New York – Christie’s Jewels Sale on December 11 will feature a fine selection of jewels from the late 19th century, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Retro and more contemporary periods, featuring designers such as Bulgari, Cartier, René Lalique, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, David Webb, and Harry Winston. The sale also includes property from several estates including The Collection of Alice Lawrence, property from the Collection of Robert and Jean Shoenberg and property from the Estate of Shirley Ritts. The 283 lots comprising the sale are sure to capture collectors’ attention around the world.

ART DECO. Highlighting the sale is an elegant private collection of Art Deco jewelry including several pieces of rare “Tutti Frutti” jewels. The centerpiece of this carefully selected group is an Art Deco carved emerald, sapphire and ruby “Tutti Frutti” bracelet by Cartier (estimate: $200,000 – 400,000). Made in the late 1920s, the bracelet is an excellent example of the Indian influence at the time. Another example is a petite “Tutti Frutti” dress clip by Cartier (estimate: $30,000 – 50,000).

Another superb Art Deco creation is the onyx and diamond “Lovebird” brooch, an elegant example of the refined and geometric style popular around 1920 (estimate: $25,000 – 35,000). With clean lines and form, this brooch epitomizes the Art Deco movement at its early stage. From the mid-1920s is an Art Deco diamond and sapphire bracelet by Cartier (estimate: $40,000 –60,000).

A striking example of Cartier’s design dominance is an Art Deco diamond bracelet composed of highly articulated panels set with large, chunky white diamonds, from the 1930s (estimate: $200,000 – 400,000). The bracelet embodies two design changes of the 1930s Deco; the “all-white” fashion of white diamonds mounted in platinum, which replaces the Technicolor palette of the 1920s Deco Era, and the three-dimensional design that replaces the flat, linear jewels of the 1920s.

COLLECTIONS. The sale also highlights leading designers such as the American jeweler John Rubel, who is nternationally admired for his decorative yet delicate brooches, and jewels from Cartier's Art Deco period. From the Collection of Robert and Jean Shoenberg, two examples include a diamond brooch designed as a knotted ribbon bow (estimate: $40,000 – 60,000), and a diamond bracelet of crossover design (estimate: $80,000 – 120,000).

The Collection of Alice Lawrence, comprising 29 lots, includes an Art Deco diamond and multi-gem lapel watch by Tiffany & Co. (estimate: $20,000 – 30,000), a multi-gem and diamond bracelet by Van Cleef & Arpels (estimate: $40,000 – 60,000), and an Art Deco enamel and diamond bracelet by Verger Freres, designed as an articulated black enameled band depicting mythological scenes (estimate: $20,000 – 30,000). From the Estate of Shirley Ritts, interior designer and mother of the renowned late photographer Herb Ritts, are six lots of Tiffany & Co. and Cartier with estimates starting at $2,000.

DIAMONDS. The sale offers a range of important diamonds, leading with a pair of exquisite pear-shaped diamond ear pendants of 17.01 and 17.29 carats, D color, and flawless clarity that have been inscribed with the Forevermark (estimate on request). An elegant “thread” ring by JAR, with a circular-cut 10.28 carat diamond, within a diamond-set twotiered threadwork hoop is another star lot by the coveted designer (estimate: $1,000,000 –1,500,000). Other significant rings include a rectangular-cut diamond of 15.12 carats, D color, internally flawless clarity (estimate on request) and a rectangular-cut diamond of 19.44 carats, H color, VVS2 clarity diamond (estimate on request).

Auction: Jewels: The New York Sale. December 11. Viewing: Christie’s 20 Rockefeller Plaza - December 6-10. Image 2008 Christie's Ltd. www.christies.com