Art Deco Jewels Owned by Copper Heiress Could Fetch $12 Million at Christie’s

Huguette M. Clark

Christie’s auction house will offer a jewelry collection from the estate of Huguette M. Clark, one of the last great heiresses of America’s Gilded Age. Ms. Clark’s collection, which is believed to have been stored in a bank vault since the 1940s, includes signed Art Deco jewels by Cartier, Dreicer & Co., and Tiffany & Co., including an extremely rare 9-carat pink diamond ring and a superb 20-carat D-color diamond ring. The complete collection of 17 jewels is expected to fetch $9 - 12 million at auction on April 17 at Christie’s New York.

“In the world of fine jewelry, this is truly a fairytale collection,” said Rahul Kadakia, head of Jewelry for Christie’s Americas. “Opening the vault to find this treasure trove of period jewels from the best French houses of the early 1900s has certainly been one of the most extraordinary moments of my 15-year career here at Christie’s. The iconic Art Deco design and exceptional craftsmanship of these meticulously preserved jewels are emblematic of the great Gilded Age in American history.”

The jewelry sale is part of the estate sale of three residences at 907 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan owned by the late copper heiress. Christie’s International Real Estate has been entrusted with the sale. The limestone clad, Italian palazzo-style cooperative building on 72nd Street, designed by architect J.E.R. Carpenter in 1915, offers sprawling views of Central Park. Two of Clark’s apartments make up the entire eighth floor; the third occupies half of the 12th floor. The floor plans of her sprawling residences, which need renovation, are being made public for the first time ever.

Ms. Clark died May, 2011, at the age of 104.