Jewels of the Romanov imperial family to lead Sotheby’s debut Artistic Luxury auction

The jewel, set with diamonds and aquamarines, will be the leading lot of the debut Artistic Luxury auction, scheduled for June 17, according to Sotheby’s representatives.

The necklace was presented to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna by the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty in May 1911, during the reign of Nicholas II. It was part of a set of valuable gifts prepared for the official state visit of German Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm and Crown Princess Cecilie to Saint Petersburg.

Legacy of Catherine the Great and Empress Elizabeth Petrovna

In addition to the Fabergé necklace, collectors will be offered two silver floral dress trimmings (headdress or bodice ornaments) in the form of flowers decorated with diamonds. Created around 1780, they are estimated by experts at up to 80,000 US dollars. The pieces are set with old-cut diamonds from the Diamond Fund of the Russian Empire and date back to the era of Catherine the Great (1762–1796).

Two additional similar silver flowers, also decorated with historical old-cut diamonds from the imperial treasury, have an upper estimate of 50,000 and 60,000 US dollars.

Alongside them, the auction will feature a comparable rarity dated to around 1750, from the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Catherine II’s predecessor. The lot is a jeweled composition in the form of a bouquet of wheat ears and cornflowers, made of Ceylon sapphires set on gold foil and diamonds. Its maximum estimated value is 60,000 US dollars.

All interested buyers and visitors will be able to view these rare imperial jewels at the pre-auction exhibition in New York, which will run from June 11 to June 16.