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.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Auctions
The Latest
CollectionsApr 02, 2025
Bea Bongiasca’s ‘Tarallo’ Collection Expansion Is a ZooThe pieces in “Animali Tarallo” portray animals from stingrays to elephants through portraits and interpretations of their patterns.
MajorsApr 02, 2025
Neiman Marcus’ Dallas Flagship Will Remain Open, For NowParent company Saks Global said the iconic location will be open through the holiday season as it decides what to do with the space.
SourcingApr 02, 2025
Winston’s Collection of Natural Color Diamonds Now on Display in D.C. Ronald Winston, son of Harry Winston, donated the diamonds to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
Brought to you by
The Heart of the Industry: Giving Bench Jewelers the Recognition They DeserveBench jewelers spend years honing their skills, Jewelers of America’s Certification validates their talents.
Policies & IssuesApr 02, 2025
Jewelers of America to Hold Webinar on TariffsThe virtual event will take place April 7 at 3 p.m.
Weekly QuizMar 27, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Events & AwardsApr 02, 2025
Punchmark to Host Client WorkshopThe educational event will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, this May.
IndependentsApr 01, 2025
Bergman Jewelers in Omaha Closing After 137 YearsThe independent jeweler first opened its doors in 1888.
Brought to you by
Natural Diamonds Should Mean MoreNatural diamonds mean more than lab-grown, but when every cut is ideal, they all look the same. Customers want more—Facets of Fire delivers.
MajorsApr 01, 2025
QVC Group to Cut 900 Jobs in the U.S.The layoffs come amid the TV shopping channel’s efforts to restructure and focus on live shopping through social media.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2025
U.S. Antique Shows Adds Fall Show in FloridaThe debut event will take place in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood this fall.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2025
TJS to Host Discussion on Jewelry Industry’s Labor ShortageThe roundtable will take place May 17 ahead of the trade show’s welcome dinner.
CollectionsApr 01, 2025
Monica Rich Kosann Says ‘Good Grief’ in Peanuts Jewelry CollectionThe “Peanuts x Monica Rich Kosann” collection features the comic strip’s classic vocabulary across 10 bracelet designs.
Recorded WebinarsMar 31, 2025
Watch: What Do We Mean When We Say ‘Recycled’ Gold?Three industry experts dive into the complexities of the material often marketed as an “ethical” alternative for metal in jewelry.
TrendsMar 31, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Dripping in DiamondsDiamonds are not only one of the most prominent gemstones, but the birthstone for those born in April.
MajorsMar 31, 2025
Lashbrook Expands Into Luxury Golf Gifts With AcquisitionThe Utah-based company known for making wedding bands has acquired Doubloon Golf.
WatchesMar 31, 2025
Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin Will Also Head LVMH WatchesThe longtime luxury executive led one of LVMH’s watch brands, TAG Heuer, for 12 years before taking over Bulgari in 2013.
CrimeMar 28, 2025
2 Suspects Arrested in $1.7M Smash-and-Grab Robbery of NY Jewelry StoreAuthorities said the robbers fled with jewelry and 70 Rolex watches, later taking pictures of themselves posing with big stacks of cash.
SourcingMar 28, 2025
19th-Century Jade Book Now Available in EnglishLotus Gemology founder Richard W. Hughes has translated Heinrich Fischer’s 1880 book “Nephrit und Jadeit” from its original German.
CollectionsMar 28, 2025
Piece of the Week: Löf’s ‘The Valentine’ RingThe ring's design features contrasting lines influenced by work from architecture-inspired photographer Nikola Olic.
SurveysMar 27, 2025
Consumer Confidence Falls in March Amid ‘Gloomy’ OutlookThe Conference Board’s index fell as consumers continued to worry about the impact of tariffs, the labor market, and the price of eggs.
WatchesMar 27, 2025
Austin Butler Joins Breitling as Brand AmbassadorThe Oscar-nominated actor debuted in the campaign for the new “Top Time B31” collection, which introduced Breitling’s Caliber B31.
SourcingMar 27, 2025
Susan Jacques, Gaetano Cavalieri to Headline 2025 ICA Congress The Congress is scheduled to take place May 19-22 in Brasilia, Brazil.
IndependentsMar 26, 2025
Bailey’s Fine Jewelry Acquires Fellow NC Independent JewelerThe family-owned retailer is the new owner of Morrison Smith Jewelers in Charlotte, North Carolina.
WatchesMar 26, 2025
Bulova Celebrates 150th Anniversary With Art Deco WatchesThe “150 Art Deco” collection features a Miss America timepiece and a pocket watch from the brand’s Archive Series.
MajorsMar 26, 2025
QVC Group Appoints New PresidentAlex Wellen, formerly CEO and president of MotorTrend Group, has taken on the role.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2025
Jewelers of America Announces New Funding Initiative The Impact Initiative is part of the nonprofit association’s new three-year strategic plan.
CrimeMar 25, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Earrings Swallowed Following Grab-and-Run Theft RecoveredThe two pairs of earrings, snatched from a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando, Florida, are valued at a combined $769,500.
