An impressive amethyst and aquamarine parure, by Verdura, 1969

The highly articulated necklace graduating in size from the centre, set throughout with amethysts and aquamarines of both oval and circular-shape and of various sizes, to a concealed clasp, together with a bracelet, ring and a pair of pendent earrings en suite, the ring of cluster design, set with a central oval-cut amethyst encircled by circular-cut aquamarines, the earrings composed of circular and oval-shaped amethyst drops, suspended from pear-shaped amethyst surmounts within a cluster of circular-cut aquamarines, unsigned, lengths: necklace 52.0cm., bracelet 22.0cm., earrings 8.0cm., ring size P½, fitted Verdura cases - Estimate: £40,000 - 60,000

Footnote: Fulco Santostefano della Cerda, Duke of Verdura (1890-1978) was born in Palermo, Sicily. In the early 1920s, his lifelong friends Cole and Linda Porter introduced him to the already famous Coco Chanel. It was this introduction that was to change his life. Verdura moved to Paris in 1926 to work as a textile designer for Chanel. After recognising his exceptional talent, Chanel asked him to redesign her jewellery collection. He also created signature pieces to complement Chanel’s fashion collections. In 1934 he moved to Los Angeles to work as head designer for Paul Flato. With the backing of the Porter’s, Verdura opened his own show room in New York in 1939, followed by a shop in Paris in 1947. His jewels were mainly inspired by memories of his family home in Palmero. He was bold with his designs; his use of colourful semi-precious stones combined with fine and detailed gold work created some of the most imaginative jewellery of the 20th century. In 1973, Verdura retired to London to write his memoirs. In 1985, Ward Landrigan, a long time admirer of Verdura, bought the business and today the firm continues to produce fine jewels using the designs from Verdura’s original sketchbooks.

Bernice McIlhenny Wintersteen lived her entire life surrounded by one of America’s best private art collections. From an early age she shared her parent’s fondness for European decorative arts and her father’s particular enthusiasm for Oriental rugs. “I used to spend Saturday after Saturday with my father…counting the knots in Isfahani rugs” she mentioned to the New York Times in 1969. Bernice started her own collecting as an undergraduate in Paris while still in her early 20’s and went on to compile an extraordinary art collection in her own right.

Bernice was the first and only woman president of the Philadelphia Museum of Art from 1964 until 1968, thus prolonging an already successful relationship between the McIlhenny family and a leading American museum (her father was President of the museum from 1920 until his death in 1925 and her only brother, Henry McIlhenny, was curator of the museum’s decorative arts department)

Mrs Wintersteen specialised in 19th and 20th-century French painters and her extraordinary collection included 17 Picassos and works by Matisse and Degas, amongst others. The Picassos sold at auction in 1973 for $52.6 million because, as Mrs Wintersteen told questioners, she was 70 years old and it was time to start getting her affairs in order. “I’m always grateful for what I received,” she said to the New York Times. “[Henry and I] have always had a conscience”.

Mrs Wintersteen’s characteristic directness made her a favourite of arts and columnists. Asked why she gave so many parties and often had guests drawn from the upper levels of government and society, she replied: “I just like people and I don’t give a hoot…whether they are social or not.” When she entertained, her evening dresses were off set with her “good and big” jewels of semiprecious stones which she and her brother Henry would bring back from South America and which were then mounted by Verdura.

This sumptuous amethyst and aquamarine suite, was designed and mounted by Verdura in 1969 as a special commission. It has an estimated 880 carats of amethysts, and its creative, bold design is characteristic of the iconic jewels which so epitomise Verdura's work.

- New York Times, June 6, 1969
- The Philadelphia Inquirer, Friday, April 25, 1986

Many thanks to Ms Alexandra Wintersteen and to Philadelphia Museum of Art archivist, Susan K Anderson.

(Copyright © 2002-2008 Bonhams 1793 Ltd., Images and Text All Rights Reserved)

Bonhams. Fine Jewellery, 24 Apr 2008. New Bond Street