Duchess of Windsor Jewellery

[auntie]

do we know why? And any guesses around the board who this "private buyer" is??

i heard around 20 years, ago that the mouseieff family, (father of dorit , first lady of iceland) was one of the buyers, no proof, just an idle conversation

 

[qui mal y pense]

Syrian billionaire Wafic Said bought this collection according to the Telegraph article. Maybe he's bored of the items. Kelly Klein, Calvin's ex, had the QM pearls and sold a year or so ago. I guess if you need some quick cash its the thing to do. Some people aren't that sentimental - think Linleys.

 

[Warren]

From the Sydney Morning Herald, 2 December 2010
Wallis Simpson bracelet sets $7.3m record

Wallis Simpson bracelet sets $7.3m record

see SMH link for picture

A bracelet owned by Wallis Simpson has sold for a world record £4.5 million ($7.3 million) at auction.

The Cartier-designed onyx-and-diamond panther bracelet was sold at Sotheby's in London on Tuesday night. It is the highest price any bracelet has ever been sold for at auction. It also became the most expensive Cartier item to be sold at any auction.

It was one of 20 pieces owned by the late duke and duchess of Windsor to go under the hammer in the sale, which raised a total of £8 million, dwarfing estimates of about £3 million.

A ruby, sapphire, emerald, citrine and diamond Cartier flamingo clip was one of the other big successes of the night, reaching £1.7 million.
.

 

[Lumutqueen]

The royal jewel thieves: The REAL story behind the gems given by a besotted Duke of Windsor to a grasping Wallis Simpson - which this week fetched record prices | Mail Online

 

[salma]

The Cartier Flamingo Brooch is amazing.

 

[Saragli]

I'm dying to know who bought that bracelet! If it wasn't for the price tag it would have been stunning on Catherine's long slender arms.

 

[4Pam]

The jewels are simply beautiful!

@ Princejohnny25- Maybe the person who bought the bracelet will send it to Catherine as a gift ?

 

[Vasillisos Markos]

Here is another article about the jewels:

Windsor Jewelry Auction and Mohamed Fayed

This week’s sale to multiple buyers isn’t only the most recent chapter in the long history of the coveted jewels. It has also finally laid to rest former Harrods’ owner Mohamed Al-Fayed’s ambition to acquire what Sotheby’s David Bennett, who worked on both the 1987 & 2010 Windsor jewels auctions, described as “the most important” jewelry collection of the 20th century.

After the Duchess of Windsor died in 1986, Fayed had swiftly acquired the lease on the Windsors’ Paris home in the Bois de Bologne from the then mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac. He has rented it ever since. To his chagrin, the jewels were not included, so Fayed tried desperately to buy them to complete his collection of the Windsors’ Paris memorabilia. He already owned the Paris Ritz in the Place Vendome where the suite the couple spent time in had been named the “Windsor suite.” At the time, Fayed was laboring under the misapprehension that the Royal family would be impressed by his restoration of the villa Windsor. He appeared to think that reminding the British royal family of the darkest chapter in their 20th century history might endear him to the Queen and to the British establishment.

He offered a paltry $9.37 million (£6 million) for the Windsor jewels. The executor of the duchess’ estate, the late Maitre Blum, was unimpressed. The jewels went to auction in Geneva, as the duchess’ will instructed them to, and sold for $50 million. Fayed told me he was incandescent over the 1987 auction and...chose to blame the elderly Jewish lawyer for thwarting his ambitious purchase of the jewels, rather than the Duchess whose will decreed that the jewels be sold for charity.
.

 

[Lady Meg]

The jewels are simply beautiful!

@ Princejohnny25- Maybe the person who bought the bracelet will send it to Catherine as a gift ?

I don't think the Queen would like that. The whole 'scandal' really rocked the monarchy.. I do not think Kate will be receiving that bracelet as a gift. I'd like to think that some of her American family bought the jewels.

 

[salma]

I think majority of the jewels have been bought by private people.

