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.
The Latest
CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Taylor Swift’s ‘Elizabeth Taylor’ Video Puts Jewelry Front and CenterIconic pieces, like the Mike Todd Diamond Tiara, appear in the superstar’s new music video for her song inspired by the actress.
MajorsApr 03, 2026
Saks Global Says It Will Emerge From Bankruptcy This SummerThe luxury retailer, which went Chapter 11 in January, announced Thursday that it has secured $500 million in exit financing.
Events & AwardsApr 03, 2026
JCK Luxury, NouvelleBox Partner on New Designer BallroomThe NouvelleBox ballroom will feature independent jewelry designers, including Lene Vibe, Wyld Box Jewelry, and Kiaia Limited.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Buddha Mama Brings Its ‘Moon’ Locket To DallasThe one-of-a-kind locket, our Piece of the Week, opens to reveal three hidden images to keep close to your heart.
Weekly QuizApr 02, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New Canadian Distribution Center Amid Tariff ConcernsThe new facility was also designed to better serve its growing customer base in Canada.
TrendsApr 02, 2026
Michelle Yeoh Fronts New Mikimoto Campaign The campaign is a tribute to the year 1893, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cultured pearl.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
GradingApr 02, 2026
GIA Debuts New Campus in TaiwanIt is the only GIA school to offer the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in Chinese.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
DCA Launches ‘Second Spark’ Workforce InitiativeThe initiative connects veterans and parents returning to the workforce with careers in jewelry retail.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Hoover & Strong Names New National Sales RepresentativeThe wholesale manufacturer and precious metals refiner has appointed Michael Angelo as its new national sales representative.
MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
