Exceptional Results at Bonhams New York Jewelry Sale
International bidding frenzy sees Cartier emerald bracelet reach over $3,000,000 in New York Jewels on May 24 and White Glove sale for the Charlotte & George Shultz Collection on May 23

New York - Four important private collections realized spectacular results at Bonhams in New York this week across two sales, Style and Substance: The Collection of George and Charlotte Shultz on May 23 and New York Jewels on May 24, featuring the collections of Hélène Irwin Crocker Fagan, Lady Sylvia Ashley, and Bette Midler. Standout lots include a Cartier emerald Art Deco bracelet from the collection of Hélène Irwin Crocker Fagan, which sold for $3,240,375, over four times its estimate, and from Charlotte Schultz, a Jean Schlumberger necklace for Tiffany & Co sold for half a million dollars.

Style and Substance: The Collection of George and Charlotte Shultz
May 23

After a successful exhibition tour in London, Hong Kong, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, the collection of George and Charlotte Shultz made its final stop in New York for its sale on May 23. A white glove sale, all 201 lots were sold, including the "Hedges and Rows" necklace by Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. which tripled its estimate and sold for $529,575. Several other pieces surpassed estimates including an 18K gold, platinum, and diamond ring sold for $63,375, a Tiffany & Co. platinum and diamond 'Victoria' necklace sold for $46,995, and a 'Diamonds by the Yard' necklace by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. sold for $31,875. The sale overall achieved $1,697,472 with 100% sold by lot and by value.

Emily Waterfall, Director of Jewelry for Bonhams Los Angeles, said, "A white glove sale is always remarkable, and it was truly an honor to tell the story and present the collection of a celebrated couple like George and Charlotte Shultz. Especially exciting was the success of the 'Hedges and Rows' necklace which sold for over half a million dollars, it is truly an exceptional piece by Jean Schlumberger in his work for Tiffany & Co."

New York Jewels
May 24

The New York Jewels sale achieved a total of $8,381,958, with the final lot bringing in stellar results. Selling for $3,240,375, the Cartier emerald and diamond bracelet, circa 1926, came from the collection of American heiress Hélène Irwin Crocker Fagan (1887–1966), the daughter of sugar baron William G. Irwin and one of the richest heiresses in the world during the Belle Epoque and Art Deco eras. Also from Fagan's collection, a pearl and diamond aigrette by Cartier, circa 1914, which sold for $586,275. Additional highlights from the sale include:

• From the collection of Lady Sylvia Ashley (1904–1977), a ruby ring from Bulgari, circa 1920, sold for $290,175. Several other items quickly jumped above estimates in a bidding frenzy such as two Van Cleef & Arpels desk clocks, circa 1940, with the sapphire and diamond clock selling for $121,335 and the "Inséparables" clock selling for $84,795.

• An impressive 17.25 carat diamond ring sold for more than two times its estimate at $819,375, from the collection of Australian radio titan John Laws and his wife Caroline Laws.

• The sale also included several pieces from the collection of celebrated actress Bette Midler (b.1945) with her Tiffany & Co. yellow sapphire and diamond feather brooch selling for $40,695.

"We are exceptionally pleased with the success of the Cartier emerald bracelet and the New York Jewels sale overall," Caroline Morrissey, Director of Jewelry for Bonhams New York, said. "The bracelet is adorned with extremely rare Colombian emeralds – the finest of its kind - with impeccable provenance. That was a consistent theme across the sale; exceptional pieces straight from the collections of iconic women."

"It was an exciting two days in New York for the Bonhams jewelry department," commented Jean Ghika, Bonhams Global Head of Jewelry. "The team presented strong back-to-back sales that included spectacular pieces showcasing the history and glamour of the women that owned them."

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