Collectors’ corner: Christie’s online

Christie’s, online

We may all be staying in, but auctions are continuing apace, with houses ramping up their digital sales to entice those looking for divine diversions. Christie’s latest sale, taking place online later this month, is one such reason to be cheerful. Featuring a plethora of spring-inspired offerings from Verdura, Tiffany & Co and David Webb, jewels are studded with aquamarine, turquoise, rubies and coral in a gleeful embrace of colour and bold design. Encapsulating spring in diamond and enamel are these Boucheron flower brooches, which would make up for the Easter sunshine we are missing very nicely indeed. Christie’s Jewels Online will take place between 13-24 April on christies.com

Writer: Hannah Silver

Collectible, Brussels

As ever, the third edition of Collectible will be focusing on 21st century contemporary design, uniting both established and younger galleries in a tantalising curation. A particular highlight comes from Formes Libres’ Sophie Gohr who will be exhibiting at Gallery Spazio Nobile. Her fascination for foraging translates fluently into delicate jewels. Casting the natural materials she finds – a leaf, a stone – into 18 carat gold is a fragile operation, the forms of her flimsy findings remaining intact beneath their precious coating. Collectible takes place in Brussels’ Vanderborght building, 5 – 8 March

Writer: Hannah Silver

Christie’s, New York

Christie’s upcoming watch auction, Watches Online: A New Decade of Time, incorporates an eclectic collection of era-defining wristwatches, with highlights including the beautiful Lange 1 Tourbillon from A. Lange & Söhne and the Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 3800/1. It is this iconic Minnie Mouse wristwatch, by Gerald Genta circa 1990, that has our fingers itching for our paddles, however. Genta was at the height of his watchmaking acclaim, fresh from designing the Royal Oak, Nautilus and Bulgari Bulgari, when he obtained a license from Walt Disney to design their watches in the Eighties. The Swiss watch industry were horrified with the cartoonish results, but in producing tongue-in-cheek pieces solely to give joy Genta was, once again, ahead of the zeitgeist. The Minnie Mouse watch, in a simple yellow gold case, is just as timely today, even in a sea of imitators. Christie’s Watches Online takes place at Christie’s New York, from 25 February to 10 March

Writer: Hannah Silver

Artcurial Winter Auction, Monte Carlo

Artcurial’s winter sales, taking place this week, will see pieces from iconic names in the worlds of horology, fashion and jewellery go under the hammer. Particular highlights include vivid and unique variations on Hermès’ Birken and Kelly bags, which sit alongside a noteworthy Fifties Rolex Padellone and two Patek Philippe wristwatches fully covered in diamonds. Jewellery is just as decadently delicious, with a delicately-hued opal-set Lalique neck plate taking centre stage. Other pieces are more whimsical – we love this diamond, sapphire and enamel gold brooch, left, which sits alongside a Boucheron diamond, chrysoprase and enamel yellow gold clip, circa 1960, for a style both feline and a little bit foxy. Artcurial Winter Auction takes place at Hotel Hermitage, Monte Carlo, from 14 – 16 January

Writer: Hannah Silver

Chanel at Sotheby’s Milan

Lion motifs, pearl embellishments, and eye-catching typography: there are a host of design details idiosyncratic of Chanel's, catwalk and costume jewellery collections. Now, a host of the Parisian maison's jewellery designs form part of a Sotheby’s Milan sale – part of the private collection of an Italian fashion aficianado – ranging from jangling coin-detail bracelets to camellia motif Plexiglass cuffs. But it’s these Karl Lagerfeld-designed costume earrings, brooches and cuffs which have bolstered our fascination for Renaissance-Byzantine design. The gilded pieces were inspired by the aesthetic of Italian jeweller Duke Fulco di Verdura, a close friend of Gabrielle Chanel, and this Maltese Cross cuff was worn by both Chanel and Diana Vreeland in portraits lensed by Cecil Beaton. ‘Chanel is a universally coveted brand and this sale – the result of a lifetime of dedicated collecting – gives fashion-lovers everywhere the opportunity to acquire creations from the most iconic, instantly-recognisable designs,’ says Sara Miconi, head of jewellery at Sotheby’s Milan. Happy bidding! Online bidding for Chanel at Sotheby's is open from 29 November to 5 December 2019.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Bonhams Jewels, London

The rich and varied jewellery and watch collection of novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE and her husband Robert Bradford is an enduring symbol of the couple’s happy 55-year marriage. The collection, which is to be auctioned at Bonhams next month, features a plethora of jewels Robert bought Barbara over the years. He particularly admired this joyful Verdura cuff Fuclo di Verdura originally created for Coco Chanel in the Thirties, which skillfully sets bright gems in white enamel. ‘When I asked Bob, ‘Why did you buy it for me? It’s not my birthday,’ he just replied, ‘I can buy you a present every day because I love you so much,’’ says Bradford. ‘I remember his words were as important as the jewellery he gave to me.’ Bonhams Jewels takes place at Bonhams London on 4 December.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Sotheby’s Fine Jewels, London

