A Week of Beautiful Jewels at Bonhams-California

by Reema Farooqui

The middle of July marks a busy time for Bonhams Jewels. With three back to back Jewelry auctions taking place at their London, Knightsbridge and California offices, this is bound to be an eventful time for their Jewelry Department.

California Jewels, July 16th, 2020, starting at 10:00 am PDT

At the California Jewels Auction, I found colours reigning supreme! The pieces with pearls and bold coloured pairing of enamel or intaglio caught my eye, and in one case, exquisite multicoloured pearls.

Lot 1018, Pair of Intaglio and Cultured pearl Ear Clips.
Lot 1019, Gold, Intaglio, Coin and Cultured Pearl Brooch.
Images Courtesy of Bonhams 1793

Lot 1018: Pair of Intaglio and Cultured Pearl Ear Clips, Elizabeth Locke. Estimate USD $800-1000; CAD $ 1,100-1,400

Lot 1019: Gold, Intaglio, Coin and Cultured Pearl Brooch, Elizabeth Locke. Estimate USD $ 1,000- 1,500; CAD $ 1,400-2,000

I am writing about these two lots because they come from the same collection and also seem to go together. There is something marvelous, almost magical about intaglios and these intaglio earrings and brooch are no different. Elizabeth Locke favours Venetian glass in her Intaglios and her love for and fascination with antique jewelry of the Etruscan, Greeks and Romans always comes through in her pieces. The intaglios have mother-of pearl backings which showcases their delicate beauty so well. In both pieces, white, baroque cultured pearls finish the look, adding contrast with their colour and an air of creative authenticity alongside the intaglios and the coin (in the bracelet). Buying these two lots together would be ideal, but even separately, they are remarkable pieces of jewelry.

Lot 1075, Coloured Cultured Pearl Necklace. Image Courtesy of Bonhams 1793

Lot 1075: Coloured Cultured Pearl Necklace, Sophia D. Estimate USD $3,000-5,000; CAD $4,100-6,800

A multicoloured cultured pearl necklace with a very attractive round platinum clasp with pavé set diamonds. A modern interpretation of a timeless classic, the mixed colours of the pearls, probably Tahitian, makes this necklace both sophisticated as well as very alluring. The pearls, 27 in all, have bright lustre and clean surfaces. The pearls are round and display such a vast array of overtones, over and above their mixed colours, it is quite breathtaking. This necklace is an absolute stand-out piece.

Graduated Cultured Pearl Necklace. Image Courtesy of Bonhams 1793

Lot 1085: Graduated Cultured pearl Necklace. USD $ 4,000-6,000; CAD$ 5,400-8,200

This necklace is really something lovely to behold! A graduated strand composed of white cultured pearls measuring 13.8 to 17.1 mm in size. A classic and elegant necklace with beautiful pearls displaying a lovely lustre. The round clasp with pavé set diamonds is another very pretty detail in this necklace. You cannot go wrong here- the pearls are white, a versatile and still very much favourite colour among pearl lovers and the uniformly graduated round pearls have a  beauty all their own.

Lot 1165, Gold, Cultured Pearl, Diamond and Enamel Torsade Bracelet. Image Courtesy of Bonhams 1793

Lot 1165: Gold, Cultured Pearl, Diamond and Enamel Torsade Bracelet. Estimate UDS$ 1,500-2,000; CAD$2,000-2,700

A bold and dazzling piece of jewelry, a torsade bracelet! The colours are rich and vivid, the blue enamel beads set against white cultured pearls and gold accents create a dramatic look. The blue enamel clasp surrounded by diamonds, the centre piece of the bracelet, is eye-catching in its size and rich in colour. This is truly a statement piece.

Bulgari Gold and Cultured Pearl Ring. Image Courtesy of Bonhams 1793

Lot 1219: Bulgari Gold and Cultured Pearl Ring. Estimate USD $ 800-1000; CAD $ 1,100- 1,400

A Bulgari double band ring with mother-of-pearl and hematite on the shoulders, absolutely wonderful! Two white cultured pearls ensconced in an 18K gold surround give this double band ring real star power! This is another statement piece, the black and opaque white colours of the hematite and MOP shoulders creating a strong look and the pearls adding elegance.

These are the pieces that won my heart. In Bonhams California Jewels sale, there is great variety in the selection and many exceedingly beautiful jewelry pieces, with and without pearls. However, that is not unexpected, seeing the gorgeous jewelry lots that have come up for offer in their London Jewels and Knightsbridge Jewels sale this week.  

Please do check out Bonhams’ California Jewels Auction and perhaps you will find the one jewel that really speaks to you!

Featured Image: Lot 1112, Gold, Chalcedony and Cultured Mabe Pearl Bracelet.

All images used in this post are the property of Bonhams 1793. Any person or organization not affiliated with Bonhams 1793 may not use, copy, alter or modify any of the images used in this post, without the advance written permission of Bonhams 1793.

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