Boucles d'oreilles Cascade de Chanel Joaillerie pour le film Anna Karenine. Photo courtesy Chanel.

The Marie Mancini Pearl and Diamond Ear Pendants . Pair of antique pearl and diamond ear pendants © Christie's 

The Marie Mancini Pearl and Diamond Ear Pendants with larger pearls weighing almost 200 grains each, was sold almost 30 years ago.  The pendants incorporating high quality, white, perfectly drop-shaped, saltwater pearls, weighing approximately 200 grains each,  and with a well-documented, over 400-year-old historic provenance, dating back to the 16th-century, sold at a Christie's auction in New York, in 1979, only for US$ 253,000. 

Portrait of Marie Mancini.

(source: http://www.internetstones.com)

A White Jade Shaped Rectangular Pendant Plaque, 18th century. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013

One side is well carved with a scene of the Northern Song poet, Mi Fu, accompanied by an attendant, bowing to a tall, pierced rock, and on the reverse with a lengthy inscription, mi zhang ai yan fu ai shi/tan gui jue qi jiu wei pi/shi xiong zu bai zi xie tu/nai zhi dian ming bu xu de, and signed Zigang, all below confronted archaistic dragons at the top. The stone is of even white color. 2 7/16 in. (6.2 cm.) high. Estimate $30,000 – $50,000

Provenance: Lizzadro Collection, Chicago, Illinois, acquired prior to 1960.

Notes: The inscription is taken from the poem, An inscription on the Painting of Mi Fu Bowing to a Stone, by the Yuan master Ni Zan, and may be translated, 'Mi Zhang [Mi Fu] loves inkstones and hence loves stones; who becomes obsessed in searching for beautiful and rare pieces. He paints a work portraying himself before a stone calling it "big brother"; the reputation of his eccentricity is indeed well deserved.' 

Christie's. A COLLECTING LEGACY: FINE CHINESE JADE CARVINGS AND WORKS OF ART FROM THE LIZZADRO COLLECTION (PART II). 19 September 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza. www.christies.com

A White Jade Rectangular Pendant Plaque, 18th century. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013

One side is well carved with Zhang Qian floating in a log boat amidst rolling, wind-tossed waves below clouds and an inscription, cheng cha fang di sun (ride the raft and visit the star of the Weaving Maiden ([Vega]), and on the reverse with a woman (the Weaving Maiden) seen through a circular window as she sits at her loom, the scene framed by vaporous clouds at the corners. The semi-translucent stone is of even white color and softly polished. 2 3/16 in. (5.6 cm.) high. Estimate $30,000 – $50,000

Provenance: Lizzadro Collection, Chicago, Illinois, acquired prior to 1960.

Notes: The inscription is a line taken from the Dream of the Red Chamber, in which Xiangyun (a female character in the novel) came up with this line at the literary competition held on Mid-Autumn Festival.
The figure in the log boat on one side depicts the Han-dynasty imperial envoy and traveler Zhang Qian, whose extraordinary travels were later embellished into legendary poems.
A similar white jade plaque, dated to the Qing dynasty, and decorated on each side with the same scenes, is illustrated by Fu Xinian, Guyu Tuoying (A Selection of Ancient Jades), Hong Kong, 1995, pp. 302-3, no. 181. The plaque has the same inscription as the present plaque, but with the addition of a seal, wen wan (play thing). On the side with the 'weaving maiden', the window is framed by a tree and a fence, rather than the clouds on the present plaque. 

Christie's. A COLLECTING LEGACY: FINE CHINESE JADE CARVINGS AND WORKS OF ART FROM THE LIZZADRO COLLECTION (PART II). 19 September 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza. www.christies.com

A Pair of White Jade Fittings, 19th century. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013 

The ruyi-shaped upper section of each is carved on the front with peony, the sides have slits to fit onto a belt, and the back is open to accomodate the hinged lower section, which is carved in openwork as two confronted dragons. The semi-translucent stone is of pale greenish-white color. 3 3/8 in. (8.6 cm.) long overall (2). Estimate $12,000 – $18,000

Provenance: Lizzadro Collection, Chicago, Illinois, acquired prior to 1960. 

Notes: Compare the pair of white jade belt fittings of this type and shape illustrated by Ip Yee, Chinese Jade Carving, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1983, p. 273, no. 247, and the pair sold at Christie's New York, 15 September 2009, lot 137.  

