Each year, prestigious auction houses offer up eye-catching selections from the world’s most impressive jewelry collections. From royal gems to rare stones that once belonged to heiresses, the spring 2012 auction schedule is stocked with one-of-a-kind jewelry.
On April 17th, Christie’s Americas is auctioning off the jewelry collection of the Huguette M. Clark, a copper, timber and railroad heiress. The auction will be held in New York and is slated to contain several extravagant pieces. Collection standouts include a 20-carat D-color diamond ring valued at $2.5 million and an extraordinary, 9-carat diamond ring worth $7million.
Clark, who died last year at the age of 104, was dubbed “The Reluctant Heiress” since she eschewed her platinum-spoon lifestyle and the limelight that came with it. She chose to live in hospitals instead of living it up in her 24-acre, oceanfront Santa Barbara mansion or at the family’s luxury apartments overlooking New York’s Central Park.
Christie’s International in Geneva is auctioning 70 lots of antique and modern jewels owned by Brazilian billionaire Lily Safra. The May 14thauction is expected to fetch $20 million dollars for nearly two dozen charities around the world. The collection’s most coveted piece is the dazzling Camellia flower, a ruby and diamond brooch created especially for Safra in 2003. The lavish brooch is expected to fetch a price of $1.2 million to $1.5 million.
The Prussian crown jewels are prepping to lose one of its most historic pieces when Sotheby’s Geneva auctions off the Beau Sancy diamond on May 15th. The 34.98-carat modified rose-cut diamond dates back to the 17th century and is currently valued between $2million and $4million. The diamond originally adorned the crown of Marie de Medici of France during her 1610 coronation as Queen Consort of Henry VI. The Royal House of Prussia has owned the Beau Sancy diamond since the 18th century.
