Valuable Heirlooms Owned by the Vanderbilt Family to Be Sold at Auction
In the heart of New York City, at 1 West 57th Street, a grand wedding took place in 1908. The bride was Gladys Vanderbilt, daughter of Cornelius II and Alice, and the occasion was described as "of the simplest order" by the New York Times, yet it included 400 guests, 100 police officers, 35 members of the St. Patrick's Cathedral Choir, and a 65-piece orchestra.
Fast forward to November 2021, and a selection of Gladys Vanderbilt's jewelry collection will be auctioned at Phillips' Geneva Jewels Auction: V. The collection, which spans from the late 19th to the early 20th century, offers a unique insight into Belle Epoque design and Gladys Vanderbilt's life.
Gladys Vanderbilt, who appreciated elegance, tradition, and craftsmanship, understood jewelry not merely as ornament but as legacy. Her collection, which includes a Cartier gold, ruby, and diamond vanity case estimated at $8,000-12,000, a Cartier traveling clock, and a monogrammed Cartier gold, ruby, and diamond vanity case, tells a story of lineage, duty, and identity.
One of the highlights of the auction is the "Vanderbilt Sapphire," a Tiffany & Co. brooch featuring a 42.68-carat unheated Kashmir sapphire and old mine cut diamonds. The centerpiece of the auction, the sapphire was given to Gladys Vanderbilt by her husband, Count László Széchenyi. The "Vanderbilt Sapphire" has an estimated value of $1,000,000-1,500,000.
The Belle Epoque era, significantly associated with the Vanderbilt name, coincides with a time when American heiresses often married into European noble families. The era is reflected in the collection, with pieces such as Alice Poole Vanderbilt's commissioned Cartier tiara, which featured interchangeable pear-shaped amethysts and diamonds.
The auctioned brooches from the tiara, including one estimated for $100,000-150,000, are a quintessential example of Belle Epoque jewelry, which was popular during America's Gilded Age and often served as badges of rank and symbols of status.
Leena Kim, Editor at Town & Country, covering travel, jewelry, style, arts and culture, education, and weddings, has been following the collection's journey. "The jewelry pieces are a true reflection of what a fine Belle Epoque jewelry assemblage looked like in its time," she says. Benoît Repellin, Worldwide Head of Jewellery at Phillips, echoes this sentiment, stating that the collection deepens our understanding of Gladys Vanderbilt's life and the demands placed upon her by rank and society.
Kim, who has been at Town & Country for 11 years, having started her career at the magazine as the assistant to the editor in chief, is excited about the auction. "The collection provides an intimate portrait of Belle Epoque design and Gladys Vanderbilt's life," she says. As we await the auction, we can't help but be captivated by the elegance, tradition, and craftsmanship that Gladys Vanderbilt so passionately appreciated.