Christie's. A COLLECTING LEGACY: FINE CHINESE JADE CARVINGS AND WORKS OF ART FROM THE LIZZADRO COLLECTION (PART II). 19 September 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza. www.christies.com

A Pale Greyish-White and Brown Agate Snuff Bottle, Official School, 1730-1850. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2013 

Of rounded square shape, and raised on an oval foot ring, the pale greyish-white body has a painterly sweep of brown that outlines the inner edge of a faint banded area on one side, while other abstract markings are on the reverse. 2 3/8 in. (6 cm.) high, rose quartz and gilt-metal stopper. Estimate $6,000 – $8,000

Provenance: Lizzadro Collection, Chicago, Illinois, acquired prior to 1960. 

Christie's. A COLLECTING LEGACY: FINE CHINESE JADE CARVINGS AND WORKS OF ART FROM THE LIZZADRO COLLECTION (PART II). 19 September 2013. New York, Rockefeller Plaza. www.christies.com

Platinum, jadeite and diamond ring. Photo: Sotheby's.

The oval-shaped jadeite cabochon measuring approximately 17.0 by 11.9 by 5.3 mm, framed by round diamonds weighing approximately 1.60 carats, size 6¼. Estimation 18,000 — 22,000 USD 

Accompanied by AGL report no. CS 53501 stating that the jadeite is natural, with no indications of impregnation. 

Sotheby's. Important Jewels. New York | 24 sept. 2013 - http://www.sothebys.com

Platinum, jade and diamond pendant-brooch. Photo: Sotheby's.

The jade tablet carved with foliate motifs accented by round, baguette and old European-cut diamonds weighing approximately .65 carat, fitted with pendant loop; circa 1925. Estimation 15,000 - 20,000 USD 

PROPERTY FROM A MIDWEST ESTATE 

Sotheby's. Important Jewels. New York | 24 sept. 2013 - http://www.sothebys.com

Platinum, jadeite and diamond pendant/ Photo: Sotheby's.

The lozenge-shaped jadeite measuring approximately 31.5 by 13.3 by 2.64 mm, accented by round diamonds weighing approximately 1.25 carats. Estimation 15,000 - 20,000 USD 

Accompanied by AGL report no. CS 53502 stating that the jadeite is natural, with no indications of impregnation.

Sotheby's. Important Jewels. New York | 24 sept. 2013 - http://www.sothebys.com

Platinum, jade and diamond ring. Photo: Sotheby's.

Centering a jade double cabochon measuring approximately 19.2 by 14.0 by 7.6 mm, flanked by two trapezoid and two bullet-shaped diamonds weighing approximately .90 carat, size 6. Estimation 15,000 - 20,000 USD 

Accompanied by GIA report no. 2155573662 stating that the jadeite jade is of natural color, with no indications of impregnation.

Sotheby's. Important Jewels. New York | 24 sept. 2013 - http://www.sothebys.com

Pair of white gold, jadeite, onyx and diamond pendant-earrings. Photo: Sotheby's.

The two jadeite discs suspended by six onyx rings, topped by two faceted onyx beads, accented by round diamonds weighing approximately .45 carat. Estimation 6,000 - 8,000 USD 

Accompanied by GIA report no. 5151566111 stating that the jadeite has indications of impregnation.

Sotheby's. Important Jewels. New York | 24 sept. 2013 - http://www.sothebys.com

Platinum, 18 karat gold, pink sapphire and diamond ring. Photo: Sotheby's.

Centered by a cushion-cut pink sapphire weighing approximately 6.10 carats, flanked by two half-moon-shaped diamonds weighing approximately 1.95 carats,size 5¾. Estimation 20,000 — 25,000 USD 

Sotheby's. Important Jewels. New York | 24 sept. 2013 - http://www.sothebys.com

Pair of platinum, pink sapphire and diamond earrings, Bulgari. Photo: Sotheby's.

Set with two oval-shaped pink sapphires weighing 14.45 carats, framed and suspended by round diamonds weighing approximately 1.10 carats, signed Bulgari. Estimation40,000 — 60,000 USD 

Sotheby's. Important Jewels. New York | 24 sept. 2013 - http://www.sothebys.com

Gold, pink sapphire, diamond and enamel bracelet. Photo: Sotheby's.

The antique-style bracelet composed of five panels centered by pink sapphires weighing a total of approximately 14.00 carats, further set with single-cut diamonds weighing approximately 4.00 carats, applied with black enamel, length 7 inches, one diamond missing. Estimation 10,000 — 15,000 USD 

Sotheby's. Important Jewels. New York | 24 sept. 2013 - http://www.sothebys.com

Banyan, maker unrecorded, c. 1780-90. From the collection of Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. Photo: RISD Museum. 

