The Magnificent Jewels auction on November 9 adds another piece of nobility to the catalog of lots for sale. In addition to the two diamond bracelets that belonged to Queen Marie Antoinette of France, Christie’s will offer the first gift on the occasion of her wedding anniversary, received on June 3, 1938 by the Duchess of Windsor. Her husband, in case anyone does not remember, was the Duke of Windsor, former King of Great Britain, who had abdicated precisely to marry Wallis Simpson.
The history of the jewel is testified by the order received from Cartier. This is a white gold bracelet with two large rubies set. On the bracelet is engraved the phrase: “For our first anniversary of June 3”. The bracelet is an elegant and sophisticated reinterpretation of the Art Deco style. Very avant-garde, the jewel is considered one of the most unusual models of the Maison (the estimate for the auction has a very wide range: 1-2 million Swiss francs). At the time of the gift, the couple was on holiday on the French Riviera in Antibes, at Villa La Croë.
History
In December 1936 Edward VIII abdicated the British throne to marry the American Wallis Warfield Simpson, who had already been divorced twice. The couple then married in France at Château de Candé in June 1937. For years the Windsors have been a fixture of international society and will always be remembered for their chic lifestyle and beautiful jewelry.
The bracelet had already reappeared at auction for the first time since the historic sale of the Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor, in 1987: a mythical sale thanks to the record prices, the attention of the media and the renewed interest it aroused in the jewels of sourced and signed, which have persisted ever since.
Preview
New York September 27-29 Christie’s Rockefeller Center
Hong Kong October 7-10 Christie’s
Beijing October 19-20 Christie’s
Shanghai 23-24 October Christie’s
Geneva November 6-8 Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues
