It’s a week for treasure hunters and history buffs, with lots of auction action at Bonhams, Sotheby’s, and Christie’s, and a new book from London’s World Diamond Museum that makes a great gift.
SHOP
Bonhams’ New York Jewels Sale: Dec. 7, 10 a.m. EST
It’s fair to say that Bonhams’ New York Jewels sale will knock it out of the park with its main attraction: a circa 1910 rarer-than-rare Kashmir sapphire and diamond brooch (estimate: $500,000–$800,000). But you know what? The charm bracelet above is also a winner, not just for Yankees fans but also for romantics: It once belonged to Lucy Marlow, the wife of 1950s-era baseball star Andy Carey, who gifted her the bracelet when they were on their honeymoon (which coincided with the Yankees’ 1955 tour of Hawaii and Japan). Read more about its provenance here.
ReSet Collective Auction: Dec. 10–17
We recently reported on De Beers Group’s ReSet Collective auction, which officially kicks off on Thursday. Each of the five designer pendants above are up for sale at the auction, which is hosted by Sotheby’s, with 100% of the final hammer price distributed equally between two charities: Stepping Stones International in Botswana and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in the United States.
WATCH
The Cartiers and the Romanovs Webinar
Join Francesca Cartier Brickell, author and sixth-generation descendant of the Cartier family, and Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia (whose book Once Upon a Diamond: A Family Tradition of Royal Jewels was published by Rizzoli this fall) in a juicy conversation about how their ancestries overlap and interconnect. Expect extraordinary visuals—sapphire stomachers, emerald necklaces, ruby tiaras, and rock crystal bandeaus—and all of the pair’s exciting discoveries about their family histories, from spies and smuggling to marriages and murders (and all those glamorous costume balls against the backdrop of St. Petersburg, Russia). The webinar originally aired last month, but the recorded version is available through the end of the year.
Sotheby’s x New York City Ballet’s The Nutcracker Reimagined
This special film, a collaboration between the auction house and the New York City Ballet, premiered last Friday and can now be accessed here at your leisure. With the dancers adorned in important jewels from Sotheby’s December lineup of fine jewelry and watch sales, the performance is, in a word, pretty Suite.
READ
Diamonds Across Time (Facets of Mankind—World Diamond Museum)
This past fall, the World Diamond Museum announced it would be publishing the first book in its Facets of Mankind series, and that book is now available for purchase online. Compiled and edited by the London-based organization’s chief curator and noted jewelry expert Dr. Usha R. Balakrishnan, the 432-page volume compiles hundreds of illustrations and 10 essays written by distinguished authors and historians, including Ruth Peltason, Diana Scarisbrick, Jack Ogden, and François Farges.
Top: More auction action you don’t want to miss: Christie’s live Magnificent Jewels sale on Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. EST in New York City. I think we can all agree that this circa 1925 art deco ruby, emerald, diamond, and natural pearl jabot brooch by Cartier (Lot 147) is a holiday party in miniature. (Photo courtesy of Christie’s)
- Subscribe to the JCK News Daily
- Subscribe to the JCK Special Report
- Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
- Follow JCK on X: @jckmagazine
- Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
