Auctions

Pharrell Williams Brings Lorraine Schwartz Jewelry to Auction

AuctionsMar 06, 2023

Pharrell Williams Brings Lorraine Schwartz Jewelry to Auction

Joopiter’s “A Journey Through Gems” includes the earrings Taylor Swift wore to the 2023 Grammys.

20230623_Taylor Swift Grammy earrings.jpg
Lorraine Schwartz designed these 18-karat white gold four-panel earrings set with purple sapphires, natural Paraiba tourmalines and diamonds Taylor Swift wore to the Grammy Awards last month. Now, they are headed to auction on Joopiter.com.
New York—Joopiter, the online auction house founded by Pharrell Williams, will hold its first high jewelry auction next month, and it’s starting with pieces made by a designer whose name is synonymous with red carpet glamour.
 
“Lorraine Schwartz: A Journey Through Gems” will open for global bidding on Joopiter.com on March 17. A private viewing of lots will take place in Hong Kong at the end of March, timed to coincide with Art Basel Hong Kong, March 23-25.

The auction will be a retrospective, of sorts, of the legendary career of Schwartz.
 
The third-generation diamond dealer has crafted some of the most iconic red carpet looks in recent decades, from the 115-carat Colombian drop earrings Angelina Jolie wore to the 2009 Oscars to the dazzling purple sapphire earrings Taylor Swift donned for this year’s Grammy Awards. 

The sale is also a celebration of the designer’s long-standing friendship and partnership with Williams. It will include a select number of pieces they designed together, including a 26-carat Asscher-cut yellow diamond ring.
 
“I was lucky enough to meet Pharrell over 20 years ago, and we’ve built an incredible friendship through a mutual appreciation for the most exquisite and unique gems in the world,” Schwartz said. 
 
“To me, A Journey Through Gems is not only a curation of the finest bespoke high jewelry available now, but also the story of our journey and relationship as told through gems. I am excited to partner with Joopiter for this once-in-a-lifetime sale, bringing access to these gems and their provenance to a global audience.”
 
 Related stories will be right here … 
 
The sale will include the aforementioned earrings Swift just wore (pictured at top), and the Colombian emerald and diamond suite pictured below. 
 

Joopiter said additional sale information is forthcoming on its website.

A Journey Through Gems will be Joopiter’s second auction. 

The first, “Son of a Pharaoh,” took place late last year and featured personal cultural artifacts from Williams’ career.
 
The sale garnered $5.25 million, Joopiter said, surpassing the pre-sale high estimate of $3.2 million.
 
Williams is a music producer, singer, songwriter, and rapper whose career spans more than 30 years.  
 
He’s won 13 Grammy Awards and received two Academy Award nominations, one for Best Original Song for “Happy” from “Despicable Me 2” and the other for Best Picture as a producer for 2016’s “Hidden Figures.”  
 
In addition to founding Joopiter, Williams recently replaced the late Virgil Abloh as Louis Vuitton’s creative director for men’s wear.
 

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