Exceptional Jewels & Objects of Elegance: A Connoisseur's Collection - part I

This season, Christie’s is honoured to present Exceptional Jewels & Objects of Elegance: A Connoisseur’s Collection, a distinguished single-owner collection celebrating the finest creations by Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Graff and David Morris.

Assembled with a discerning eye for beauty, artistry and technical mastery, the collection brings together rare jewels, precious objects and vanity cases. At its heart is a highly coveted group of Van Cleef & Arpels Mystery Set jewels featuring sapphires and rubies of outstanding quality.

A defining theme throughout the collection is an appreciation for craftsmanship. From Cartier’s exquisite enamel work in the early 20th century to the finest examples of laque burgauté and gemstone marquetry in the preceding era, each piece showcases a remarkable command of specialist techniques and meticulous attention to detail, many of which are rarely practised today.

Contemporary highlights include jewels by renowned houses such as Graff and David Morris, showcasing exceptional emeralds, sapphires, rubies and important coloured diamonds.

Complementing the jewellery is a superb group of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century gold boxes and objets de vertu. Together, these creations celebrate the highest standards of craftsmanship, bringing together artistic refinement, technical mastery and enduring beauty.

Exceptional Jewels and Objects of Elegance: A Connoisseur’s Collection will be offered in a dedicated live auction at the Hotel des Bergues in Geneva on 10 November, featuring 123 exceptional pieces, followed by an online sale presenting a further 152 jewels from this prestigious ensemble.