International auctioneers, Bonhams & Butterfields held its fall auction of Salon Jewelry on September 21, 2009 during the company's first jewelry sale at The Venetian Las Vegas.  Property from the 400 lot auction was exhibited and sold during a simulcast sale in the space formerly occupied by The Guggenheim Hermitage Museum. 

"Bonhams & Butterfields was pleased to offer Salon Jewelry at The Venetian Las Vegas.  During the well received auction, robust interest was seen for several pieces from the Clavius Collection of Fine Wristwatches, gold items and colored stones while the market for diamonds continues to remain strong," said Michael Larsen, G.G., Jewelry Specialist at Bonhams & Butterfields. 

The marquee lot of the sale was a very fine and rare 18k gold Ulysse Nardin automatic hour repeating wristwatch (est. $25,000-35,000) from the Clavius Collection.  The handsome piece featured 41-jewel automatic movement with 22k gold engraved rotor and a lapis lazuli dial boasting applied gold Arabic numerals.  Following a round of competitive bidding, the remarkable timepiece brought $45,750.

"The Clavius Collection was undoubtedly one of the finest single owner offerings of wristwatches to be featured at public auction in Las Vegas. Bonhams & Butterfields was pleased to offer several of the finest contemporary examples of refined craftsmanship and technical mastery in horology instruments during the fall sale," said Larsen.

Additional highlights of note from the Clavius Collection included a fine limited edition 18k white gold fly-back Glashutte chronograph wristwatch (sold for: $17,080); a fine stainless steel Ulysse Nardin automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch (sold for: $8,540) and a fine and unusual 18 karat rose gold automatic wristwatch boasting a Las Vegas-inspired roulette wheel indication (sold for $7,930).

Jewelry highlights from the September auction at The Venetian Las Vegas included a sapphire and diamond flower brooch (sold for: $10,370); a Bulgari yellow sapphire and diamond ring (sold for: $8,540); a playful multi-color sapphire and diamond necklace (sold for: $7,930) and a classic diamond eternity band (sold for: $7,930) as well as several lots of extravagant gold bling, Vegas style.

Bonham's & Butterfields auction previews at The Venetian will continue until the Natural History auction on October 3, 2009.  The exhibition features approximately 50 lots of fossils and dinosaurian including one of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever discovered - a rare 66-million year old Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton - dubbed "Samson."

Also among the offering is one of the world's largest set of shark jaws from the gargantuan prehistoric species, Carcharocles megalodon (est. $900,000-1,200,000); a 28-foot-long Duck-billed Dinosaur skeleton (est. $375,000-475,000); a pair of dinosaurs identified as "Xenia" and "Ben" belonging to the genus, Einiosaurus (est. $500,000-600,000); a fully mounted Woolly Mammoth (est. $150,000-200,000) and a distinguished 25-foot-long shark skeleton from Kansas (est. $350,000-400,000) among others.  (Please see separate release)

-End-

Press Contact:
Bonhams & Butterfields: Jannelle Grigsby, jannelle.grigsby@bonhams.com,
310.567.7990