KOLLER VIEW 4/24

02 pre view. 16 Himalayan Kashmir blue Preview of the Watches & Jewellery auctions on 27 November and 3 December The sapphire mines in Kashmir in the Himalayas are famous for their exceptional deep-blue sapphires. Discovered in the early 1880s, they are known for the overall high quality of their gemstones. The mining takes place at extreme altitudes and under difficult con- ditions, which makes the extraction of the sapphires challenging. This is why Kashmir sapphires, like the one in our upcoming jewellery auction, are among the most coveted gemstones in the world (ill. 5). Paraíba tourma- lines from north-eastern Brazil are just as rare. These gemstones were first discovered in the 1980s and are characterised by their vibrant hues ranging from tur- quoise to blue-green (ill. 9). Bulgari's Serpenti collection, introduced in the 1940s, is inspired by Roman and Greek mythology, in which the snake is a symbol of power and immortality (ill. 7). This model was made famous by actress Liz Taylor, who wore a Serpenti watch on the set of the 1963 epic film Cleopatra. Another highlight of the auction is a three- row natural pearl necklace from around 1900. Natural pearls in beautiful cream tones and with a fine lustre are an absolute rarity, and this necklace is particular- ly well-endowed with no fewer than 245 pearls (ill. 10). Cartier is known as the ‘jeweller to kings’. The central coloured stone of the exquisite ring from our auction is an untreated ruby from Burma, today’s Myanmar (ill. 8). Our watches auction features rare collector's items from Patek Philippe. One of the most important early chronographs in rose gold dates from 1939, and was only produced in a small edition (ill. 1). An exceptionally well-preserved Jumbo Nautilus from 1984 comes di- rectly from the descendant of the first owner and shows only minimal traces of wear (ill. 2). Another rare chrono- graph, ref. 5070, is practically unworn and comes with all its accessories. This model from the year 2000 is in the style of the Patek Philippe chronographs from the 1950s (ill. 3). 1 Patek Philippe. Chronograph, 1939. 18K rose gold. Estimate: CHF 30 000/60 000 2 Patek Philippe. Jumbo Nautilus, 1984. Estimate: CHF 80 000/160 000 3 Patek Philippe. Chronograph, 2000. 18K yellow gold. Estimate: CHF 35 000/70 000 4 Colombian emerald of 32.45 ct. Estimate: CHF 55 000/85 000 5 Kashmir sapphire of 3.16 ct. Estimate: CHF 40 000/60 000 6 Cartier Diamond Brooch. Estimate: CHF 7 000/10 000 7 Diamond necklace. Bulgari, Serpenti model, with associated earclips. Estimate: CHF 25 000/35 000 8 Cartier Burma ruby and diamond ring. Estimate: CHF 18 000/28 000 9 Paraíba tourmaline and diamond ring. Estimate: CHF 50 000/80 000 10 Natural pearl and diamond necklace. Circa 1900. Estimate: CHF 90 000/140 000 1 2 3 4 For further information Wristwatches & Pocket Watches Uwe Vischer vischer@kollerauctions.com Jewellery Jakob Zeijl zeijl@kollerauctions.com Online Catalogues www.kollerauctions.com 5