This 6.95-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond is the highlight of Phillips’ upcoming auction in Geneva.
Geneva—Phillips will hold a jewelry auction in Geneva next month that includes a nearly 7-carat pink diamond and Belle Époque jewelry that belonged to a Vanderbilt.
Leading “The Geneva Jewels Auction: V,” scheduled for Nov. 10, is a 6.95-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond. The Type IIa diamond has VVS2 clarity.
It is expected to sell for around $9 million, Phillips said.
Another highlight of the sale is a collection of Belle Époque jewelry by Cartier and Tiffany & Co. that belonged to a member of the Vanderbilt family.
“The Vanderbilt Family Jewels stand as the purest embodiment of Gilded Age elegance—pieces of extraordinary beauty, historical resonance, and fascinating provenance,” said Benoît Repellin, worldwide head of jewelry at Phillips.
“This [sale] comes at a time when the market is particularly enthusiastic for period jewels— Belle Époque and early 20th-century masterpieces are in especially high demand—reflecting a broader appetite for rare signed and historically rich pieces.”
The Vanderbilt family built its fortune through the railroads and shipping, becoming one of the most influential families of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The collection up for auction belonged to Gladys Moore Vanderbilt, Countess Széchényi, who was born in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1886.
She was the daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and the great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, who built the family fortune.
She grew up in the Cornelius Vanderbilt II House on Fifth Avenue, the largest private house ever built in New York City, said Phillips, as well as at The Breakers mansion in Newport.
When Gladys died in 1965, she left behind a remarkable collection of jewelry.
The highlight of her collection is “The Vanderbilt Sapphire”, a sugarloaf Kashmir sapphire and diamond brooch weighing 42.68 carats, mounted by Tiffany & Co.
“The Vanderbilt Sapphire” brooch was gifted to Gladys Moore Vanderbilt, Countess Széchényi, by her mother, Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt.
The brooch has a pre-sale estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million.
The brooch features an intricate openwork design accented by old-cut diamonds, a style that is quintessentially Belle Époque, said Phillips.
According to Lang Antiques’ Antique Jewelry University, Belle Époque jewelry (1895-1914) is characterized by designs that look delicate and lace-like, often incorporating flower, ribbon, and bow motifs.
“More than a family heirloom, this jewel embodied the era’s artistic and social ambitions, pioneered by one of the greatest American dynasties,” Phillips said.
Another highlight of Gladys’ collection is a Cartier diamond brooch that originally was part of a Belle Époque diamond tiara, which had eight lily sprays with interchangeable pear-shaped amethysts and diamonds.
This brooch was once part of a Cartier tiara that belonged to Gladys Moore Vanderbilt, Countess Széchényi.
The tiara was also given to Gladys by her mother to celebrate her marriage to Count László Széchényi in 1908.
“Gladys, the youngest daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, represented the last generation of Gilded Age heiresses whose marriages bridged American wealth and European nobility,” Phillips said.
The tiara was eventually taken apart, leaving the remaining brooch, which is set with a 4.55-carat old-cut pear-shaped diamond.
The brooch has a pre-sale estimate of $100,000 to $150,000.
An emerald and diamond bow brooch from the late 19th century
A gold and diamond hair comb, circa the early 20th century
An emerald and diamond bow brooch that belonged to Gladys is also up for sale, with a pre-sale estimate of $5,000 to $8,000, while her gold and diamond hair comb is expected to sell for $3,000 to $5,000.
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Other auction highlights beyond the Vanderbilt collection include a diamond that fans of Taylor Swift’s engagement ring may be interested in, Phillips said.
The 10.08-carat light pink-brown old cushion-shaped diamond is said to be from the historic Golconda region in India and, like Swift’s ring, has a combination bezel-prong setting in yellow gold.
This 10.08-carat light pink-brown old cushion-shaped diamond could sell for up to $600,000.
This Van Cleef & Arpels diamond sautoir is an example of the geometric style of the Art Deco era.
The Type IIa stone has a pre-sale estimate of $450,000 to $600,000.
Another highlight of the auction is a Van Cleef & Arpels 1920s diamond sautoir with all the geometric flare of the Art Deco era, set with a 10.79-carat step-cut diamond.
The sautoir has a pre-sale estimate of $300,000 to $500,000.
Also up for sale is the “Plumes” necklace Jean Schlumberger designed in the late 1950s for Fiona Campbell-Walter, Baroness Thyssen-Bornemisza.
Jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger created this “Plumes” necklace in the late 1950s.
Campbell-Walter, a popular model in the 1950s, wore the gold necklace set with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, in the March 1962 issue of Vogue.
Phillips said the necklace’s “vibrant palette and sculptural elegance exemplify Schlumberger’s imaginative genius and his ability to transform nature into wearable art.”
The necklace has a pre-sale estimate of $300,000 to $500,000.
“The Geneva Jewels Auction: V” will be held at the Hôtel President in Geneva on Nov. 10.
