KOLLER VIEW 4/23

14 Preview of the Jewellery auction on 29 November 2023 Gemstones in a riot of colour 1 M ulticolour sapphire set, Meister. Estimate: CHF 15 000/20 000 (bracelet), CHF 2 000/3 000 (ring), CHF 3 500/5 500 (pendant), CHF 4 500/6 500 (ear pendants) 2 E merald cabochon of 176.24 ct. Colombia. 39.75 × 34.56 × 18.49 mm. Estimate: CHF 250 000/350 000 3 B urma ruby and diamond ring. Ruby of 8.58 ct. Estimate: CHF 80 000/120 000 4 P ear-shaped Paraiba tourmaline of 22.14 ct. Mozambique. Estimate: CHF 280 000/380 000 5 K ashmir sapphire with ring setting, circa 1970. Sapphire of 6.92 ct. Estimate: CHF 90 000/140 000 Our Jewellery auction features magnificent gems, pre- cious stones and works of jewellery distinguished by perfect craftsmanship and timeless elegance. Among the more than 400 lots are jewels from well-known goldsmiths and world-famous brands such as Cartier, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari and Hermès. An ensemble in yellow and white gold is a masterpiece by the esteemed Zurich jeweller and goldsmithMeister. It displays amagnificent variety of colours, including the intense blue of the untreated sapphires, probably from Sri Lanka (ill. 1). The set, consisting of bracelet, ring, pendant and earclips, harmonises beautifully in form and colour; the pieces can also be worn individually to great effect. The total weight of the sapphires is an im- pressive 163.60 carats and the diamonds 8.55 carats. Coloured gemstones such as the loose cabochon em- erald of South American origin are both eye-catching Tourmalines in certain shades of turquoise are called ‘Paraiba’ in the jewellery world. Our Paraiba gemstone has an intense luminous colour and a no- table size of 22.14 carats (ill. 4). Tourmalines can be found in all shades of colour, hence their Sinhalese name: ‘turmali’ which means ‘stone of various kinds’. Turquoise-coloured tourmalines are particularly rare. The pear-shaped gemstone fromMozambique in this auction is remarkable not only for its size, but also for the fact that it has almost no inclusions. The fantastic cornflower-blue colour and natural purity of the Kashmir sapphire of 6.92 carats make it a rarity and highly sought-after (ill. 5). A matching, classically elegant ring setting with diamonds will be sold with the loose sapphire. and beautiful. This stone (ill. 2), with a smooth surface and a fascinating, brilliant colour, weighs an incredi- ble 176.24 carats. The striking green colour of these coveted gemstones, which have been mined for cen- turies in the Muzo area north of Colombia’s capital Bo- gotà, derives from the presence of chromium and/or vanadium. Another highlight is a ring whose Burmese ruby is ex- tremely rare because of its 8.58 carat size, beautiful red colour, brilliance and transparency (ill. 3). Rubies were in demand even in ancient times, in India and Egypt. Among the Greeks and Romans they were used as tal- ismans or in jewellery making. While the colour of pale red stones is often intensified by heating, our strong red stone is natural, i.e. untreated, which makes this gemstone even more exceptional. This is confirmed by two certificates from the internationally renowned lab- oratories Gübelin and GRS. 1 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION JEWELLERY Reto Schmidlin schmidlin@kolleauctions.com ONLINE CATALOGUES www.kollerauctions.com