Briolette cut diamond of 90.38 carats, marquise and pear shaped diamonds, platinum, two portions
of the chain are detachable and may be worn as bracelets, pendant detachable, unsigned, one bracelet with maker’s mark (Jacques Timey). UPDATE: THIS MADE €6,514,119
With a pre-sale estimate of more than $150 million the exquisite jewellery collection of the late Mrs. Heidi Horten (1941-2022) is the largest and most valuable ever to come to auction. It is poised to join and eclipse the previous record sales at Christie’s for The Elizabeth Taylor Collection (2011) and the Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence auction (2019), which are the only two jewellery collections to date to achieve more than $100 million.
Consigned by the Heidi Horten Estate and coming up in Geneva on May 12 the collection will be devoted to philanthropy, per Mrs. Horten’s wishes. All proceeds will benefit The Heidi Horten Foundation, established in 2020 to support the museum of modern and contemporary art she founded in Vienna, Austria — The Heidi Horten Collection as well as medical research and other philanthropic activities, which have been supported by her for many decades.
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
- The stunning 90 carat Briolette of India Diamond Necklace by Harry Winston, originally sold by Cartier in 1909
- A Three Strand Natural Pearl Necklace also by Harry Winston, highlighted by a cushion shaped pink diamond clasp of 11 carats
- The Sunrise Ruby and Diamond ring of 25 carats by Cartier, pigeon blood in colour and of exceptional purity
- A very important selection of Bulgari creations from the 1970s to present day, retracing more than five decades of the firm’s signature Italian craftsmanship
- An exceptional Diamond Bracelet by Harry Winston
- The Great Mughal Emerald Pendant Necklace by Harry Winston
Heidi Horten (née Jelinek) was born and raised in Vienna, Austria. She attended the Hospitality Management School of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and went on to work as a secretary in a Viennese law firm. From an early age, Heidi Horten was exposed to objects of great beauty, first through her father, who was an engraver, and later during her first marriage (to Helmut Horten), when she began to refine her eye for jewellery and works of art. After Mr. Horten’s death, Mrs. Horten was passionately involved in areas as diverse as social welfare, sports and medical research, which had been supported by her for decades. As of the 1990s, Mrs. Horten began building her private collection of modern and contemporary art. Her first significant independent art purchases were works by Moise Kiesling and Emmanuel Mané-Katz, acquired at auction in Tel Aviv in 1994. Her collection grew steadily over the following two decades, and, in 2018, was first unveiled to the public when a selection of 175 works was presented at the Leopold Museum under the title WOW! Moved by the tremendous success of the exhibition, Mrs. Horten began to plan for the future of her artworks, establishing a permanent home for them at The Heidi Horten Collection, modern art museum in Vienna. The grand opening took place on June 2, 2022, which Mrs. Horten proudly attended online, just ten days before she passed away.
UPDATE: THE SALE REALISED A TOTAL OF US$201,520,895
