Editor’s Note
This December, Sotheby’s presents a landmark single-owner auction, “A Legacy of Elegance,” featuring over 60 exceptional jewels from masters like Belperron and JAR. With estimates exceeding $8 million, the sale marks a premier event in the auction house’s new New York flagship.
This December in New York, Sotheby’s is hosting a single-owner sale spotlighting more than 60 design-driven pieces from the world’s most esteemed jewelry houses.
Headlined by one-of-a-kind works from Suzanne Belperron and Joel Arthur Rosenthal (JAR), the auction titled A Legacy of Elegance: Jewels From an Exceptional Collection will take center stage at Sotheby’s inaugural luxury auctions in its new Breuer building, with an expected total surpassing $8 million.
Among the highlights are a multicolor Belperron necklace with pink topaz, diamonds, and other precious gems (pictured at top); a ruby and diamond laurel leaf necklace by Boucheron, estimated at $1 to $2 million; and an invisibly set ruby and diamond bracelet by Cartier. JAR’s visionary creations heading to the auction block include a pair of diamond earclips designed to resemble frosted branches and three separate wild rose brooches, each estimated to sell for at least $250,000–$300,000.
JAR earclips (circa 1987) with pear-shape and round diamonds, estimate $500,000–$700,000.
Assembled over decades by a prominent international collector, the trove celebrates the artistry and innovation of French jewelry design. Belperron is also represented by a sculptural chalcedony and amethyst cuff. A trailblazer who famously declared, “My style is my signature,” Belperron was one of the few women to redefine 20th-century jewelry design. JAR pieces in the upcoming auction are examples of the designer’s painterly use of colored stones and sculptural mastery. Called “the Fabergé of our time,” JAR blurs the line between jewelry and fine art in his work.
Boucheron necklace (circa 1888) with cushion-cut rubies and single-, old mine–, and old European–cut diamonds, estimate $1 million–$2 million.
Cartier bracelet (circa 1930s) with invisibly set calibré-cut rubies and baguette and marquise-shape diamonds, estimate $300,000–$500,000.
Select lots will tour internationally prior to a New York exhibition beginning Dec. 5, ahead of the live auction on Dec. 8—the first evening sale at Sotheby’s New York in over a decade.
Top: Suzanne Belperron necklace with pink topaz, morganite, aquamarine, and diamonds, estimate $250,000–$350,000 (photos courtesy of Sotheby’s).