Christie’s Magnificent Jewels | 7 June 2023

There are many spectacular Royal and Noble Jewels on Auction in this month, and we are starting our feature with an look at the Spectacular Jewels from the late Baroness Edouard De Rothschild are on Auction at the Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Sale in New York this week!

Christie’s Magnificent Jewels | 7 June 2023

White and Gray Natural Pearl Crossover Ring

Estimate: Usd 30,000 – Usd 50,000

From the late Baroness Edouard De Rothschild

A White and Gray Natural Pearl Crossover Ring featuring a cream button-shaped natural pearl of 12.75 – 13.20 x 11.80 mm and brownish gray button-shaped natural pearl of 12.95 – 13.20 x 10.60 mm, set in platinum.

Cartier Art Deco Pearl and Diamond Necklace

Estimate: Usd 250,000 – Usd 350,000

From the late Baroness Edouard De Rothschild

A Cartier Art Deco Pearl and Diamond Necklace composed of seventy slightly graduated natural pearls and eight cultured pearls ranging from 11.00 to 8.55 mm, and marquise and old-cut diamonds, circa 1925, signed Cartier Paris.

Chaumet Art Deco Emerald and Diamond Necklace

Estimate: Usd 2,000,000 – Usd 3,000,000

From the late Baroness Edouard De Rothschild

The impressive Chaumet Art Deco Emerald and Diamond Necklace features large square-cut emeralds, emerald and square-cut diamonds, and baguette and tapered baguette-cut diamonds. The necklace was made by Chaumet for the Rothschild Family in 1930, having passed from Baroness Edouard De Rothschild to her daughter, Jacqueline De Rothschild Piatigorsky, and then to daughter, Jephta Drachman Piatigorsky. The piece was described:

Featuring Classic Colombian emeralds and step-cut diamonds, this spectacular Chaumet necklace embodies every aspect of the Art Deco movement. A polished and modern design crafted in 1930 specifically for the Rothschild family, this exceptional jewel is one of the finest examples of Art Deco jewellery.

Property from the Rothschild Family

Including the late Baroness Edouard De Rothschild, the late Jacqueline De Rothschild Piatigorsky, and the late Jephta Drachman (Née Piatigorsky)

Born in Paris, France on 6 November 1911, to the Baron Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild and Germaine Alice Halphen, Jacqueline de Rothschild Piatigorsky came into a family of wealth, status, and influence. As a child, Jacqueline was raised in her family’s two grand and historic homes: Talleyrand’s mansion in Paris’ city center overlooking the Place de la Concorde and the Jardin des Tuileries, and Château de Ferrières, a country retreat. Château de Ferrières, often considered the largest and most opulent 19th century chateau in France, has received many important guests including Emperor Napoleon III and Wilhelm I, Emperor of Germany, who described the chateau as “No Kings could afford this! It could only belong to a Rothschild.” Within the enclaves of her family’s homes, she was surrounded by a world-class art collection with walls of paintings by artists such as Vermeer, Velázquez, Rembrandt, and Holbein. Jacqueline became an accomplished chess player, winning a bronze medal for the United States in the Women’s 1957 Chess Olympiad and being posthumously inducted into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame, champion tennis player, author, sculptor, philanthropist, and patron of the arts.

Jacqueline met the world-renowned cellist, Gregor Piatigorsky, at a party hosted by her friend. An immediate friendship developed, and Gregor asked Jacqueline for an outing. She suggested a game of golf and Gregor agreed, even though he had never played golf before. Gregor purchased golf shoes for the occasion, which turned out to be too small, and he suffered through the entire round. Despite this inauspicious start, the pair had an instant spark between them. During their courtship, Gregor’s cello tours required him to travel to far flung places such as Ceylon, Madagascar, and the Dutch Indies. Not wanting to be separated for longer than necessary, Jacqueline resolved to meet him in Hawaii for the second leg of his tour. The young lady who had led such a protected life and had never even driven herself or gone into a market, was determined to travel half-way around the world to be with Gregor. Although boat strikes prevented Jacqueline from getting to Hawaii, the two were reunited in San Francisco.

Shortly after, in 1937, they were married in a civil ceremony in Ann Arbor, Michigan in between stops on Gregor’s concert tour. As newlyweds, the Piatigorskys settled briefly in Paris. Together they had one daughter and one son, Jephta and Joram. However, with anti-Jewish sentiment spreading across Europe in the late 1930s and Hitler on the rise, Jacqueline knew they must leave France. Thanks to her prescience, the family boarded a ship bound for the United States just two hours before France declared war on Germany. They arrived in New York on 9 September, 1939, and remained in the United States as naturalized citizens thereafter.

Jacqueline died on 15 July, 2012, at the age of 100, in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The Rothschild name invokes wealth, elegance, integrity, and generosity. The family’s numerous donations, often anonymous, to museums and elsewhere document their distinguished history of collecting the finest art masterpieces, properties, and jewelry. Lots 120-122, Property from the Rothschild Family including the late Baroness Edouard de Rothschild, the late Jacqueline de Rothschild Piatigorsky, and the late Jephta Drachman (Née Piatigorsky) illustrate the exceptional taste and quality of the family’s collections and are being offered for the first time in three generations.

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