SOTHEBY'S SELLS DUCHESS OF WINDSOR JEWEL COLLECTION

TONIGHT AT SOTHEBY'S, A GROUP OF 20 EXCEPTIONAL JEWELS AND PRECIOUS OBJECTS FORMERLY IN THE COLLECTION OF THE DUCHESS OF WINDSOR WERE PRESENTED FOR SALE, SOME 23 YEARS AFTER THEY WERE LAST AUCTIONED IN THE LEGENDARY AUCTION OF 'JEWELS OF THE DUCHESS OF WINDSOR', STILL THE MOST VALUABLE SINGLE-OWNER JEWELRY COLLECTION EVER SOLD. THE 20 PIECES, WHICH WERE ANNOUNCED FOR SALE BACK IN JULY OF THIS YEAR AND HAVE SINCE TRAVELED TO ASIA, THE MIDDLE EAST, RUSSIA AND THE US AND WHICH ALSO INCLUDE SOME SIGNATURE PIECES FROM THE 1987 SALE, BROUGHT A TOTAL OF £7,975,550, A FIGURE WELL IN EXCESS OF PRE-SALE EXPECTATIONS OF £2,906,000-4,211,000. IN 1987 THE 20 PIECES HAD BEEN ESTIMATED TO SELL FOR £197,531-268,189. SPEAKING AFTER THE SALE, DAVID BENNETT, CHAIRMAN OF SOTHEBY'S JEWELRY IN EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST, SAID: 'IT HAS BEEN AN IMMENSE PLEASURE TO BRING ONCE AGAIN TO SALE THESE JEWELS WORN BY A WOMAN WHO WAS A LEADER OF FASHION AND THE EPITOME OF ELEGANCE AND SOPHISTICATION FOR HER GENERATION AND BEYOND. THE COLLECTION COMPRISED NOT ONLY MASTERPIECES OF 20th CENTURY JEWELRY BY CARTIER, BUT ALSO PIECES WHOSE INTIMATE INSCRIPTIONS TELL THE STORY OF PERHAPS THE GREATEST LOVE STORY OF THE 20th CENTURY, THE ROMANCE THAT LED EDWARD VIII TO ABDICATE THE THRONE OF GREAT BRITAIN. WHEREVER WE HAVE EXHIBITED THE JEWELS IN RECENT MONTHS, WHETHER IT BE MOSCOW, NEW YORK, HONG KONG OR THE MIDDLE EAST, THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARY; AND THE WINDSOR COLLECTION HAS BEEN INTRODUCED TO A NEW AUDIENCE OF BUYERS. BY FAR AND AWAY THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SALE WAS LOT #19, THE ONYX AND DIAMOND PANTHER BRACELET BY CARTIER, PARIS IN 1952, WHICH SOLD FOR £4,521,250, MORE THAN DOUBLE THE PRE-SALE ESTIMATE OF £1-1.5 MILLION. THE PRICE ESTABLISHES A NEW RECORD FOR CARTIER AT AUCTION AND ALSO FOR ANY BRACELET AT AUCTION. THE SECOND HIGHEST PRICE OF THE EVENING WAS FOR LOT #20, THE RUBY, SAPPHIRE, EMERALD, CITRINE AND DIAMOND FLAMINGO CLIP, MOUNTED BY CARTIER, PARIS, 1940, CREATED BY JEANNE TOUSSAINT FOR CARTIER. ESTIMATED AT £1-1.5 MILLION, THE SPECTACULAR BROOCH WAS PURCHASED BY COLLECTION CARTIER FOR £1,721,250. AND, LOT #17, THE DIAMOND BRACELET BY CARTIER WHICH SUPPORTS NINE GEM-SET LATIN CROSSES, EACH REPRESENTING SPECIAL MOMENTS OF THE DUCHESS'S LIFE DURING THE YEARS 1934-44, A JEWEL OF GREAT PERSONAL SIGNIFICANCE AND ONE OF HER FAVORITE PIECES, BROUGHT £601,250 AGAINST AN ESTIMATE OF £350,000-450,000.