AuctionsNov 16, 2023
Audrey Hepburn’s ‘Roman Holiday’ Choker Pulled From Auction AuctionsNov 28, 2023
Mary Tyler Moore’s Jewelry Is Up For Auction
You can have this jewelry, why don’t you take it?
Actress Mary Tyler Moore and her famous, and controversial, trousers on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” in the ‘60s, left, and a pair of Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. “Bone Cuffs” owned by the award-winning actress. Moore’s jewelry is going up for auction at Sotheby’s.
New York—Early next month, Sotheby’s will auction jewelry that once belonged to groundbreaking actress Mary Tyler Moore.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1936 and raised in California, Moore rose to fame in the 1960s on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” playing Van Dyke’s wife, Laura Petrie.
Moore played a homemaker on the show but she was allowed to be funny, have opinions and assert herself, which, according to “Being Mary Tyler Moore,” the 2023 HBO documentary on the actress, was almost unheard of at the time.
She also did something else revolutionary as a woman on TV in the ‘60s—she wore pants, fitted capris, to be exact.
It was her next role, however, that made her an icon and inspired generations of women.
From 1970-1977, Moore played Mary Richards on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
Richards was a 30-year-old woman who moved to Minneapolis on her own following a broken engagement and landed a job as an associate producer at a news station.
She was single and, perhaps more shockingly, more focused on her career than getting married.
The Mary Tyler Moore show won 29 Emmy awards in its seven-year run, including three for Moore as Best Actress in a Comedy Series.
All told, she racked up seven Emmys, one Tony Award and three Golden Globes over the course of her career. She also received one Oscar nomination (1981, for “Ordinary People”).
The Screen Actors Guild presented her its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
Moore died in 2017 at age 80.
Related stories will be right here …
Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1936 and raised in California, Moore rose to fame in the 1960s on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” playing Van Dyke’s wife, Laura Petrie.
Moore played a homemaker on the show but she was allowed to be funny, have opinions and assert herself, which, according to “Being Mary Tyler Moore,” the 2023 HBO documentary on the actress, was almost unheard of at the time.
She also did something else revolutionary as a woman on TV in the ‘60s—she wore pants, fitted capris, to be exact.
It was her next role, however, that made her an icon and inspired generations of women.
From 1970-1977, Moore played Mary Richards on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”
Richards was a 30-year-old woman who moved to Minneapolis on her own following a broken engagement and landed a job as an associate producer at a news station.
She was single and, perhaps more shockingly, more focused on her career than getting married.
The Mary Tyler Moore show won 29 Emmy awards in its seven-year run, including three for Moore as Best Actress in a Comedy Series.
All told, she racked up seven Emmys, one Tony Award and three Golden Globes over the course of her career. She also received one Oscar nomination (1981, for “Ordinary People”).
The Screen Actors Guild presented her its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
Moore died in 2017 at age 80.
Sotheby’s is selling 21 pieces of jewelry belonging to the late actress, including designs from Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co., and Audemars Piguet.
They will be divided up between two sales, Magnificent Jewels on Dec. 5 (10 lots), and the online-only Fine Jewels (11 lots), which opens for bidding today and continues through Dec. 7.
Frank Everett, vice chairman of Sotheby’s Jewelry, described Moore as a passionate collector whose jewelry “highlight[s] her understated elegance” and “mirror[s] the style of the beloved, modern characters she portrayed on screen.”
Mary Tyler Moore’s collection of gold Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. “Mesh” jewelry includes, at left, an open heart pendant-necklace and a pair of earrings with bezel-set round diamonds and, at right, a “Scarf” necklace, and two pairs of earrings.
A pair of Moore’s Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. “Bone Cuffs” in silver (pictured at top of article) are estimated to sell for $500 to $1,000 at the online Fine Jewels sale.
Sotheby’s said it is “fitting” that Mary Tyler Moore would own a pair of Peretti’s silver bone cuffs, as they are symbols of feminist empowerment from the 1970s, the same decade in which Moore changed society’s views on independent, working women, and changed the way they saw themselves.
Moore also owned a collection of Peretti’s gold “Mesh” jewelry, which her third and last husband, Dr. S. Robert Levine, described as being reflective of the actress—“very graceful, very attentive to detail, but always in motion.”
Also part of Fine Jewels, the Mesh jewelry is estimated to sell for $4,000 to $6,000.
Moore’s second husband, Grant Tinker, gave her this hammered gold Van Cleef & Arpels cuff and matching ear clips for her 39th birthday in 1975. It’s estimated to sell for $10,000 to $15,000.
Dr. S. Robert Levine gave this gold Bulgari “Monete” necklace to Moore when the pair got married in 1983. Expected to sell for $25,000-$35,000, it features rubies, diamonds, and an ancient Greek coin the pair picked out together at the Bulgari store on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Levine also gave Moore this steel and diamond Jaeger-LeCoultre “Rendez-Vous Classic Night and Day” watch (estimate $4,000 to $6,000). He gifted this to her as her eyesight was deteriorating due to complications from diabetes; the bigger numbers allowed her to tell the time. It is part of the Fine Jewels sale.
While Sotheby’s noted that Moore bought a lot of her own jewelry, the auction includes pieces given to her by Levine as well as her second husband, the late NBC executive Grant Tinker.
Levine commissioned a gold, diamond, and ruby Bulgari “Monete” necklace featuring an ancient Greek coin as a wedding president for Moore in 1983.
Tinker gave her a gold Etruscan-style cuff and matching ear clips from Van Cleef & Arpels when she turned 39. The interior of the cuff is engraved with “Can you believe - 12-29-75” and love “G.A.T.”
Both pieces are part of the Magnificent Jewels sale.
