Sotheby’s to Auction Pauline Karpidas’ $10M Jewelry Collection

Pauline Karpidas’ private jewelry collection, estimated at $10 million, will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York on December 8. The sale, titled Pauline Karpidas: The Jewelry Collection, comprises seventy pieces that reflect the collector’s taste for bold design and historical significance. A public exhibition of the collection will open at Sotheby’s on December 2.

Karpidas, known for her formidable art holdings and record-setting sales in London and Paris, assembled her jewelry with the same instinct and individuality that guided her art acquisitions. The collection brings together one-of-a-kind commissions from Joel Arthur Rosenthal (JAR) and Suzanne Belperron, alongside retro and Art Deco jewels by houses such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Boucheron, Jacques Lacloche, Trabert & Hoeffer-Mauboussin, Chanel, and Verdura. According to Quig Bruning, Sotheby’s global head of jewelry, “Pauline has always had an extraordinarily clear sense of what speaks to her, and that instinct runs through both her art and her jewelry: bold design, unexpected juxtapositions, color, wit, and above all, imagination.”

The top lot is a JAR ring in carved light gray chalcedony, set with a 10.10-carat pear-shaped fancy intense orangy pink diamond of VVS1 clarity, bordered by single-cut diamonds. Sotheby’s places its estimate at $2.5 million to $3.5 million. Other JAR highlights include a floral gold pendant necklace in the form of a pansy, with spessartine and demantoid garnets and black diamonds, estimated at $250,000 to $350,000, and a sapphire and diamond necklace featuring matched Sri Lankan sapphires, carrying an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000.

Sotheby's New York building viewed from across the street with flags and reflections — Photo: Jim.henderson / Wikimedia Commons, public domain (cropped)

Suzanne Belperron’s work is represented by an aquamarine and diamond necklace distinguished by asymmetry and complex construction, estimated at $150,000 to $250,000. Karpidas’ appreciation for jewelry with provenance is evident in an early 18th-century sapphire and gem-set reliquary cross, once owned by Cardinal Francesco Martelli. The cross, which contains five relics and is set with peridots, citrines, rubies, emeralds, and rose-cut diamonds, is estimated at $80,000 to $120,000.

Several pieces have notable collecting histories. Karpidas acquired a circa 1945 rock crystal bracelet by Seaman Schepps (estimate $50,000 to $70,000) and an amethyst and diamond brooch with matching earclips by Verdura (estimate $20,000 to $30,000) at Sotheby’s 1988 sale of Andy Warhol’s estate. A Cartier ruby ring and pair of ruby boule bead earrings, purchased at the 1987 auction of the Duchess of Windsor’s jewels, are estimated at $100,000 to $150,000.

The selection includes pieces that span a range of periods and styles, from the geometric forms of Art Deco to the sculptural and organic shapes favored by Belperron. The colored gemstones in the collection, acquired by Karpidas during her travels, add vibrancy and reflect her interest in both art and design. The retro jewels by Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, and Trabert & Hoeffer-Mauboussin are noted for their boldness and unconventional character, echoing the collector’s approach to assembling her art collection.

Karpidas’ connection to her jewelry is described by Sotheby’s as deeply personal, with each piece chosen for its individuality rather than for following trends. Oliver Barker, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, described the collection as “fearless in scale, bold in color and exuberant in spirit, these are jewels that make no attempt to whisper.” The sale includes several unique creations commissioned directly from artists and designers, further underlining the collector’s commitment to originality and imagination.

Karpidas says in the sale announcement, “A jewel becomes part of your story, accompanying you through moments, both ordinary and extraordinary, and gathering friendships, experiences and meaning along the way.”

The auction will be held live at Sotheby’s New York on December 8, with public viewing available from December 2. The magazine has also looked at Sotheby’s earlier auction of a rare pink diamond.