Regular art, antique and design fair attendees will be aware of the allure of Hemmerle’s jewellery designs, which unite high quality gemstones with unconventional techniques and materials, like mammoth tusk, Mikado pick up sticks and reverse pavé spikes. These are pieces for a collector striving for something unusual and avant-garde yet utterly elegant. Now, the largest single owner collection of the Munich-based jewellery house’s designs are to be sold at auction as part of Sotheby’s Fine Jewels say on 26 November. This rare twelve piece offering — from the collection of a European lady — features a host of alluring designs that highlight Hermmerle’s expertise in unusual materials, stone setting and colour combinations.

We think these pineapple-shape earrings are a particularly fruitful Lot. These striking asymmetric styles, set with grey and orange-brown tint diamonds, feature two suspended 19th century cameos (a trending hand-engraved adornment seen in recent designs by Fenty and Cindy Sherman). One, in agate, depicts a Moorish woman and the other, in onyx, resembles Maecenas — a patron to the poets Horace and Virgil. Wearing them will bring new meaning to the term poetry in motion. Fine Jewels, takes place at Sotheby’s London on 26 November 2019.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Christie's London Art Adorned

There’s little more opulent than a Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda collection, which features gilded and embellished couture items, entirely cross-stitched with flowers or adorned with intricate bead and sequin work. The Italian label often references artistic movements, from Rococo to the Renaissance in its collections; take A/W 2019’s Alta Moda show, held at the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento, Sicily, which featured silk gazar gowns depicting Neoclassical paintings by French artists Jacques-Louis David and Jean-Antoine-Théodore Giroust.

Now, in a nod to this artistic connection, Christie’s Art Adorned sale features important Old Master Paintings and Decorative arts, curated alongside Dolce & Gabbana's Alta Moda and Alta Gioielleria collections. A number of astonishing jewellery creations will be on display, including cherub motif chandelier earrings strewn with lengths of diamonds and a cocktail ring with an oceanic Pariba at its centre, but it’s these hand-painted miniatures earrings which have us feeling most artful. These asymmetric designs feature two contemplative women, painted with flower-adorned head pieces and emerald earrings. Two pink sapphire birds sit atop each miniature, a symbol of the light hearted twist which Dolce & Gabbana brings to even its most prized creations. Art Adorned is on view Christie’s, 8 London from 22 November - 3 December.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Dobiaschofsky

A 200-lot sale of Patek Philippe watches goes on sale at the Swiss auctioneers, Dobiaschofsky, this week. Amid a wealth of mid-century ‘shaped’ watches is a model 3424/3 (Lot 3026 from the sale) designed by Gilbert Albert. Later to work with Omega and find fame as jewellery designer, Albert’s work was influenced by the likes of Brancusi and Mondrian. He brought a new thinking to watch design, introducing asymmetrical triangles, interlocking trapezes and textured surfaces.

Writer: James Gurney

The Courtauld Gallery

The Courtauld Gallery may currently be closed for extensive refurbishment, but its beautifully curated exhibitions continue. Precious and Rare: Islamic Metalwork from The Courtauld will visit Truro, Bradford, Bath and Oxford before returning to its home at The Courtauld for its reopening in 2021. Giving an insight into the highly skilled metalwork being produced between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, the so-called Courtauld Bag is a particular highlight. ‘It is the only surviving inlaid metalwork object of its kind,’ says Dr. Alexandra Gerstein, who has led the project. ‘We know it was made for a high ranking noblewoman of the court of the Ilkhanid dynasty.’ Details are elaborate: ‘The most special aspect is that on either side of the couple depicted on the lid, there are attendants lavishing food and drink and entertainments,’ and in an early example of wry self-referencing; ‘on her side is her personal attendant who is shown carrying a bag just like this one across his body.’

