Bonhams & Butterfields’ jewelry department opens its 2010 auction season on March 22nd, hosting Salon Jewelry and Watches, a simulcast sale in San Francisco and Los Angeles.  The 440-lot auction features signed pieces from top jewelry houses and a wonderful assortment of rings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches and watches from private collections.  Public previews of all lots will open for viewing in LA (March 12-14) and in San Francisco (March 19-21) prior to the auction.

“Many lovely antique and period pieces should attract jewelry collectors as well as general jewelry buyers,” says Bonhams & Butterfields Jewelry Dept. Specialist Lynne Arkin, G.G., “our March Salon sale presents a very interesting and desirable collection of jewelry for auction –from diamond jewelry to lady’s and gent’s watches – spiced with colored stones depicting all the colors of the rainbow.  We’re very pleased to offer jewelry from private collectors and estates in Boston, New York, Pittsburgh and Boca Raton, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Las Vegas and throughout California and international consignments from the UK.”

Auction highlights for March include many lots of jewelry retailed by Tiffany & Co.  An 18-karat gold aquamarine and red tourmaline twinstone ring by Paloma Picasso for Tiffany & Co. could bring $2/3,000 while a signed Tiffany & Co. 18-karat gold bangle is estimated at $1,200/1,800.  A Tiffany & Co. diamond and enamel watch with its 20-inch 18- and 14-karat gold chain could bring as much as $5,000.  The circular dial displays Arabic numerals with blued-steel hands, mounted in platinum.  Additional lots with Tiffany & Co. marks include an 18-karat gold cuff bangle signed by Elsa Peretti, a pair of enamel and 18-karat gold hinged earclips signed by Angela Cummings, and a pair of diamond and 14-karat gold earrings are signed Schlumberger.

Bidding is expected to be strong for jewelry by Cartier, including a numbered 18-karat gold 1999 tassel ring by the maker (est. $1,500/2,500) as well as a Cartier diamond and 18-karat white gold "Love" ring, 1998, in its signed box.  An 18-karat gold "Love" bangle bracelet, dated 1969, is signed Aldo Cipullo and Cartier, and offered with its gilt-silver screwdriver and signed pouch (est. $3/5,000).  An 18-karat gold bracelet, signed Cartier Paris, could sell for $5/6,000, while a substantial 18-karat gold 16-inch Cartier necklace could bring $3/4,000.

A pair of 18-karat bicolor gold leaf earclips, both signed M. Buccellati, could bring as much as $2,000 and collectors of jeweled flora may vie for a diamond flower brooch with articulated movement which can be separated into a flower-head pendant and leaf brooch.  The piece features French assay marks and is mounted in silver and 14-karat gold (est. $2/3,000).  A pair of rock crystal, ruby and diamond leaf motif earclips are each signed Tiffany, mounted in 14-karat gold (est. $1,500/1,800) and a diamond and gem-set tree brooch, mounted in 14-karat bicolor gold, could bring as much as $3,000.

A diamond and emerald frog and lily pad brooch, McTeigue & Co., is mounted in platinum and 18-karat gold while a Moghul-style diamond and ruby bird-motif brooch-pendant is mounted in silver-topped 14-karat gold, suspending a cultured pearl.  A diamond and plique-à-jour enamel marlin brooch features white and yellow gold to form the body of the seafaring creature (est. $1,500/2,500) and a delightful diamond, pink sapphire and 18-karat gold and leather wristwatch features a Minnie Mouse motif, with articulated hands; black-faced circular dial and 6.00-carats in total diamond weight (est. $2/3,000).

Desirable lots include: a Bulgari coin & leather necklace, a pair of Lalaounis 22-karat gold ear clips, a lovely Seaman Schepps 18-karat gold and rock crystal brooch (est. $1,500/2,000) and a blue and green enamel and 18-karat gold brooch signed David Webb (est. $2/3,000). 

Multiple lots of cufflinks feature a pair signed Van Cleef & Arpels, and additional sets are adorned with diamonds, pearls and black onyx.   Watches include those by Cartier, Rolex, Tissot, Baume & Mercier, Gruen, and others.  As well, the creative auction catalog cover image depicts several of the very attractive bracelets on offer, expected to inspire bids from the international Bonhams client base.

The illustrated auction catalog is online for review and purchase at www.bonhams.com/us.

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Press Contact:   Levi Morgan, PR.US@bonhams.com, 415-503-3348