Speaking ahead of the sale, David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division, said, “This season’s auction will offer a walk through the most important themes of 20th century jewellery. There are exquisite Cartier pieces from the Art Deco era - a period which we have seen time and again holds special appeal for collectors from New York to Paris to Shanghai - including the Burmese cabochon sapphire bracelet, which is a stunning and timeless 1920s design. Emblematic pieces from the ensuing decades, created by master jewellers including Harry Winston, Bulgari and JAR, bring to life key moments in modern jewellery design.”

ART DECO TREASURES FROM AN IMPORTANT ASIAN-AMERICAN COLLECTION

A breath-taking Art Deco bracelet made by Cartier in 1927, set with a sensational Burmese cabochon sapphire weighing 46.07 carats, flanked by two pear-shaped D Colour diamonds weighing 8.60 and 9.27 carats respectively (Estimate CHF 2,000,000 – 3,000,000 / $ 2,000,000 – 3,000,000). An exquisite sapphire and diamond clip brooch by Cartier from 1937 offers a fascinating insight into the jewellery house’s design evolution during this key era: as the house sought out cleaner lines and more architectural shapes suited to the machine age, figurative motifs such as the fan took on an increasingly abstract geometry (Estimate CHF 150,000 – 250,000 / $150,000 – 250,000).

1920s AND 1930s GLAMOURAn elegant diamond tiara made by Cartier in the 1930s, from the collection of philanthropist and banker Sir John Smith and his wife (Estimate CHF 250,000 – 370,000 / $250,000 – 370,000). A stunning diamond and rock crystal sautoir made by Chaumet in 1929, which was featured in this summer’s “Chaumet in Majesty” exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco (Estimate CHF 300,000 – 500,000 / $300,000 – 500,000). A fabulous emerald and diamond pendant/brooch combination, created by Cartier in 1927 using extraordinary cabochon emeralds from Colombia. The jewel is illustrated as part of a long sautoir in Hans Nadelhoffer’s seminal 1984 book about Cartier (Estimate CHF 150,000 – 250,000 / $150,000 – 250,000).

BOLD IS BEAUTIFUL: THE 1970sA stunning pair of Colombian emerald and diamond earrings by Harry Winston in the sale is very evocative of the bold and beautiful jewels of the 1970s and once formed part of the collection of Her Highness Princess Salimah Aga Khan (Estimate CHF $1,500,000 – 2,500,000 / $1,500,000 – 2,500,000).

An emerald and diamond necklace by Cartier also formerly owned by Her Highness Princess Salimah Aga Khan (Estimate CHF 3,500,000 – 4,500,000 / $3,500,000 – 4,500,000) features exquisite Colombian emeralds, the most sought-after in terms of their geographic origin. The two detachable drop-shaped emeralds weigh 50.65 and 51.32 carats respectively.

A sapphire and diamond necklace by Bulgari offers an insight into the eye-catching designs of the Italian jewellery house, which thrived during the 1970s (Estimate CHF 300,000 – 500,000 / $ 300,000 – 500,000). The necklace was formerly in the collection of Faith Domergue, the American actress and contemporary of Marilyn Monroe perhaps best known as a “scream queen” for her early appearances in science fiction and horror pictures of the 1950s.

CUTTING EDGE CONTEMPORARY: JEWELS & GEMSTONESA stunning Fancy Vivid Blue diamond weighing 3.03 carats (Estimate CHF 3,700,000 – 4,700,000 / $3,700,000 – 4,700,000) A Fancy Intense Purple-Pink diamond weighing 6.03 carats (Estimate CHF 2,500,000 – 3,500,000 / $ 2,500,000 – 3,500,000). A beautiful Fancy Yellow diamond weighing 51.15 carats (Estimate CHF 600,000 – 1,000,000 / $ 600,000 – 1,000,000). JAR: A pair of amethyst, Ceylon sapphire and diamond ear clips perfectly illustrate the unique of talent Joel Arthur Rosenthal, widely recognised as one of the most talented jewellers of his generation (Estimate CHF 200,000 – 300,000 / $ 200,000 – 300,000). A captivating ring created by Cartier is set with an emerald from Colombia weighing 9.39 carats (Estimate CHF 200,000 – 300,000 / $ 200,000 -300,000).

Please find attached a fully illustrated press release. Highlights from the sale will be on view in London, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, New York and Geneva ahead of the auction on 13 November.