AuctionsMay 11, 2023
First Part of Christie’s Heidi Horten Jewelry Auction Garners $156MAuctionsMay 15, 2023
Part Two of Christie’s Heidi Horten Auction Brings in $42M
The sale, though embroiled in controversy, has garnered nearly $200 million in total.
“The Star of Africa” ruby and diamond pendant necklace by Harry Winston, featuring a 54.95-carat Mozambique ruby, was the top lot in the second part of Christie’s “The World of Heidi Horten” jewelry auction, selling for more than $3 million.
New York—Christie’s held the second part of the auction of late Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten’s jewels in Geneva late last week, following the record-breaking first segment days earlier.
The second segment of the sale totaled $42.1 million, according to the auction house.
The first segment of the sale garnered $156 million, within Christie’s pre-sale estimate.
The results surpassed the sale of Elizabeth Taylor’s jewelry collection in 2011 (total: $137.2 million), even with the most talked-about pieces from part one underperforming and amid controversy about the origin of Horten’s late husband’s wealth.
The auction grand total so far is close to $200 million.
There are also two online sales—one concluding today and a second to be held in November.
The top lot of the second auction installment was “The Star of Africa” ruby and diamond pendant necklace by Harry Winston, featuring a 54.95-carat Mozambican ruby.
It sold for more than $3 million, double the high end of its $1 million to $1.5 million estimate.
The second-highest grossing lot was a pendant set with a 15.05-carat fancy orangy pink modified heart brilliant-cut diamond. It sold for $2.7 million, above its $1.5 million to $2 million estimate.
A diamond ring set with a 47.58-carat emerald-cut diamond center stone sold for $2.7 million, within its $2 million to $3.1 million estimate.
Horten’s collection of Bulgari jewels was especially noteworthy, said Max Fawcett, head of jewelry at Christie’s Geneva, in an earlier statement about the auction, ranking it as one of the top five Bulgari collections ever assembled.
Several Bulgari pieces appeared in this auction segment, including a sapphire, cultured pearl, emerald, and diamond necklace, which sold for nearly $1.5 million, taking the No. 4 spot in terms of price realized.
The “Great Mughal Emerald” pendant necklace by Harry Winston, seen below, also by Harry Winston, is set with a 362.5-carat carved emerald.
It sold for $982,000, well above its pre-sale estimate of $500,000 to $700,000.
The “Great Mughal Emerald” pendant necklace sold for $982,000.
Jewels from Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Austrian jewelry house A. E. Köchert also appeared frequently in Horten’s extensive collection. Several jewels from Tamara Commoli and Marina B. were also up for sale.
There were 22 watches up for sale this round as well, from a variety of high-end brands like Rolex, Richard Mille, Cartier, Vacheron Constantin, and A. Lange & Söhne.
Christie’s went ahead with the Horten sale in spite of calls from several organizations to halt it after a New York Times report detailed how the late Helmut Horten, husband of Heidi Horten, profited when the Nazis forced Jewish people to sell their businesses at low prices.
The World Federation of Diamond Bourses, as well as Jewish organizations like the American Jewish Committee and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, called on Christie’s to stop the auction or donate a greater portion of the proceeds to Holocaust education.
Following the backlash, the auction house said it will donate a “significant” portion of the final sale proceeds to unspecified organizations that further Holocaust research and education.
The sale of Horten’s jewels also will benefit The Heidi Horten Foundation, which supports her art museum—The Heidi Horten Collection in Vienna—and other causes.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Auctions
The Latest
SurveysOct 09, 2026
These Will Be the 10 Busiest Days for In-Store Shopping This Holiday SeasonStores should expect to see the most customers on Nov. 27, and Christmas week is expected to be hectic too, as Dec. 25 falls on a Friday.
CollectionsOct 09, 2026
Elisa Solomon Collabs With Serendipity 3 on ‘Frozen Hot Chocolate’ CharmThe charm, our Piece of the Week, features brown diamond frozen hot chocolate topped with white diamond whipped cream and a ruby straw.
