Magento Commerce

Sotheby's Auction House recently auctioned 20 pieces of jewelry from the collection of the Duchess of Windsor. This collection was part of a fabulous collection of jewelry which was first sold for record amounts in the 1980s.

Once again, records were set. The panther bracelet shown herer was the highlight of Sotheby's sale of 20 pieces which raised £31 million, more than seven times the pre-sale estimated amount.

The panther bracelet itself set a new record. The hammer price of this fabulous onyx and diamond bracelet was a staggering £4.5 million ($7.036 million dollars ). At this price this bracelet is the the most expensive bracelet to ever be sold at an auction. It also set a record for a single piece of Cartier jewelry.  I knew the bracelet would do well when I first featured it in a recent blog posting, but that amount exceeded anything I could have imagined.

If auction proceeds are any indication, it appears that many people still can't resist a true love story.  It is no wonder that the jewelry fetched such a high price, since the collection celebrates the famous story of the king who gave up his throne for the woman that he loved.    The king abdicated in 1936 to become the Duke of Windsor and marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.  

My husband is English, so I have a fondness for royal news, particularly when it is jewelry related.

Any royal watcher will be well aquainted with the famous love story of Wallis Simpson and Edward VII, heir to the British throne.

The jewels of Wallis Simpson, The Duchess of Windsor, were first offered for sale in 1987. They originally sold for $50 million, with the proceeds going to the Pasteur Institute. The proceeds from the spectacular sale are reported to be a world record for an auction of a single owner's jewelry collection in the 20th century.

It is no wonder that the jewelry fetched such a high price, since the collection celebrates the famous story of the king who gave up his throne for the woman that he loved. The king abdicated in 1936 to become the Duke of Windsor and marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

The Windsors were enthusiastic jewelry collectors. They commissioned pieces from Cartier and other makers during their courtship in Britain and married life in the Bahamas and France.

Fast forward twenty-three years. Sotheby's will again be offering twenty pieces formerly in the Collection of the Duchess at their November 30th auction in London.Sotheby's has a fabulous video on their website showing the original sale.

They also have a catalog showing highlights of the collection. Here are a few of my favorites: