A Magnificent and Extremely Rare Emerald and Diamond Tiara A ...

10 million [lot 443]); the price it fetched also represented an auction record for a piece of emerald jewellery. The total
for the entire sale of Magnificent and Noble Jewels was CHF 78,944,900/$89,121,687 (est. CHF 41.9 - 69 million
/ $ 47.3 – 77.9 million).
Commenting on this evening’s sale, David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Department for Europe and
the Middle East, said: “Sotheby’s was honoured to be able to offer perhaps the grandest piece of jewellery to come to
sale in over 30 years and the market responded with enthusiasm. This evening’s results, across the board -- in Noble
Jewels, diamonds, coloured gemstones, and pieces signed by the world’s greatest jewelers – show the extraordinary
appetite among connoisseurs for rarity, quality and provenance.”
NOBLE JEWELS
International jewellers Leviev outbid four underbidders to purchase a superb fancy
intense pink diamond, weighing 10.99 carats, for CHF 9,602,500/$10,840,358,
the third highest price for a pink diamond (the ninth highest price for a diamond at
auction). Pink diamonds have been prized for their rarity and spectacular beauty
ever since they were first discovered in the mines of India centuries ago. This superb
stone, mounted as a ring, has been graded “fancy intense pink”, natural colour and
VS1 clarity by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). It has been further
assessed to be part of a very rare subgroup of diamonds known as type IIa and
comprising less than 2% of all of the world’s gem diamonds. Estimated at CHF 8.3-
14.8 million ($9-16 million [lot 491]), this stone was offered for sale from a private
collection and has not appeared on the market for more than 30 years.
The total Sotheby’s achieved for Noble Jewels, including the tiara, was CHF 19,618,300/$ 22,147,295 (against presale
estimates of CHF 7,282,000-13,203,500/$8,220,723 - 14,905,563).
Among other highlights of the Noble Jewels section were jewels from the Collection of the Excelentísima Sra.
Condesa vda. de Romanones, a Grande de España who was recruited to become an OSS agent in Madrid during
World War II before marrying Don Luis de Figueroa y Perez de Guzmán el Bueno, Count of Quintanilla in 1947.
From the Countess of Romanones collection was an emerald and diamond demi-parure from the 1960s, which
was competed for by six bidders and sold for CHF 362,500/$409,230 (lot 407, est. CHF 100,000-
150,000/$103,000-147,000), a ruby and diamond necklace/brooch combination from the 1970s, which sold
for CHF 170,500/$192,479 (lot 409, est. CHF 80,000-150,000/ $81,500-147,000) and a pair of ruby and
diamond pendent earrings, 1950s, which sold for CHF 17,500/$19,756 (lot 410, est. CHF 14,000–18,000/
$15,000-20,000).
Testament to the Countess’ close relationship to the Duke and the Duchess of Windsor was an important
“Cadenas” diamond bracelet/watch, gifted to the Countess by the Duchess herself. Dating circa 1936, this exquisite
piece signed Van Cleef & Arpels, which sold for five times the high estimate to fetch CHF 362,500/$409,230 (lot
411, est. CHF 46,000-63,000/ $49,900-68,500).
White diamonds
Among a group of exceptional white diamonds which are D colour were signed pieces, including an attractive
diamond ring by GRAFF, set with a cushion-shaped brilliant-cut internally flawless diamond weighing 16.53 carats,
which sold for CHF 2,546,500/$2,874,769 (lot 490, est. CHF 1,380,000-2,300,000/ $1,500,000-
2,500,000) and a diamond ring by M. Gerard, featuring a marquise-shaped diamond weighing 15.76 carats,
which was competed for by five bidders and sold for CHF 1,314,500/$1,483,952 (lot 471, est. CHF 830,000-
1,500,000/ $900,000-1,600,000).
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