October 10, 2013: On November 13, 2013, Sotheby’s Geneva will offer during its Magnificent Jewels sale The “Walska Briolette Diamond” Brooch, created by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1971. A masterpiece, this iconic jewel showcases the historic “Walska Briolette Diamond”, a fancy vivid yellow diamond weighing 96.62 carats.
Once in the collection of opera singer and jewellery connoisseur, Ganna Walska, the briolette was subsequently mounted as a brooch and most recently exhibited at Van Cleef & Arpels retrospectives in New York and Paris in 2011 and 2012. This sublimely beautiful piece of jewellery will be auctioned with a pre-sale estimate of $8 million.
Commenting on the forthcoming sale, Mr David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Division in Europe and the Middle East and Chairman of Sotheby’s Switzerland, said, “This historic diamond, which is of an extraordinary size for an antique-cut briolette, comes back on the market after 42 years, in a fabulous bespoke piece of jewellery.”