Man’s court robe. Chinese; Manchu, Qing; Qianlong, Man’s court robe, 1736-1795, Silk slit tapestry weave (kesi) with fur trim; Length: 143.5 cm (56 1/2 inches), Gift of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich 35.390.  RISD Museum (c) RISD Museum

The strict rules of dress for the eighteenth-century Chinese court reserved the color yellow for the emperor and his consort’s use. The design of this man’s court robe features not only the imperial five-clawed dragon but other symbols also restricted to the emperor’s use: the sun, moon, mountain, and constellation that represent the four annual sacrifices made by the emperor; the fu character and axe that stand for the powers to judge and punish; and symbols of the natural world that enclosed the emperor within his dominion when he wore the court robe. Stylistic elements such as the width of the bottom border help to date it. Tapestry weaving requires great skill and patience, especially for such a complex design. This robe’s beauty and technical excellence made it worthy of an emperor.

The fairies of Cedric Laquieze. 

Composed of bones, plants, feathers, and insect parts, these fairies are the inspired creations of Cedric Laquieze, an Amsterdam based sculptor and recent graduate from the Rietveld academy (class of 2010). (source  Cedric’s blog)

Sonia Rentsch’s Harm Less (2012). Art direction by Olivia Nichols, Photography by Albert Comper.

Australia based designer Sonia Rentsch’s weltanschauung is to find the beauty in all things, and she does exactly that in her recent six piece series, Harm Less (2012). Clearly tapping into the spirit of our time, Rentsch has arranged entirely organic materials into images of botanical weaponry in a way that is as much striking in its beauty as it is in its underlying meaning.

OXFORD.- Francis Bacon Henry Moore: Flesh and Bone begins at the Ashmolean (12 September). But the exhibition's origins lie more than 40 years ago in the Oxford of the early 1970s. Photo: Ashmolean Bacon Moore. ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

Co-curator Richard Calvocoressi had recently begun studying English at Oxford when he attended a lecture held by the Critical Society that made a huge impression on him. Photo: Ashmolean Bacon Moore. ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

Mr Calvocoressi, director of the Henry Moore Foundation, said: 'The lecture which made the deepest impression on me was given to members of the society on 13 February 1970 by Francis Warner. A fellow and tutor in English literature at St Peter's College, Francis was energetic and inspiring. Photo: Ashmolean Bacon Moore. ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

'The subject of Francis's slide talk that evening was "Francis Bacon and Henry Moore". What I recall most clearly about it was Francis's conviction that both artists, having lived through two world wars (in Moore's case seeing active service in the first) and having experienced the Blitz (during which Bacon served in Air Raid Precautions), were engaged in a similar enterprise: restoring the human body, not to a state of perfection or even wholeness, but to a kind of dignified, animal resignation in the face of isolation and suffering. Photo: Ashmolean Bacon Moore. ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

Conscious of mortality, each manages to convey an irrepressible sense of life. Their perspectives, of course, were different: Moore still clinging to a belief in humanism, Bacon closer to a bleaker, posthumanist world view. 'In expressing their complementary visions of humanity, Bacon worked from the outside in, Moore from the inside out: flesh and bone. 'Since Francis Warner's lecture, it has always seemed to me perfectly natural that anyone would choose to think and talk about the work of Moore and Bacon together – a view enthusiastically shared by my collaborator, Martin Harrison'. Photo: Ashmolean Bacon Moore. ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

Fifty years after their first joint exhibition at Marlborough Fine Art, Francis Bacon Henry Moore: Flesh and Bone places the work of these two great artists in close relation once again. Photo: Ashmolean Bacon Moore. ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

Supported by Pictet & Cie, Sotheby's, and the Friends of the Ashmolean, the exhibition explores themes such as the treatment of the human figure and the artists' responses to the violence of the 20th century. Photo: Ashmolean Bacon Moore. ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

Professor Christopher Brown, director of the Ashmolean, said: 'This is one of the most ambitious and exciting exhibitions we have mounted since we reopened in 2009. Photo: Ashmolean Bacon Moore. ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

It compares the two greatest British artists of the 20th century and promises to be both visually thrilling and immensely thought-provoking. Photo: Ashmolean Bacon Moore. ©Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.

A Cushion-Cut Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond Ring of 3.81ct – Estimate: $2,500,000 – $3,500,000 and A Rectangular-Cut Fancy Intense Pink Diamond Ring of 8.77ct – Estimate: $5,500,000 – $6,500,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2013.  