Writer: Hannah Silver

Hancocks

French jewellery house Lacloche Frères quickly earned a reputation in the first part of the twentieth century for their canny and innovative edit of Art Deco jewels and trinkets. This intricate platinum and diamond brooch, circa 1910, succinctly demonstrates their skilled eye, which captured both the precious and the unconventional. A heron is frozen in flight, pierced with old-cut and single-cut diamonds. Its generous dimensions make for a bold silhouette: wallflowers need not apply for this piece, which will make an arresting addition to a lapel.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Bonhams London Jewels: A breathtaking private collection of Van Cleef & Arpels rubies will go under the hammer at Bonhams’ London sale next week, but it is this remarkable magnetic necklace by Panayiotis Vassilaki – better known as Takis - that has caught our eye. Greatly admired by his contemporaries Alberto Giacometti and Marcel Duchamp, Greek sculptor Takis may not have reached their level of renown, but his creations were truly unique. He translated his fascination with magnetism into jewellery, exploring its sculptural possibilities to interesting effect. The results are aesthetically lovely – this gold pendant, designed as a magnet attracting a grape-like bunch of iron beads, hangs suspended from a simple wire collar. It is presented with the original electromagnetic display stand and cabinet. Bonhams London Jewels takes place on 24 September.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Skinner Auctioneers Important Jewellery: Over 230 lots of both antique and contemporary jewels went under the hammer at Skinner’s sale earlier in the week. Rare treasures including a remarkable Kashmir sapphire ring and impeccable diamond solitaires were all highlights, but our pick is this intricately embellished Pablo Picasso 23-kt gold pendant. An uncommon example of Picasso choosing to work with the miniature rather then on a large scale, it comes complete with a maker’s mark for Francois Hugo and sold for $13,530 USD.

Writer: Hannah Silver

PAD Monaco: Succinctly uniting contemporary and historical pieces in a thoughtful curation, PAD Monaco’s roster of galleries exhibiting in Monaco from 26 to 28 April is as imposing as ever. Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery is one such notable participant, marking their tenth year of inviting artists to create original pieces of wearable art in style with two striking rings from Ai Weiwei. Ring W and Ring M unite his interest in human migration with the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics that inspired him, taking a shrewd look at the duality of human nature and our capacity for both great kindness and cruelty. The results, like hieroglyphics themselves, are gorgeously detailed, depicting the migrants’ stories in 24-ct gold. PAD Monaco takes place from 26 to 28 April.

Writer: Hannah Silver

Artcurial Monaco’s ‘Le Temps est Féminin': There’s a horological treasure trove going under the gavel at Artcurial Monaco’s ‘Le Temps est Féminin’ auction on 23 January, including a 1970 Bulgari Serpenti cuff, a tiger’s eye sautoir by Piaget, and this Van Cleef & Arpels clock from 1927. Crafted at a time when China loomed large in the Western imagination, a carved jade Fo dog – acting as a watchful lion – stands guard atop a Bakelite table clock, lacquered with crushed eggshell and sang de boeuf, a copper-based glaze with a rust-brown tinge. ‘There’s a lot of originality in this clock. It’s a typical Art Deco piece but the hands are situated outside of the dial, rather than behind glass, which I hadn’t seen before,' explains Artcurial’s timepiece expert, Geoffroy Ader. And while the high-low mix of jade and Bakelite might seem unconventional, it was not uncommon in luxury objets of the time. ‘There was a huge amount of creativity amongst jewellers between the wars, particularly from 1925 to 1935, with a lot of influence from the East. It’s a work of art,' says Ader. Hear it roar. Artcurial Monaco’s ‘Le Temps est Féminin takes place on 23 January.

Writer: Caitlin McDonald

Christie’s London Important Jewels: There’s an eclectic array of pieces up for auction at Christie’s latest jewellery sale, from the extensive Cartier collection of the late Marcella Rossi, to a menagerie of animal motif brooches and ear clips. But for us, this jockey brooch is a real winner. The design originates from the early 20th century, and features an intricately detailed jockey, complete with a carved moonstone visage, astride a galloping horse, with a twinkling ruby eye. The hollow body of the horse allows it to interact with the clothing of the wearer, and makes for a thoroughbred styling option. Giddy up! Christie’s London Important Jewels takes place at on 28 November. 

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Hancocks: August is awash with oceanic views and poolside plunges, so it’s fitting then, that Hancocks Jewel of the Month is this undulating 1960’s 18-ct gold ‘Tissu Polonais’ bracelet. Designed by Georges Lenfant – one of Cartier’s master jewellers, who also worked for Van Cleef & Arpels, Boivin and Bulgari – the bracelet is designed as a straight flexible strap of woven gold rippling waves. Eight raised crests are polished smooth in juxtaposition to the matte finish of the rest of the piece. What a way to make waves.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Artcurial’s Le Temps est féminin II Auction: Artcurial’s women’s watch auction in Monaco earlier this week was jam-packed with fascinating and twinkling lots by brands including Piaget, Patek Philippe and Cartier. But it just so happened that our favourite piece from the sale – a Bulgari Black Mamba Serpenti timepiece from 1971 – was the top selling lot from the auction. The elegant 18-ct gold and enamel snake-shaped bracelet watch, which conceals a watch dial within its mouth, belonged to Anja Lopez, the wife of operetta composer Francis Lopez, and sold for €430 600.

