The following selection of elegant and important jewels, Lots 43-45, hail from the collection of Bridget Rooney Koch.

Born into the Rooney family, her grandfather Art Rooney was the legendary founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team. Mr. Rooney purchased the team in the midst of the Great Depression and spent the following decades building it into one of the most successful sports franchises in United States. The stewardship of the organization continues to be proudly maintained by the Rooney family.

Ever the passionate collector, Mrs. Rooney Koch has taken a learned approach to the jewelry wardrobe she has created. Over a considerable amount of time and with discerning taste, a remarkable trove of precious gems and jewels was assembled. These works are notable as much for the timeliness of their acquisition as for their beauty. They illustrate the lasting value of a focus on best quality.

For Lot 43, an incredible assemblage of Burmese red spinel highlights a dramatic chandelier design by Graff. Vividly colored and high clarity spinel has always been extraordinarily rare but the availability today at this level has become almost nonexistent in the currently white-hot market. The rarity factor is exponentially higher yet again in Lots 44 and 45, both built around exquisite Burmese rubies of the finest order that have been color matched with great care. As the most elite of colored gems, “pigeon blood” Burmese rubies are more irreplaceable and esteemed than ever by today’s global connoisseurs.