DALLAS, TX.- Jewelry enthusiasts of all tastes will find something to fall for in Heritage Auctions’ Fall Fine Jewelry Signature® Auction. From venerable designer names, including Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Tiffany & Co., to bold art jewelry brands like Christopher Walling, Aldo Cipullo and Tony Duquette, the September 30 auction offers a fabulous selection of signed jewels, alongside a wonderful assortment of big, beautiful diamonds.

“This is an incredible sale,” says Jill Burgum, Executive Director of Fine Jewelry at Heritage Auctions. “It is full of punchy, bright, vibrant color to offset the icy diamonds. The auction’s designer offerings — both classic and contemporary — are tough to beat. On the contemporary front, we have an enormous collection of jewels by Nini. This is the first major auction of her jewelry, and it’s all being sold to benefit charity.”

Leading the event is a Van Cleef & Arpels 5.01-carat Type IIa pear-shaped diamond and platinum ring. The renowned French jewelry house is known for using only the finest materials, and this exquisite creation is no exception. According to the Gemological Institute of America, in addition to being extremely rare, Type IIa diamonds such as this one are “the most chemically pure type of diamond and often have exceptional optical transparency.” The two tapered baguette-cut diamonds flanking the center stone only add to the ring’s allure.

Other standout diamonds include a modified heart-shaped diamond weighing 5.17 carats set atop a platinum ring, a 5.62-carat emerald-cut diamond and platinum ring and a 7.05-carat diamond and white gold necklace. There’s also a stunning fancy yellow diamond weighing 16.07 carats set in 18k gold on a platinum band. Surrounding the radiant-cut yellow diamond are sparkling shield-shaped diamonds weighing a total of approximately 2.65 carats.

In addition to Van Cleef & Arpels, the auction features time-honored designs by names such as Cartier, Verdura and Tiffany & Co. In 1924, Louis Cartier imagined the first Trinity ring — a composition of intertwined and mobile bands made of white, yellow and rose gold. Here, on the 100th anniversary of the legendary design, Heritage offers a Trinity bracelet, an enduring emblem of Cartier’s masterful craftsmanship.

Verdura’s classic Maltese Cross designs also make an appearance in the auction. Originally designed for Coco Chanel in the 1930s, Verdura’s Maltese Cross cuffs are as bold and stylish as they were nearly a century ago. Heritage’s September auction offers two bombé-style wood bracelets featuring the brand’s iconic and captivating Maltese Cross: one adorned with diamonds, cultured pearls and coral; the other featuring diamonds, cultured pearls and turquoise.

Among the event’s many offerings from Tiffany & Co. is a gorgeous Art Deco wedding ring set featuring a 2.29-carat emerald-cut diamond as its centerpiece. There’s also an Angela Cummings for Tiffany & Co. bracelet showcasing a striking geometric arrangement of inlaid mother-of-pearl, black onyx and blue chalcedony, as well as an Aldo Cipullo for Tiffany & Co. pendant-brooch crafted from carved black onyx, green chalcedony and 18k gold.

That isn’t the only Aldo Cipullo piece in the auction, however. In fact, there are eight brooches bearing the Italian-born designer’s name, including playful odes to a penguin, a seahorse, unicorns and the Incan creator god Viracocha. A sought-after designer in the 1970s, Cipullo and his innovative work attracted well-known clients such as Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Pierre Cardin and Frank Sinatra. Cipullo first worked for Tiffany & Co., but the brand wasn’t keen on his now-famous nail-inspired Juste en Clou bracelet, screw-studded Love bracelet and Nuts & Bolts earrings. So he departed for Cartier, where he made a huge name for himself, eventually leaving to form his own company.

“This is a great opportunity for Cipullo collectors,” Burgum says. “It is very rare to see this many of his signed pieces come up for auction.”

Other exceptional designer offerings include a spectacular jewelry suite by the opulence-loving Los Angeles-born designer Tony Duquette. Crafted from 18k gold, the necklace, brooch and earrings offered here are adorned with vibrant fire opals in various shapes, sizes and shades of orange and red. Equally in-demand are the auction’s Christopher Walling offerings, including this nature-inspired jewelry suite featuring carved chrysoprase maple leaf earrings and a matching brooch adorned with emerald cabochons.

The auction’s second session is devoted entirely to a single-owner collection that includes more than 80 pieces of Nini jewelry. A third-generation jewelry designer from Thailand, Nini Hale carries on a family tradition that originated with her grandmother. She started her business in 1997 in Houston and made a name for herself with her bold use of brightly colored stones and intricate one-of-a-kind designs.

Nini’s signature style is on full display in the jewels offered here, including a bold 7.22-carat ruby, diamond and 18k white gold ring; a stunning 18k rose gold necklace featuring a kunzite weighing just shy of 100 carats; and an 18k white gold bracelet adorned with approximately 15.00 carats of diamonds and approximately 65.00 carats of pink sapphires.

The auction also features several designs from Nini’s popular Sea Life collection. Highlights include a show-stopping necklace swimming in gemstones. Here, sparkling tourmalines, rubies, sapphires, garnets and diamonds form a series of vibrant fish, coral and starfish. Among Nini’s other oceanic beauties are a fish-adorned bracelet, ring and earrings. Proceeds from the second session, including all the Nini jewels, will benefit the Mayo Clinic, the Remember the Alamo Foundation and San Antonio’s Witte Museum.