 

[scooter]

Ironic that the only piece of jewellery the DoW received from his mother was a pearl necklace, given her formidable jewel collection, and how generous she was with it to her children.

According to a story in the Financial Times today, some jewellery belonging to the Duchess of Windsor is going on sale at Sotheby's. The pieces include an onyx and diamond panther bracelet made by Cartier in 1952. The piece is expected to fetch in the region of £1.5m.

Was there not much published discussion of certain emeralds given to Mrs Simpson?

 

[branchg]

Was there not much published discussion of certain emeralds given to Mrs Simpson?

There were allegations for years that some of the emeralds in The Duke's possession had once belonged to Queen Alexandra and were used to create new pieces for The Duchess, but this was adamantly denied by The Duke.

He was very interested in jewels and often worked directly with Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpel in designing pieces for The Duchess. He did possess quite a number of unset gems that he had received as gifts from the Indian princes when he toured the Raj as Prince of Wales, but he also acquired many gems when they became available.

 

[mammacats]

Boy, the Daily Mail must go through venom by the barrel. That was a really obnoxious article. Those jewels pictured in the article were very beautiful and classic looking in their design. Lucky new owners.

 

[Zonk]

There were allegations for years that some of the emeralds in The Duke's possession had once belonged to Queen Alexandra and were used to create new pieces for The Duchess, but this was adamantly denied by The Duke.

He was very interested in jewels and often worked directly with Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpel in designing pieces for The Duchess. He did possess quite a number of unset gems that he had received as gifts from the Indian princes when he toured the Raj as Prince of Wales, but he also acquired many gems when they became available.

According to The Royal Jewels by Suzy Menkes (page 95).....Edward VIII did not inherit them from his grandmother. They were not stolen. The emeralds were so little considered as part of a royal heritage that they were offered for sale to the highest bidder...and that bidder was Edward VIII.

The author suggests that Edward, who kept such detailed records from Cartier (et al) didn't produce proof was because he pleaded poverty at the time of the Abdication and afterwards. Drawing attention to money spent on jewles would have called into question the use of extravagance and invited discussion about the value of the Duchess's entire collection of jewels. In addition ,the face that the Duchess received these jewels while Mrs. Simpsons would have created a major scandal.

Hope that helps.

 

[branchg]

Well, it certainly was no secret that The King was showering Wallis Simpson with expensive jewels because she was wearing them everywhere she went in London in 1936, causing much comment among society.

George VI was also aware at the time of the Abdication that his brother had given Wallis approximately $1.5 million (in today's values) from his private fortune to ensure she would be taken care of no matter what happened. She later returned this money to him, but again, it was no secret.

Menkes' account of the emeralds sold by Princess Victoria to Cartier in London after her mother's death, and purchased by The Duke years later, was never confirmed. Some accounts have stated Alexandra never had any emeralds, other than some unset stones given to her by the Indian princes that were later passed on to Queen Mary after Edward VII died.

Cartier later stated all of the gems used to create pieces for Wallis were either purchased by The Duke from the firm or deposited with the firm for safekeeping from his private collection.

 

[auntie]

have just read the auctuon reslts, astonishing!

 

[countess felicitas]

Just found this nice short movie on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_ttqgSzeNg

 

[Jaya]

According to The Royal Jewels by Suzy Menkes (page 95).....Edward VIII did not inherit them from his grandmother. They were not stolen. The emeralds were so little considered as part of a royal heritage that they were offered for sale to the highest bidder...and that bidder was Edward VIII.

The author suggests that Edward, who kept such detailed records from Cartier (et al) didn't produce proof was because he pleaded poverty at the time of the Abdication and afterwards. Drawing attention to money spent on jewles would have called into question the use of extravagance and invited discussion about the value of the Duchess's entire collection of jewels. In addition ,the face that the Duchess received these jewels while Mrs. Simpsons would have created a major scandal.

Hope that helps.

It does help Zonk. and it makes sense . I also want to bring to eveyone's attention that the Duchess wore a lot of costume jewellery in the early days it was by Stanley Hagler and Kenneth Jay Lane.Hagler has been described as the Picasso of costume jewellery as he followed Miriam Haskell's lead. I like the Duchess in high costume jewellery and not those big shiny pieces which hardly suited her and in which she was not truly a shareholder.

