (estimate: SFr.6.1-10.5 M/US$7-12 M). Salomon Barnato Joel (1865-1931), a director of De Beers Consolidated Diamond Mines from 1901 to 1931 in South Africa, took four of his most beautiful diamonds to Cartier in 1912, asking for a brooch to be designed around them. This great example of a Belle Epoque jewel, centered upon a pear-shaped diamond of 34.08 carats, will be offered for the second time at Christie's.

The sale will feature more than 250 lots which are estimated to fetch a total in the region of SFr.73 million/US$80 million. Amongst the great selection of important diamonds on offer is The Rajah, an old-mine brilliant-cut diamond of 26.14 carats (estimate: SFr.2.6-4.4 M/US$3.0-5.0M). It belonged to Mrs. Mary J. Morgan, second wife of Charles Morgan (1798-1878). Little was known about Mrs. Morgan's collection of works of art until the collection was auctioned in March 1886, following her death the year before. Tiffany & Co bought these two important diamonds and sold them within a month to another Bostonian socialite, Mrs Isabella Stewart Gardner, the collector and philanthropist who founded a museum of the same name.

In 1924 the brooch changed hands again and went into a private collection until 1997, when Christie's Geneva sold The Rajah for the first time; it is now coming to the market for the first time in over 15 years. Another diamond highlight is a 76.51 carat, light pink square-cut diamond, set as a pendant by Leviev (estimate: SFr.6.1-8.7 M/US$7-10 M)

The sale also comprises numerous jewels consigned from important private collections, a fantastic selection of important period and signed jewellery includes some of the most iconic creations from the 20th Century, magnificent examples with the most prestigious aristocratic provenance, as well as rare stones, such as the Russian Alexandrite weighing 21.41 carats (estimate: SFr. 440,000-600,000/US$.500,000-700,000).