Lot 316 THE ESTATE OF CHRISTIAN, LADY HESKETH
AMETHYST AND DIAMOND HINGED BANGLE, LATE 19TH CENTURY
3,000—3,500 CHF

The two dazzling yellow stones, weighing 82.48 and 102.54 carats respectively, come from the family of German Count Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck.  

They were worn by his wife “La Paiva’, a celebrated courtesan who flashed them around in a pendant or bracelet, or in an ”aigrette”, a type of crested headdress.  

LOT 438 FROM A EUROPEAN PRINCELY FAMILY
A MAGNIFICENT FANCY INTENSE YELLOW CUSHION-SHAPED DIAMOND WEIGHING 102.54 CARATS, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY

1,800,000—2,400,000 CHF

Each stone is valued at between 1.5 and two million dollars, Sotheby’s said.’La Paiva’ rose from humble beginnings as a weaver’s daughter in Moscow, and through a series of shrewd marriages and liaisons became a key figure in Parisian society.

One biographer said of her: “She was far from beautiful: her hair was blue-black, her eyes were slightly protruding, her nose was Mongolian, while her mouth and chin suggested energy rather than gentleness.”

Nevertheless she captivated a variety of wealthy men, including the Portuguese Marquess de Paiva from whom she derived her title, before marrying von Donnersmarck in 1871.

La Paiva built a lavish hotel on the Champs Elysees in 1855 and acquired an extensive collection of jewels.

Also going to bidders are diamond-encrusted tiaras from various branches of the British and German aristocracy, including one worn by Lady Hesketh (1929-2006) marking the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland in 1801.

It features three diamonds cut as an English rose, Scottish thistle and Irish shamrock.

Sotheby’s jewellery expert David Bennett said the sale was “one of the most important for many years”.

He expects much interest in the sale next Thursday, May 17, at the Beau-Rivage hotel in Geneva, especially from buyers from booming economies such as Russia and India.