An Epic Designer Jewelry Collection Could Fetch $8 Million at Auction

A treasure trove of designer bling is set to shine bright in the Big Apple this winter.

An exceptional 60-piece jewelry collection lovingly amassed by one very discerning international collector will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s New York on December 8. A Legacy of Elegance: Jewels from an Exceptional Collection is expected to achieve in excess of $8 million, with several lots carrying high estimates over $500,000. 

Spanning from the late 19th century through to the present day, the collection comprises pieces by top Parisian houses, including Cartier, Boivin, and Boucheron. It also includes avant-garde designs by modern jewelry masters Suzanne Belperron and Joel Arthur Rosenthal (JAR).

“This collection stands out for its compelling variety of characteristics—rarity, distinguished authorship, impeccable provenance, and above all, iconic design,” Quig Bruning, Sotheby’s head of jewels, Americas and EMEA, said in a statement. 

Leading the sale will be 10 exquisite JAR creations, many of which were displayed at the artist’s exhibition in London in 2002. Rosenthal creates otherworldly, often surrealist, wearable works of art that have pushed jewelry into bold new territory. He is also credited with sparking the “pavé-set revolution,” masterfully incorporating stones in his work. The three Wild Rose Brooches on offer (total estimate: $850,000 to $1.15 million) showcase his gem-setting skills, with the realistic flowers rendered in tightly knit colored stones and luminous natural pearls. On the more surreal end of the JAR spectrum is a pair of diamond-encrusted, branch-like earclips (estimate: $500,000 to $700,000) that are like mini sculptures for your lobes.  

Over 20 pieces by Belperron will be on offer, with each one reflecting her innovative approach to design. One of the few female jewelers of the 20th century, Belperron was a true trailblazer. She produced bold, sculptural pieces and introduced unprecedented combinations of stones and minerals. One necklace up for auction (estimate: $250,000 to $350,000) demonstrates her knack for creating striking contrasts, with pink topaz set alongside aquamarine, morganite, and diamonds. Another cuff on offer (estimate: $80,000 to $120,000) illustrates her proclivity for unorthodox materials, pairing chalcedony with amethyst.

“At the heart of this extraordinary collection are the works of Suzanne Belperron and JAR, true artists who, through extraordinary imagination, technical mastery, and a renegade’s confidence, changed the course of jewelry design from the 1920s to today,” adds Catharine Becket, Sotheby’s global head of high jewelry. “Though created decades apart, their jewels were—and in the case of Mr. Rosenthal, continue to be—conceived for those who appreciate the unconventional, the unexpected and, in many cases, a flourish of eccentricity.”

Other highlights of the auction include an exquisite Laurel Leaf Necklace by Boucheron (pictured top) that is set with approximately 40 carats of rubies and 65 carats of old-cut diamonds (estimate: $1 million to $2 million), a Boivin brooch adorned with sapphires and diamonds (estimate: $40,000 to $60,000), and a Cartier bracelet invisibly set with rubies and diamonds (estimate: $300,000 to $500,000). 

Select standouts from the collection will be exhibited globally before they return to the Breuer building on Madison Avenue for the auction on the evening of December 8. 

Click here to see more photos of the jewelry.