Royal jewels up for auction. Sotheby’s is preparing to auction one of the most important collections of royal and noble jewels from the courts of Central Europe ever put up for auction. The sale is titled A Tsar’s Treasure: Ferdinand of Bulgaria (1861-1948) and follows Vienna 1900: An Imperial and Royal Collection, which was held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva a year earlier on 6 and 7 November 2023.
The sale features 114 lots, spanning nearly a century of family history of Tsar Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Prince of Bulgaria from 1887 to 1908 and Tsar of Bulgaria from 1908 until his abdication in 1918. The collection is a testament to Tsar Ferdinand’s taste, cultivated by his mother, Princess Clementine of Orléans, daughter of the last French king Louis-Philippe I, who was herself an avid collector of jewellery. In addition to pieces owned by Tsar Ferdinand and his mother’s heirlooms, this exceptional and unique collection includes jewels passed down through the generations by key members of the Tsar’s immediate family, as well as pieces made for his children, especially his daughters, Princesses Eudoxia and Nadezha.
The entire collection is estimated at $1.2-1.8 million and is currently in the hands of a single owner. It will be offered as part of the Royal and Noble Jewels Sale to be held on November 13 at the Mandarin Oriental, during Sotheby’s Luxury Sales in Geneva. Prior to the auction, the collection will be exhibited at Sotheby’s locations around the world, starting in New York on October 9-10, followed by Singapore, Taipei, London and Dubai.
This collection is a vivid example of the importance of fine jewelry in the lives of the most important European royal houses in the 19th and early 20th centuries, both in everyday and ceremonial wear. Life at court was always the height of sophistication, where everyday objects were elevated to an art form. It is also notable for its sophistication and international nature, with pieces produced by several Austro-Hungarian jewelers and the leading international jewelers of their time, such as Bapst, Eugène Fontenay, Froment-Meurice and Castellani
The Tsar’s Treasure: Ferdinand of Bulgaria is an exceptional continuation of Vienna 1900: An Imperial and Royal Collection, which offers us a privileged glimpse into the Tsar’s refined lifestyle, including jewels and objects that illustrated his personal life. His collection is a confluence of the passion of the most important royal families of Central Europe for extraordinary objects. Here, excellence, taste and superlative craftsmanship are the common thread. It is an honour for Sotheby’s Royal and Noble Jewels to bring such a rare collection to the market for the first time.
Andres White Correal, Chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Europe and Middle East, Head of Noble Jewels
Many pieces in the collection feature a notable use of high-quality coloured diamonds and gemstones, which had a particular appeal for Tsar Ferdinand. The items from the Tsar’s personal collection in this sale gloriously elevate typically masculine and practical personal effects such as cufflinks, tie pins and cigarette cases into works of art.
The best example is the sale’s top lot (estimate $500,000-$700,000): a yellow gold fleur-de-lis tie pin set with a 2.08-carat pear-shaped Fancy Gray-Blue diamond and four colored diamonds, including a 0.65-carat Fancy Pink diamond, a 0.52-carat Fancy Green diamond, a 0.47-carat Fancy Deep Brown-Orange diamond, and a 0.13-carat Fancy Intense Green-Yellow diamond.
In addition to the many items commissioned by the Tsar for himself, this sale is extraordinarily diverse, including tiaras, brooches, bracelets, cigarette cases, cufflinks, and objects of virtue. All reflect a period in a nearly century-long evolution in the tastes and designs of jewelry created for the most influential ruling families of Central Europe from the mid-19th century onward.
This jewelry collection has never left the family of Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria. It is a very intimate collection. Some pieces belonged to Tsar Ferdinand’s wife or mother, but many others show his personal choice and taste, such as the fabulous colored diamond brooch or the extraordinary collection of cufflinks.
Philipp Württemberg, from Philipp Württemberg Art Advisory GmbH