WatchesOct 09, 2026
Movado to Sell Majority Stake in Ebel for $66.5MThe watch company agreed to sell a 95 percent interest to a group comprised of F.P. Journe, Chanel, and Swiss watch exec Pierre Jacques.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
Weekly QuizOct 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsOct 08, 2026
Brent Neale’s New Collection Goes ‘Back to Basics’It revisits the brand’s most requested silhouettes, from "Pillow"-set necklaces and bracelets to "Signature"-set rings and earrings.
SourcingOct 08, 2026
Ethical Gem Fair Heads Back to BrooklynThe trade-only event includes buying opportunities as well as educational sessions on artisanal mining, the new Paraíba source, and more.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
Events & AwardsOct 08, 2026
Pattons Fine Jewelry Sweeps Local Design ContestAra Chanakian, a jeweler at Pattons, took home top honors in every category at Jewelers of Louisiana’s annual jewelry design competition.
Supplier BulletinOct 08, 2026
Overnight Mountings’ Bridal Builder Helps Jewelers Turn Custom Design into a Hands-On Selling ExperienceSponsored by Overnight Mountings
Policies & IssuesOct 07, 2026
The Plumb Club Amplifies Its Voice as Geopolitical Pressures MountThe supplier organization recently joined JA and JVC to have more input on political issues affecting the jewelry industry.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
Blue Nile, Royal Asscher Collection Highlights Natural Diamond BeautyBlue Nile, a Signet Jewelers-owned brand, is now Royal Asscher’s exclusive licensed retailer in North America.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
4 Standout Pieces in Audemars Piguet’s First High Jewelry Collection “Royal Oak” pays homage to the brand’s most popular watch model using 18-karat gold as well as diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
MajorsOct 07, 2026
Empire Safe & Vault Promotes Juan Morales to CEOAs part of the transition, Joseph Nicosia has stepped into the role of COO.
SourcingOct 07, 2026
AGTA Extends Deadline for 2026 Spectrum Awards EntriesParticipants now have until Oct. 14 to complete their submissions.
CrimeOct 06, 2026
6 Charged in Connection to String of New Jersey Smash-and-GrabsThe alleged thieves used crow bars and sledgehammers to smash into jewelry stores across the state.
ColumnistsOct 06, 2026
Sherry Smith: Is the Consumer Really Trading Up?Ahead of the holidays, Smith urges jewelers to take a hard look at who’s buying jewelry, what they’re purchasing, and who’s stopped buying.
SourcingOct 06, 2026
DDG Taps Influencers for ‘My Diamond Does Good’ CampaignIn the new consumer-facing campaign, four fashion and lifestyle creators share the stories behind their natural diamond pieces.
MajorsOct 06, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names COO, CMOFGI President John Orrico is also leaving the company after more than 13 years.
Events & AwardsOct 06, 2026
JIS Fall Returns to MiamiThe 2026 edition will feature presentations on alternative materials and design trends, as well as pop-up activations on the show floor.
SourcingOct 05, 2026
De Beers to Take Full Ownership of Gahcho KuéIt is the last fully operational diamond mine in Canada following the recent closures of Ekati and Diavik.
AuctionsOct 05, 2026
The Star Cats of the Sandy Lerner AuctionThese jewels stood out at Bonhams’ sale of the cat-loving tech entrepreneur’s collection of objects depicting the feline form.
CollectionsOct 05, 2026
Sorellina Writes Another Love Letter for ‘Postscript’ CollectionThe fine jewelry brand has expanded the collection that debuted at Couture with four new designs based on its most popular styles.
SourcingOct 05, 2026
Bruce Bridges Joins CIBJO BoardThe AGTA president was elected for a two-year term on the board of directors.
SourcingOct 02, 2026
De Beers, National Geographic Society Renew Okavango Eternal Partnership The partnership, a pledge to protect Africa’s Okavango River Basin, has been extended for an additional five years.
MajorsOct 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New $150M Manufacturing Facility in VietnamThe new facility, its first outside of Thailand, will boost its manufacturing capacity by 50 percent.
TrendsOct 02, 2026
Hearts On Fire Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Heart PendantThe special-edition “Dream” pendant, our Piece of the Week, was created to mark Hearts On Fire’s 30-year milestone with 30 diamonds.
