NEW YORK, NY.- 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.

Leading the scores of gems is a rectangular-cut Fancy Intense Pink diamond ring of 8.77 carats, a cushion-cut Fancy Vivid Blue diamond ring of 3.81 carats, and a square-cut Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond ring of 5.13 carats 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.

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.

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.