This private collection of jewels is considered the largest and most valuable. And it once belonged to the late Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten.
The final bid, which sounded at the auction, surprised even experienced Christieʼs auctioneers. After all, it amounted to $196 million. The jewels belonged to the authorship of the world's most famous brands — Boivin, Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany, Harry Winston and Van Cleef & Arpels.
Photo: Christie's
Both the collection as a whole and each of its exhibits deserve special attention. For example, a diamond ring from Bulgari or a 90-carat diamond necklace Briolette of India from jeweler Harry Winston.
Photo: Christie's
However, the origin of these ornaments raised too many questions. And one of the most important: how was the Austrian Heidi Horten able to purchase them?
The answer to this question was found - a woman inherited a billion dollars from her husband - a German businessman who bought up Jewish businesses during the Nazi era in Germany. And it was this fact that caused the indignation of the Jewish community, whose representatives demanded an immediate stop to the auction.
Photo: Christie's
However, the auctioneers said Horten's sources of wealth were "public" and her husband's business "well documented". Otherwise, these jewels would not have appeared at such a famous auction.
At the same time, representatives of the auction house promised to transfer part of the proceeds from the sale of this collection to organizations dealing with Holocaust research.
Look for extraordinary jewelry with a story in the Precious Metals, Stones & Costume Jewelry section.
Source: edition.cnn.com