New York – Christie’s New York begins the fall auction season with an exceptional line-up of fine jewels, important diamonds and rare colored gemstones to highlight its sale of Magnificent Jewels on October 15. In keeping with collector demand after the historic sale of the Princie Diamond, the most valuable Golconda diamond ever sold at auction, this sale offers a trio of colored diamonds of superior quality, depth of color, tone and saturation.

A Rectangular-Cut Fancy Intense Pink Diamond Ring of 8.77 carats. Estimate: $5,500,000 – 6,500,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2013.

Leading the scores of gems is a rectangular-cut Fancy Intense Pink diamond ring of 8.77 carats (illustrated top center), a cushion-cut Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ring of 3.81 carats (illustrated below), and a square-cut Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond ring of 5.13 carats (illustrated below) all of which have been consigned by distinguished gem collectors. The two-session sale at Christie’s Rockefeller Center saleroom comprises 400 lots, and is expected to achieve in excess of $40 million.

A Cushion-Cut Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond Ring of 3.81 carats. Estimate: $2,500,000 – 3,500,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2013.

A Square-Cut Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond of 5.13ct – Estimate: $200,000 – $300,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2013.

Rahul Kadakia, Head of Jewelry for Christie’s Americas and Switzerland, noted: “It was an unprecedented season for Christie’s this spring, having achieved three world record breaking diamond sales in New York, Geneva and Hong Kong. For the first major fall sale in New York, our team of jewelry specialists have traveled the globe to gather the finest quality diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and rare vintage jewels from notable estates and private collections. In anticipation of a continued strong market, we look forward to offering collectors the best in the world of jewelry auctions.”  

THE HONORABLE NOREEN STONOR DREXEL OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

For the people of Newport, Rhode Island, one woman served as the personification of their community’s beauty and generosity: Mrs. Noreen Stonor Drexel. Born the Honorable Mildred Sophia Noreen Stonor, she was the daughter of Lord and Lady Camoys of Stonor Park, Oxfordshire. Mrs. Drexel was the descendant of Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, and of Nicholas Brown, the namesake of Brown University.

Having grown up in the shadow of the Second World War, Mrs. Drexel immersed herself in her community as head of the Newport War Bond Drive and chairwoman for Bundles for Britain, which delivered clothing and medical supplies across the Atlantic.  Additionally, she served in many ways the Newport Naval Hospital and continued her volunteerism through the Vietnam War. A popular member of the social circuit, she met John Drexel III in 1939 at a toboggan party. Mr. Drexel III was a member of the prominent Drexel family of bankers and a descendant of Anthony J. Drexel, founder of Drexel University. The couple was married at Manhattan’s St. James’ Church.

The collection of The Honorable Noreen Stonor Drexel of Newport, Rhode Island offers some of the finest examples of David Webb jewels from the 1960s and 1970s ever presented at auction.

IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTIONS 

The October 15 New York Magnificent Jewels auction will present the Historic “Mystery-Set” Sapphire, Diamond and Colored Diamond Argentine Flag Brooch (estimate: $300,000 – 500,000), by Van Cleef & Arpels, formerly the property of Eva Perón. Presented to Mrs. Perón before 1949, the brooch depicts the Argentinean flag with its horizontal tricolor superimposed with a golden sunburst. The blue and white emblem, known as the Sun of May, symbolizes the end of Spanish rule when, on May 25, 1810 the national parliament elected Argentina’s first provisional governing junta. Last sold at auction in April 1998 after a fierce bidding war for $992,500, this prized brooch is making its return to Christie’s New York to entice a new generation of collectors of rare and historical jewels.

An Historic “Mystery-Set” Sapphire, Diamond and Colored Diamond Argentine Flag Brooch, by Van Cleef & Arpels. Formerly the property of Eva Perón. Estimate: $300,000 – 500,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2013. 

Additional top private collections include, from “one of the grandest dames in San Francisco Society,” The Diana Dollar Knowles Collection, highlighted by a beautiful rectangular-cut F color diamond of 17.00 carats (estimate: $500,000 – 700,000) and a pave set diamond link necklace by Boucheron (estimate: $80,000 – 120,000). An impressive rectangular-cut I color diamond ring of 16.21 carats, by Lorraine Schwartz (estimate: $300,000 – 500,000), is being offered as the Property of a Gentleman with a portion of the proceeds to benefit a charity.

A Diamond Ring from The Diana Dollar Knowles Collection – 17.00 carats, F color, VS1 clarity – Estimate: $500,000 – $700,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2013.