Leslie Hindman Auctioneers announces a three-day spring auction of Fine Jewelry and Timepieces, the house’s largest to date at nearly 1,300 lots on April 18-20. The prominent private collection of Mary N. Porter of Fort Lauderdale, Florida will lead the auction. The sale of property from Miss Porter’s estate will benefit the Community Foundation of Broward, which provides help for abused children, at-risk teenage girls and needy families with young children.

Miss Porter was born in 1911 to a prominent Pennsylvania physician who built the city’s general hospital. Miss Porter led a privileged life, and her penchant for charity began early, when she delivered clothes and food to her community during the Great Depression. After settling in Fort Lauderdale as an adult, Miss Porter built a reputation as a generous philanthropist and outstanding member of the community. Her jewelry reflects her admiration of beautiful things and tells a story about the countless charitable affairs she attended and supported. The highlight of her collection, a Hammerman Brothers 18 karat yellow gold necklace and earrings, contains 285 round brilliant cut diamonds and 40 cultured pearls (estimate $15,000 to $20,000). An Oscar Heyman Brothers ring containing an emerald cut diamond weighing 2.10 carats and an emerald cut emerald weighing 2.40 carats is expected to sell for $10,000 to $15,000. In all, 235 lots will be offered from Miss Porter’s personal collection.

A strong diamond selection of GIA certified stones comprises the sale’s other top lots. A platinum ring containing a round brilliant cut diamond weighing 7.08 carats and six tapered baguettes is expected to fetch $200,000 to $300,000. An 18 carat gold ring containing a cushion cut fancy yellow diamond weighing approximately 6.04 carats and a pair of cushion cut pink diamonds weighing approximately 1.03 carats total is estimated to sell for $40,000 to $60,000. Another ring containing a radiant cut diamond weighing 4.21 carats and two pear shaped diamonds is also estimated at $40,000 to $60,000.

In December 2009 at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, a Donald Claflin for Tiffany & Co. dragon brooch defeated expectations to sell for $67,100, more than quadruple its high estimate. On the first day of the April auction, another Claflin for Tiffany & Co. brooch depicting a walrus with bone tusks and enamel decoration will be offered with an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000. Claflin’s masterpiece was inspired by Lewis Carroll’s poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter.” Fine jewelry remains one of the strongest auction markets, and demand is as robust as ever for unique, fresh-to-the-market signed jewelry. Vintage and contemporary examples include artists Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso in collaboration with Tiffany & Co. 

Other highlights of the sale include an 18 karat white gold and diamond cuff bracelet ($20,000 to $30,000), a platinum pendant containing a 3.24 carat pear-shaped diamond and 25 round brilliant cut diamonds ($20,000 to $30,000) and a diverse selection of period jewelry with important Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau and Art Deco examples. An Edwardian platinum and diamond pendant made by Black, Starr & Frost ($15,000 to $20,000) and a pair of Art Deco platinum, 18 karat yellow gold and diamond enameled brooches ($15,000 to $20,000) share the spotlight. Completing the auction is a fine selection of timepieces with examples by Breguet, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Rolex among others.

For more information, please contact Corbin Horn at 312.280.1212 or corbinhorn@lesliehindman.com.