Last month Cartier’s magnificent tiger jewels were top billing at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva. This stunning two piece collection comprises of an onyx and diamond clip broach and bracelet with emerald eyes.
Exquisitely crafted these two pieces were formally owned by Wallis Simpson, The Duchess of Windsor. The Duke of Windsor was King Edward VIII briefly before abdicating to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson in 1936. While living in exile in France they built up an extraordinary collection of avant-garde jewels. After Simpson’s death in 1986 the entire collection was auctioned off. These two stunning pieces were then bought by British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber for his then wife, Sarah Brightman as a present to celebrate the enormous success of “The Phantom of the Opera”.
Nearly 30 years later, Brightman has decided to give someone else the opportunity to appreciate these fabulous jewels and they were sold as one lot for $3.2 million. A portion of the proceeds will go to The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation which supports arts and music in schools and to The Architectural Heritage Fund which awards 30 performing arts scholarships annually.
0 Comments