A few weeks ago, we featured the Jewels of the many American ‘Dollar Princesses’ who married into the British and European Aristocracy, and now we can reveal that the Jewels of Gladys Vanderbilt, Countess Széchenyi are going on Auction at Phillips in Geneva in November!
Gladys Moore Vanderbilt grew up in the largest private house ever built in New York City, the Vanderbilt II family mansion on Fifth Avenue, and The Breakers in in Newport, Rhode Island, before she married Count László Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék in 1908. The couple, who had five daughters, maintained a Palace in Budapest until 1945, while the Count was the Hungarian Ambassador to the United States and also the Ambassador to the United Kingdom before his passing in 1938. Countess Széchenyi had inherited The Breakers and leased to the Preservation Society of Newport County after 1948, but she held an apartment until her death in 1965. Her fourth daughter, Countess Sylvia Szapáry, maintained a residence there until her passing in 1998.
In 1912, several of the Countess’ jewels, to the value of $200,000, were stolen from the Palace in Budapest before being discovered in a motor car garage in the city, where they had been hidden, wrapped in a piece of newspaper behind a barrel. It has not been revealed if any of the jewels on sale were among those stolen jewels. However, we do know that these jewels were inherited by her third daughter, Countess Gladys Széchényi, who had married the 15th Earl of Winchilsea, and thence by family descent.
Cartier Diamond Brooch
Estimate: CHF 80,000-120,000
A Cartier Diamond Brooch, circa 1905, set with a pear-shaped diamond weighing 4.55 carats.
The diamond brooch was originally part of a tiara given by Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt to her daughter, Gladys Vanderbilt, on the occasion of her marriage to Count Laszló Széchenyi in 1908. The Brooch could be detached from the Tiara to be worn on its own and the main stones could be replaced by amethysts or diamonds.
Among the most outstanding examples is the Cartier Diamond Brooch, originally part of a diamond tiara from the Belle Epoque, designed as eight lily sprays and adorned with interchangeable pear-shaped amethysts and similarly shaped diamonds. Commissioned by Alice Vanderbilt, née Gwynne, for her daughter Gladys Vanderbilt upon her marriage to Count László Széchényi in 1908, the tiara was eventually dismantled, and the present brooch set with an old-cut pear-shaped diamond weighing 4.55 carats stands as a surviving symbol of social power, familial ambition, and transatlantic prestige. Gladys, the youngest daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, represented the last generation of Gilded Age heiresses whose marriages bridged American wealth and European nobility.
Countess Széchenyi wore the magnificent Cartier Tiara set with diamonds and a massive 62-carat Diamond Pendant to the Coronation of Emperor Charles I of Austria as King of Hungary in 1916.
The Vanderbilt Sapphire
Estimate: CHF 800,000-1,200,000
The Vanderbilt Sapphire by Tiffany & Co. set an exceptional Kashmir sugar loaf sapphire weighing 42.68 carats, mounted in a diamond-set brooch dating from the early 20th century.
The star of the collection is “The Vanderbilt Sapphire”, an exceptional sugarloaf Kashmir sapphire and diamond brooch weighing 42.68 carats, in illustrious ‘Royal Blue’ colour. Mounted by Tiffany & Co., this extraordinary gem is accompanied by certificates from AGL, SSEF, and Gübelin. It was originally gifted by Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt to her daughter Gladys Vanderbilt, Countess Széchényi. The brooch’s intricate openwork design embellished with old-cut diamonds typifies quintessential Belle Epoque refinement. More than a family heirloom, this jewel embodied the era’s artistic and social ambitions, pioneered by one of the greatest American dynasties.
Late 19th century Diamond and Emerald Brooch
Estimate: CHF 4,000-6,000
Early 20th century Diamond Comb
Estimate: CHF 2,200-4,000
Cartier Gold, Ruby and Diamond Wristwatch
Estimate: CHF 2,200-4,000
Cartier Gold, Ruby and Diamond Vanity Case
Estimate: CHF 6,000-9,500
Cartier Traveling Clock
Estimate: CHF 4,000-6,000
With GS monogram, and engraved ‘from DS Xmas 1913.’
Benoît Repellin, said, “The Vanderbilt Family Jewels stand as the purest embodiment of Gilded Age elegance – pieces of extraordinary beauty, historical resonance, and fascinating provenance. We are deeply privileged to present these iconic creations at our Geneva Jewels Auction, which promises to capture the imagination of collectors worldwide. This comes at a time when the market is particularly enthusiastic for period jewels – Belle Epoque and early-20th-century masterpieces are in especially high demand – reflecting a broader appetite for rare signed and historically rich pieces.”
Today, pieces from the Vanderbilt collection are exceedingly rare and highly coveted by collectors, not only for their intrinsic beauty but for their unparalleled provenance. Each jewel is an icon of visionary patronage, epitomising timeless taste and an illustrious legacy. The twelve pieces included in The Geneva Jewels Auction: V give a unique opportunity for collectors to acquire a beautiful jewel that carries a part of history.
Jewels of the Dollar Princesses
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