Column: Spring bling and colorful things: Any way you look, it's about jewels ... and a gem
Talk about your spring cleaning.
Palm Beach fashion designer, artist and Worth Avenue boutique owner Ala von Auersperg Isham is dusting out the vault and selling some some serious bling that was once the property of her mother, Martha "Sunny" von Bulow.
Of course, when one has her kind of wealth, it's not selling. It's "de-accessioning." It's Marie Kondo for the .01 percent.
The 16 pieces, almost all emerald and almost all by Van Cleef & Arpels, are being offered in their own sale-within-a-sale by Christie's. "Beauty in Design: Magnificent Jewelry from the Collection of Sunny Crawford von Bulow and Ala von Auersperg Isham" will be part of the June 11 Magnificent Jewels sale at Christie's New York auction house.
Carefully curated by Ala — who has a few sparkles of her own in the sale — the collection's highlight is a Van Cleef & Arpels carved emerald, ruby, and diamond necklace centering on a pizza-sized Colombian emerald, estimated at $200,000 to $300,000.
Way low, that estimate.
The star of the Magnificent Jewels sale is the Eden Rose, a 10.20-carat round brilliant fancy Intense pink diamond estimated at $9 million to $12 million.
A non-jewelry offering is a Van Cleef black satin evening bag with a jeweled handle. It once belonged to the Duchess of Windsor, so it's likely in pristine condition. It's not like she was whipping out her wallet to pay for anything.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Christie's offers Van Cleef pieces at 'Magnificent Jewels' sale