 

[scooter]

KJL made many costume pieces for the richest ladies in the world. There was the famous anecdote about someone admiring a piece that Elizabeth Taylor was wearing. The person asked ET' Is it from Kenny Lane?' the response was 'No Dear. Richard Burton' (NOT costume).

 

[Saragli]

LOL, I love quips from Liz Taylor. I'm desperate to find out who bought the panther bracelet, if it was Madonna, at least we will get to see it worn in public again.

 

[kwint]

Does anyone know where to obtain a picture(s) of the Duchess of Windsor's wedding band that Kelly Klein currently owns? It is a double banded yellow gold ring surrounding emerald cut diamonds in the eternity ring style. The ring is inscribed with "Eternity" on the inside. It was sold to Calvin Klein at the original auction in Geneva in 1987 but is not pictured in the Sotheby's catalog...

 

[scooter]

LOL, I love quips from Liz Taylor. I'm desperate to find out who bought the panther bracelet, if it was Madonna, at least we will get to see it worn in public again.

Please, not on that sinewy wrist!

 

[Jaya]

Does anyone know where to obtain a picture(s) of the Duchess of Windsor's wedding band that Kelly Klein currently owns? It is a double banded yellow gold ring surrounding emerald cut diamonds in the eternity ring style. The ring is inscribed with "Eternity" on the inside. It was sold to Calvin Klein at the original auction in Geneva in 1987 but is not pictured in the Sotheby's catalog...

Hi kwint,
There probably aren't any pics of that unless Kelly herself divulges them. Inscribed "Eternity" on the inside must have been the inspiration for Calvin's prefume of the same name.

 

[scooter]

Well I see Kelly on a fairly regular basis at the horse show. I will ask the next time I see her.

 

[Jaya]

Well I see Kelly on a fairly regular basis at the horse show. I will ask the next time I see her.

Pls do and let us know if that is not indiscreet.... I wonder if the ring of the Duchess carries any karma?

 

[CordeliaFitzgerald]

I love, love, love the various pieces that the Duke had made for Wallis, and I can't fathom why the British Royals have never tried to get any of them back. (Yes, I know the family has more than enough jewels to keep itself supplied, but one would think they would want it back to due the family and historic connections.)

 

[purple_Lulu]

I love, love, love the various pieces that the Duke had made for Wallis, and I can't fathom why the British Royals have never tried to get any of them back. (Yes, I know the family has more than enough jewels to keep itself supplied, but one would think they would want it back to due the family and historic connections.)

It is said that the Prince of Wales has competed at auction for various pieces for his wives. He apparently had quite a go at a PoW feathers brooch for Diana but was outbid by Elizabeth Taylor.

 

[muriel]

I love, love, love the various pieces that the Duke had made for Wallis, and I can't fathom why the British Royals have never tried to get any of them back. (Yes, I know the family has more than enough jewels to keep itself supplied, but one would think they would want it back to due the family and historic connections.)

I suspect it was largely because there really was no family connection to those jewels. Those jewels were largely acquired by the Duke after he abdicated, though he may have owned some of the stones beforehand.

 

[Jaya]

I suspect it was largely because there really was no family connection to those jewels. Those jewels were largely acquired by the Duke after he abdicated, though he may have owned some of the stones beforehand.

The jewels the Duchess had set for her were rather contemporary settings and I do not actually consider very royal looking but more cosmopolitan in style; hence not suited to the royals at all.In the BRF they have the Winterhalter "look" about their jewellery and Wallis and they were diametrically opposites in tastes.Also there was no historical attachment to those jewels so the BRF was not except for Charles interested.

 

[scooter]

Pls do and let us know if that is not indiscreet.... I wonder if the ring of the Duchess carries any karma?

Neither the ring nor the famous pearls helped with Kelly and Calvin. They have been seperated but not divorced for 5 or 6 years.