Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels Auction Curated by Elizabeth von Thurn und Taxis

Sotheby's annual Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction in Geneva on November 13, 2019, features 450 lots spanning from the 1920s to today. The sale is curated by Elizabeth von Thurn und Taxis, a descendant of the princely Thurn und Taxis family, originally Italian Tasso from Cornello in Val Brembana. Elizabeth, who now lives in Rome, is building her art collection, gravitating toward artists like Cyprien Gaillard, Tomas Saraceno, and Mircea Cantor. A short film by T.J. Wilcox shows her at the family castle in Regensburg discussing art and jewelry with her mother, Princess Mariae Gloria. The auction's top lot is an Art Deco Cartier bracelet from 1927 with a 46.07-carat Burmese cabochon sapphire and two diamonds (est. $2-3 million). Other highlights include a 1937 Cartier sapphire and diamond brooch (est. $150,000-250,000), a Bvlgari sapphire and diamond necklace from the 1970s owned by actress Faith Domergue (est. $300,000-500,000), Harry Winston emerald and diamond earrings from Princess Salimah Aga Khan (est. $1.5-2.5 million), and a Cartier emerald and diamond necklace from the same collection (est. $3.5-4.5 million). Contemporary pieces include JAR clip earrings with amethyst, Ceylon sapphire, and diamonds (est. $200,000-300,000). The lots were exhibited in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, and New York before the Geneva sale.