Photography: ©Almakarina. Writer: Laura Hawkins

Christie’s Magnificent Jewels and the Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller Auction New York: When Jean Schlumberger joined Tiffany & Co in 1956 – the jeweller, who had designed buttons for couturier Elsa Schiaparelli – became the first to stamp his Tiffany creations with his own name. Schlumberger’s first jewellery designs were china flowers mounted on clips, and Peggy and David Rockefeller were particularly attracted to his naturalistic aesthetic. Diving into the the lots from this New York auction, which opens tomorrow, this Tiffany shell brooch by Jean Schlumberger caught our eye. Circa 1957, the sapphire conch design features a diamond swirl tip. How’s that for deep sea treasure? Christie’s Magnificent Jewels and the Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller Auction takes place at 10am at 20 Rockefeller Center in New York on 12 June.

Bonhams Knightsbridge Jewellery Auction: there are 471 pieces of jewellery and gemstones available at Bonhams Knightsbridge upcoming sale on 13 June, and we’ve hopped straight onto a selection of bunny-motif pieces by Eva Segoura. The French jeweller – who designed from 1980 to 2000 – is renowned for creating a prizewinning show of pieces featuring 3D animals carved from gemstones. Think pigs lounging on rings, or frogs hopping onto chunky cuffs. Lot 56, a hardstone ring modelled into the shape of a rabbit is Watership Down worthy. The rabbit’s ears even have sparkling diamond eyes, and green gemstone leaves wrap around its shoulders like soft foliage.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Auction: Boghossian has come into bloom this week, as the Swiss high jewellery house broke records at Christie’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels auction in the sale of its Manuscript Bracelet. The piece, which evokes a colourful undergrowth of criss crossing leaves and flowers, is inspired by the miniature works of art in the 15th century prayer manuscript the Waldburg-Gebetbuch, and sold for $4,469,209 USD. Set using a range of coloured diamonds and natural antique cabochon pearls, it’s a woodland-worthy wonder for the wrist.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Sotheby’s Huntsman Auction: Sotheby’s has announced its first online lifestyle auction, curated by Pierre Lagrange, the financier and owner of Huntsman. The auction exemplifies the sophisticated lifestyle surrounding the Savile Row Tailor, which was founded in 1849, and features bespoke pieces from Lagrange’s own collection, alongside a selection of new works. Amongst Cartier watches and an eighteenth century Russian deerskin leather watchbox, it’s a hard call to pinpoint our favourite Lot. We find this Hunstman Dunhill tall table lighter particularly illuminating. An exemplary interiors piece, it has been been lacquered in Huntsman signature claret by the artisan Lionheart. Huntsman curated by Pierre Lagrange takes place from 22 May to 1 June.

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Christie's Magnificent Jewels Auction: With over 400 jewels on offer at Christie’s Geneva upcoming jewllery sale, it’s a tricky task to pick a favourite. Amongst unusual animal motif jewels, sapphire evening bags and cigarette cases, this simply constructed diamond necklace caught our eye. There’s an industrial appeal to the design of Lot 352. 26 graduated old-cut diamonds, ranging from 15.04 to 11.08-ct are suspended within silver and gold frames, the teeth of each closure bringing a toughness to an otherwise classic design. The auction takes places at Christie’s, Geneva on 16 May, from 13:30

Writer: Laura Hawkins

Bonhams Fine Jewellery Auction: Apart from the star lots – a trio of fine Art Deco pieces by the esteemed British jewellery house Hennell is causing much pre-sale excitement – this mid-century line bracelet of invisibly set step-cut rubies has taken our fancy. A Tiffany design, it makes a cool, old-fashioned understatement of a kind that translates into timeless appeal. The auction takes place at Bonhams, London on 25 April, from 14.00.

Writer: Caragh McKay  

Mahnaz Collection: Last September, Francesca Grima, design heir to jeweller Andrew Grima, told Wallpaper* of her father’s renowned aesthetic: ‘He always chose textured gold over polished gold. Many of his designs have a large semi-precious stone as the protagonist and textured gold surrounding it.’ Imagine our delight, then, at finding a first class example of Grima’s aesthetic as part of ‘London Originals’, an exhibition made up of Mahnaz Collection’s archive of jewels which came out of the city between the Sixties and Eighties. The exhibition, on display at the Wright Gallery in Manhattan, features over 100 works by designers including Grima, Charles de Temple and George Weil. Mahnaz Collection is one of the largest collectors of Grima, and we think a particular treasure from its trove is this graphic and chunky white gold ring. Set with a tourmaline diamond and its centre, the ring surrounded by agate, its strata forming rectangular outlines around the trillon-cut gemstone. ‘London Originals’ is on view at the Wright Gallery until 11 May.

Writer: Laura Hawkins