Highlights from Moore’s collection will be on display at Sotheby’s in New York beginning Dec. 1 as part of Luxury Week.
Proceeds from the 21 pieces will benefit The Mary Tyler Moore Vision Initiative, a nonprofit that seeks to preserve and restore vision in people with diabetes.
Moore was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1969 when she was 30 years old. She later became an advocate for diabetes research and served as international chair for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
For more information on Moore’s jewelry as well as other pieces up for sale at Sotheby’s next month, visit the auction house’s website.
More on Auctions
The Latest
Supplier BulletinSep 18, 2025
Will Your Design Define 2026? Enter The Spectrum & Cutting Edge AwardsSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
SurveysSep 18, 2025
Deloitte Thinks the Holidays Will Be Merry, PwC Isn’t So Sure In its holiday report, PwC said the season will be more like jazz—improvisational and less predictable—than an easy-to-follow melody.
MajorsSep 18, 2025
Pandora to Open New Distribution Center in MarylandThe jewelry giant will relocate its existing facility to a larger space in Anne Arundel.
Brought to you by
reDollar.com Is Rolling Out the Next Level Jewelry, Diamond & Watch Consignment ProgramWith their unmatched services and low fees, reDollar.com is challenging some big names in the online consignment world.
CollectionsSep 18, 2025
Ashley Zhang Launches Garçon New YorkThe designer, who is the creative force behind her namesake brand, has now started a new mini line focusing on chains for fathers and sons.
Weekly QuizSep 12, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingSep 18, 2025
SSEF Opens Applications for 2 Gemology Education Scholarships The awards include tuition for a course at the Swiss lab, economy flights, and hotel accommodation.
TechnologySep 18, 2025
Hill & Co. Launches AI Strategy ProgramThe 21-day program was designed to help jewelry retailers identify opportunities and eliminate inefficiencies with AI.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
TrendsSep 17, 2025
Silvia Furmanovich’s Book Tells the ‘Journey of a Jeweler’The Brazilian jeweler’s latest book marks her namesake brand’s 25th anniversary and tells the tale of her worldwide collaborations.
WatchesSep 17, 2025
Bob’s Watches Acquires Vintage Rolex Won on ‘The Price is Right’ The Submariner Ref. 1680 with a Tiffany & Co. dial came from the original owner, who won it as a prize on the game show in the 1970s.
TechnologySep 17, 2025
Jewelers Mutual Launches Shipping Solution App for Shopify The new integration allows users to manage shipments directly from the Shopify dashboard.
EditorsSep 16, 2025
Out & About: 7 Great Quotes From Converge in CarlsbadAt Converge 2025, Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff attended sessions on DEI, tariffs, security, and more. Here are her top takeaways.
CrimeSep 16, 2025
2 Robbery Suspects Killed in California Pawn Shop ShootoutSix people were shot last week at an Oakland cash-for-gold shop as employees exchanged gunfire with individuals trying to rob the store.
CollectionsSep 16, 2025
Chopard Adds New Designs to Its ‘Ice Cube’ Capsule CollectionThe jeweler has expanded its high jewelry offering, which launched last year, with new pieces featuring its cube motif that debuted in 1999.
SourcingSep 16, 2025
Natural Diamond Council Launches Retailer Accreditation ProgramBen Bridge Jeweler and Lux Bond & Green were a part of the pilot program.
EditorsSep 15, 2025
Skipping the Necklace, Embracing Snakes: The Best Jewelry From the 2025 Emmy AwardsAssociate Editor Natalie Francisco shares eight of her favorite jewelry looks from the 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, held Sunday night.
SurveysSep 15, 2025
Resilient Shoppers to Boost Holiday Retail Sales, Says DeloitteIt’s predicting a rise in retail sales this holiday season despite economic uncertainty and elevated inflation.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
Gemfields Achieves $32M at High-Quality Emerald AuctionIt included the sale of the 11,685-carat “Imboo” emerald that was recently discovered at Kagem.
SourcingSep 15, 2025
AGTA Elects 8 Members to Board of Directors The newly elected directors will officially take office in February 2026 and will be introduced at the organization’s membership meeting.
EditorsSep 12, 2025
Out & About: Mining Sapphires in Rock Creek, MontanaAssociate Editor Lauren McLemore headed out West for a visit to Potentate Mining’s operation hosted by gemstone wholesaler Parlé Gems.
TrendsSep 12, 2025
Piece of the Week: Arunashi’s Fordite and Rhodolite EarringsFordite is a man-made material created from the layers of dried enamel paint that dripped onto the floors of automotive factories.
Events & AwardsSep 12, 2025
Al Gilbertson Wins 2025 Robert M. Shipley AwardGilbertson has worked as a researcher, jeweler, lapidary artist, appraiser, and business owner throughout his decades in the industry.
Policies & IssuesSep 11, 2025
Supreme Court to Hear Tariffs Case in November A decision likely won’t come until January 2026 at the earliest, and the tariffs remain in effect until then.
MajorsSep 11, 2025
Tabayer Opens Nordstrom Shop-In-ShopLocated in the revamped jewelry hall at the retailer’s New York City flagship, this opening is Tabayer’s first shop-in-shop.
SourcingSep 11, 2025
Need to Sell More Natural Diamonds? De Beers Has an App for ThatThe new, free app offers accessible educational content, like games and podcasts, for U.S. retailers.
MajorsSep 10, 2025
Stuller to Swap Gold Scrap for Full Credit to AccountAs the gold price rises, the manufacturer is offering a 100 percent payout through Sept. 30 for gold clean scrap.
SourcingSep 10, 2025
Tech Meets Style in the New Loewe x Jacob & Co. HeadphonesJacob & Co. partnered with the German technology company on two pairs of headphones, one set with diamonds and the other with sapphires.
