Maine Antique Digest, December 2016

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34-CS Maine Antique Digest, December 2016
- FEATURE -
34-E
Antique Jewelry & Gemology
Skinner Features the Nancy and Gilbert Levine
Antique Jewelry Collection from the
Toledo Museum of Art
by Mary Ann Brown
Skinner, Inc. held its September 27 fine jewelry auction in Boston.
A large portion—96 of the 718 lots—was dedicated to the sale
of the Nancy and Gilbert Levine collection, donated to the
Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) and now selling “to benefit future
acquisitions,” according to Skinner. The Levine collection had been
a notable traveling exhibition—A Century of Jewelry & Gems :
1785-1885—for which a catalog was published in 1995.
Kaitlin Shinnick, senior specialist in the Skinner jewelry
department, said, “We were very happy with the results, as was the
Toledo Museum. It was an incredibly diverse collection of jewelry,
and we were excited at the response from our established collectors
and those just beginning to collect antique jewelry.”
Those clients would be interested in a blog post Shinnick wrote on
the Skinner, Inc. website in advance of the sale—“Three Reasons I Love
Victorian Earrings”—where she discussed the design, wearability, and appeal
of earrings from this era, illustrated by offerings from the Levine collection. (See
) She also
noted that, in addition to the TMA pieces, there was “a large collection of Victorian
earrings from several private collections” available.
Several offerings of antique and vintage jewelry (aside from the
museum portion of the auction) sold well above estimates. An Art Deco
platinum, black opal, diamond, and seed pearl necklace brought one of
the strongest results. Shinnick said, “The necklace was beautiful, and it
had an interesting provenance. Ludlow Griscom, a Harvard professor and
the inventor of the sport of bird-watching, gave it to his wife, Edith, on their
wedding day in 1926. The presale estimate was $8000/12,000, and the final price
was $50,430 [includes buyer’s premium].”
A pair of antique gold and diamond earrings with fitted coach covers sold for
$2952 (est. $800/1200). (A coach cover acts as a protection for precious stones and
from thieves and looks appropriate for ordinary days.) An antique gold, coral, and
enamel necklace brought $2460 (est. $1000/1500), and an Art Deco platinum, star
sapphire, and diamond ring from the descendants of Alice Larkin Toulmin realized
$3998 (est. $1500/2000).
When I asked if she had any comments about the current state of the antique jewelry
market, Shinnick said, “The antique jewelry market is constantly changing. The most
important factors that determine value continue to be design, rarity, wearability, and
condition. We are seeing consistently strong prices for colored stones and signed
pieces.”
These examples illustrate her statement: a Tiffany & Co. Art Deco platinum, ruby,
and diamond bracelet sold for $20,910 (est. $10,000/15,000); a Cartier Art Deco
gem-set flower basket brooch consisting of a carved lapis basket with pink and green
tourmaline flowers and foliage set with old European- and old single-cut diamonds sold
for $24,600 (est. $15,000/20,000); and a circa 1865 gold and micromosaic necklace
from the TMA collection sold for $6150 (est. $2000/3000).
Several pairs of earrings from the TMA, mentioned in the Shinnick blog post, were
good examples of jewelry that was coveted and competed for. Shinnick correctly read
the forecast as a pair of circa 1835 gold and amethyst earrings sold for $6150 (est.
$1500/2000); a pair of circa 1865 Egyptian Revival gold and micromosaic earrings
sold with a matching brooch for $5228 (est. $2500/3500); and a pair of “well-designed”
circa 1845 Gothic Revival gold earrings realized $2583 (est. $800/1200).
A few items advertised in the presale press release did not find buyers at the sale
or sold for less than the low estimate: a pair of Van Cleef & Arpels, France, 18k
gold, diamond, and interchangeable hardstone ear clips from the 1960s, estimated at
$6000/8000, did not sell; and a circa 1835 gold and turquoise bracelet from the TMA
collection was a good buy at $1599 (est. $2000/3000).
The next Skinner auction will be just in time for the upcoming winter holidays.
Shinnick reported, “The December 6 fine jewelry auction will have several collections
of antique and period jewelry. The sale will begin with about 75 lots from the personal
collection of Rita Goodman, who owned the famous PeacockAlley store in Beverly
Hills, California. Standouts from this collection include an Art Nouveau opal ring
by Georges Fouquet, an Art Deco gem-set tie brooch, and several examples by
Masriera y Carreras. We will also have three rare pieces by the Arts and Crafts
designers Arthur and Georgie Gaskin. In addition, we have two Kashmir
sapphires and an exceptional Burma ruby.” The catalog will be online at
) several weeks before the sale.
“The most important factors that
determine value continue to be design,
rarity, wearability, and condition.”
The top lot of the
Skinner sale was
this old European-
cut unmounted
diamond weighing
9.38 carats that
has strong blue
fluorescence.
Accompanied
by a GIA report
stating that the
diamond is I color,
VVS2 clarity, it
sold for $159,000 (est.
$80,000/100,000).
This 2" long Edwardian
ruby and diamond
pendant/brooch with
channel-set rubies and
old European-, old
single-, and
rose-cut
diamonds in
a platinum-
topped 18k
gold mount
has French
guarantee
stamps and an
eagle’s head
guarantee stamp.
It sold for $5843 (est.
$1000/1500).
This antique 18k gold and turquoise suite from
Sweden, comprising a 17" long necklace, 2⅝ "
long brooch, and 3" long day/night ear pendants,
has hallmarks and the maker’s mark “GM.” It
sold for $4920 (est. $1500/2000).
This pair of
1¾" long
antique gold
and pietre
dure earrings
realized $1599
(est. $300/500).
The cover of the Skinner fine jewelry
sale online catalog featured this pair
of circa 1785 gold, silver, aquamarine,
and diamond 3¼" long earrings. It was
the first of 96 lots that were property
from the Nancy and Gilbert Levine
collection, donated to the Toledo
Museum of Art (TMA) and sold to
benefit its future acquisitions. These
earrings were the top lot of that segment
of the auction, selling for $13,530 (est.
$4000/6000). According to the catalog,
“The collection formed the Museum of
Arts and Sciences traveling exhibition A
Century of Jewelry & Gems: 1785-1885,
which was accompanied by a published
catalogue in 1995.”
This Edwardian
platinum, pearl,
and diamond
32" long sautoir
with an old cushion-
cut yellow diamond
weighing approximately
0.90 carats converts
into a pair of bracelets
and choker (the bracelets
measure 6⅞" long and 6½"
long, and the choker, 13½"
long). In a fitted box stamped
“B. Noury Joaillier 64 Rue
Greneta Paris,” it sold for $13,530
(est. $5000/7000).
Each element of this circa 1825 gold,
diamond, and turquoise demi-parure
from the TMA collection was designed
as turquoise and diamond forget-
me-nots within cannetille frames.
Comprising a 16" long necklace, 2"
long ear clips, and a 3¼" wide hair
comb converted to a brooch, the boxed
demi-parure brought $5535 (est.
$3000/5000).