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Lot Essay
Few names are as illustrious as Rockefeller and Kashmir. The former, a surname synonymous with staggering American success, soaring architectural landmarks and generous philanthropy. The latter, a harsh region in the Northern Himalayas at the top of the world where the most precious sapphires ever known were once recovered.
The present lot embodies the best of both – an elegant expression of wealth and taste. Cut as a sugarloaf cabochon of 17.66 carats, the stone is both simple and sophisticated. The earliest known examples of this domed, polished design date back to the 14th or 15th century. While the majority of stones cut in this manner were not suitable for traditional faceting, this sapphire has a rare crystalline clarity and evenness of color. It is the same intense and luminous blue hue that has built the legend of the Kashmiri sapphire.
The renowned American jeweler Raymond Yard’s stellar reputation amongst the cognoscenti of New York was thanks in no small part to his friendship with the Rockefeller family. From beautifully crafted jewels to exquisitely rare gemstones, Yard frequently advised on this distinguished client’s acquisitions.
In the 1930s, Yard helped John D. Rockefeller Jr. acquire an extraordinary Burmese gem that would eventually be named ‘The Rockefeller Sapphire’ when it was sold by Christie’s in 2001. With a weight of 62.02 carats, the staggering gemstone’s rectangular-cut crisp facets echo the famed architecture of the Rockefeller family.
In 1948, Yard was commissioned to create a new mounting for a stunning 18.04 carat gem featuring a stunning Colombian emerald, later named ‘The Rockefeller Emerald’. Offered by Christie’s in 2017, this notable gemstone became the highest value price per-carat emerald in auction history.
The gemstones acquired by the Rockefeller family were remarkable and the present Kashmir sapphire is magnificently superb. On October 7, 1944, Mr. Yard conducted a personal appraisal of the collection of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife Abby Aldrich Rockefeller where he evaluated this sugarloaf. He recorded that it had been a jewel by Cartier and contained a ‘sapphire cut en cabochon accented by diamonds’. Always efficient in his descriptions, Mr. Yard took an extra moment to add a rare note of distinction for the sapphire. Succinctly, he used his one-word description for the highest quality possible: ‘gem’.
Raymond Yard both witnessed and played a pivotal role in the acquisition of some of the most celebrated gemstones of his time. His praise marks this sapphire as one of the Rockefeller family’s finest acquisitions and Christie’s is most honored to continue our storied tradition of presenting to the public this family’s most precious jewels.
The present lot embodies the best of both – an elegant expression of wealth and taste. Cut as a sugarloaf cabochon of 17.66 carats, the stone is both simple and sophisticated. The earliest known examples of this domed, polished design date back to the 14th or 15th century. While the majority of stones cut in this manner were not suitable for traditional faceting, this sapphire has a rare crystalline clarity and evenness of color. It is the same intense and luminous blue hue that has built the legend of the Kashmiri sapphire.
The renowned American jeweler Raymond Yard’s stellar reputation amongst the cognoscenti of New York was thanks in no small part to his friendship with the Rockefeller family. From beautifully crafted jewels to exquisitely rare gemstones, Yard frequently advised on this distinguished client’s acquisitions.
In the 1930s, Yard helped John D. Rockefeller Jr. acquire an extraordinary Burmese gem that would eventually be named ‘The Rockefeller Sapphire’ when it was sold by Christie’s in 2001. With a weight of 62.02 carats, the staggering gemstone’s rectangular-cut crisp facets echo the famed architecture of the Rockefeller family.
In 1948, Yard was commissioned to create a new mounting for a stunning 18.04 carat gem featuring a stunning Colombian emerald, later named ‘The Rockefeller Emerald’. Offered by Christie’s in 2017, this notable gemstone became the highest value price per-carat emerald in auction history.
The gemstones acquired by the Rockefeller family were remarkable and the present Kashmir sapphire is magnificently superb. On October 7, 1944, Mr. Yard conducted a personal appraisal of the collection of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife Abby Aldrich Rockefeller where he evaluated this sugarloaf. He recorded that it had been a jewel by Cartier and contained a ‘sapphire cut en cabochon accented by diamonds’. Always efficient in his descriptions, Mr. Yard took an extra moment to add a rare note of distinction for the sapphire. Succinctly, he used his one-word description for the highest quality possible: ‘gem’.
Raymond Yard both witnessed and played a pivotal role in the acquisition of some of the most celebrated gemstones of his time. His praise marks this sapphire as one of the Rockefeller family’s finest acquisitions and Christie’s is most honored to continue our storied tradition of presenting to the public this family’s most precious jewels.