GENEVA.- Christie's Magnificent Jewels auction takes place on 11 November, presenting over 100 extraordinary jewels including three important private collections spanning over a century of craftsmanship and gemmological excellence. The live auction is highlighted by the MELLON BLUE, a fantastic fancy vivid blue diamond of 9.51 carats, once belonging to Bunny Mellon (1910-2014), an American horticulturalist, philanthropist, and art collector (estimate $20,000,000-30,000,000).

Magnificent Jewels includes a trio of notable private Collections. A Splendid Casket of Ancestral Jewellery features magnificent ruby jewels, part of a distinguished jewellery assemblage inherited by Helena Violet Alice (née Fraser), Third Countess of Stradbroke (1874-1949). These pieces represent some of the finest surviving examples of Victorian craftsmanship, showcasing gemstones of a size and quality rarely seen outside of royal collections of the period. At the Coronation of Edward VII in 1902, the Countess wore the superb ruby and diamond star brooch (estimate: CHF1,100,000-1,600,000 | $1,400,000-2,000,000), complemented by the regal ruby and diamond tiara (estimate CHF280,000-480,000 | $360,000-600,000), completing an unforgettable impression of glittering opulence.

The Rainbow Collection Eddy Elzas entered the Antwerp diamond trade at a young age, beginning his career as a Diamond Cleaver before moving into brokerage. In the early 1970s, while in South Africa, he was shown a cigar box filled with coloured diamonds—stones that had failed to find buyers and were, at the time, considered commercially less valuable than white diamonds. For Elzas, however, they were not rejects but the beginning of something new.

The Rainbow Collection is one of the most extensive and conceptually coherent private assemblages of fancy coloured diamonds, comprising over 300 natural stones of varying cuts and carats, spanning the full chromatic spectrum: red, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, and grey. Each diamond was selected for its ability to represent a singular, unrepeatable hue (estimate CHF 1,600,000-2,400,000 | $ 2,000,000-3,000,000).

A Private JAR Collection - Christie's offers the second-largest JAR collection ever to appear at auction, consisting of 25 exceptional pieces (following the May 2025 auction of A Bouquet Of Gems: A Superb Collection Of Jewels By JAR - which comprised 21 jewels and achieved a total CHF 5,943,830 | $7,132,596). The November JAR Collection is led by a fancy purplish-pink natural colour diamond ring of 8.68 carats (estimate CHF2,000,000-3,000,000 | $2,500,000-3,500,000), following the Marie-Thérèse Diamond (which set a new auction record for a JAR jewel when it sold for just under $14 million at Christie's New York this June).

Magnificent Stones and Epoque Jewels are also central to the sale including;

• A Burmese Royal Blue Sapphire-Brooch, an impressive 65.46 carat cushion-shaped unheated sapphire, surrounded by nine important colourless diamonds (estimate: CHF2,000,000-3,000,000 | $2,600,000–3,800,000).

• A Burmese Ruby Star Brooch, centered around a 10.07 carats oval brilliant-cut ruby, set with old cushion- and rose-cut diamonds, worn by the Countess of Stradbroke at the Coronation of Edward VII (estimate: CHF1,100,000-1,,600,000 | $1,400,000–2,000,000).

Two outstanding lots by Tiffany & Co. and Lacloche exemplify Art Nouveau and Art Deco artistry:

• Tiffany & Co, Art Nouveau Floral Brooch centered around a Demantoid Garnet, (estimate: CHF80,000-120,000 | $110,000–150,000). It was designed by Paulding Farnham for Tiffany & Co. in 1901. As the century turned, design sensibilities shifted away from the delicate, feminine aesthetics of the Victorian era toward bolder, more colourful expressions. This new direction included a revival of Renaissance styles, and Farnham emerged as a leading figure in the American interpretation of this trend.

• An Art Deco diamond and gem-set Lacloche Frères bracelet, unseen on the market for nearly 20 years (estimate: CHF320,000–500,000 | $410,000-630,000). Designed as a diamond-set articulated band depicting a Chinese pagoda and boat within an Oriental Garden, set with calibré-cut emeralds, rubies, and onyx, circa 1925, signed Lacloche Frères No. 65724. Founded in Paris 150 years ago in 1875, Lacloche Frères quickly became a celebrated European jeweller and expanded to London in 1904, establishing a premises at 2 New Bond Street. The house's Jabot Pin became a defining Art Deco piece.

A preview of Magnificent Jewels is open from Friday, 7 November at 10:00am through to Tuesday, 11 November 12:00 noon, at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, Geneva. The Online Sale: The Geneva Edit opens for bidding during the preview and will continue until 18 November, with all lots being offered in the online sale also exhibited.