The Duke & Duchess of Windsor's Jewels
"An intimate of Louis Cartier, by whom she was affectionately known as 'Panther'”
- Nicholas Rayner
"The almost inconceivably brilliant emerald... 19.77 karats...was chosen by King Edward VII as the centerpiece for [his] platinum engagement ring for Wallis Simpson. Traditionally, emeralds are not used for engagement rings. King Edward VIII wasn't interested in tradition.”
- Francesca Cartier Brickell
“This landmark collection, was formed by a combination of the Duke’s appreciation of quality, design, and color and the Duchess’ innate sense of fashion and showmanship, which gave the collection a theme throughout its span.”
- Nicholas Rayner
“When the Baroness Marie-Hélène de Rothschild asked her to copy a pair of gold and diamond earclips belonging to the Duchess of Windsor, [Suzanne] Belperron refused, despite the baroness's insistence that the duchess had given her consent. She relented only when she received personal confirmation from the duchess.”
- Patricia Corbett
“Verdura alone... knew how to make her a Duchess”
- Horst P. Horst
The Duke & Duchess of Windsor’s Jewelers
As the most visible couple of their generation, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor propelled fashion forward with their choices. Even though the majority of the Duchess of Windsor’s jewels came from Cartier, her choices helped popularize American designers such as David Webb and Seaman Schepps. As a tastemaker, she was the first great collector of Suzanne Belperron, and the first to commission a piece from Tony Duquette.
- Cartier
- David Webb
- Harry Winston
- Seaman Schepps
- Suzanne Belperron (Darde & Fils)
- Tony Duquette
- Van Cleef & Arpels
- Verdura
The 2010 Second Sale of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor’s Jewels
There have been two major auctions of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor's jewels, both by Sotheby's. The first was in Geneva April 2-3, 1987 and had more than 300 lots. The second was in London on November 30, 2010, when Sotheby's auctioned off the 20 exceptional pieces that Wafic Saïd had obtained during the original 1987 sale.
Lot Number 2010 | Sale Price 2010 | Lot Number 1987 | Sale Price 1987 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The Silver, Gem-set and Enamel Photograph Frame, circa 1900 | 1 | $78,271 | 195 | $44,000 |
The Gold Coin Watch, Cartier, circa 1940 | 2 | $36,575 | 252 | ? |
The Silver Cigarette Case, Maker's Mark Alfred Clark, London, 1908 | 3 | $55,927 | 221 | ? |
The Set of Three Enamel, Demantoid Garnet and Diamond Dress Buttons, English, circa 1905 | 4 | $26,600 | 122 | $880,000 |
The Platinum Open-faced Triple Calendar Keyless Lever Watch, with Moon-Phases, Hass Neveux & Co., circa 1925 | 5 | $33,250 | 248 | ? |
The Collection of Buttons, Studs and Personal Memorabilia | 6 | $33,250 | 145 | $80,667 |
The Silver Reward Medal Struck for The Prince of Wales' Visit to India, 1921-22 | 7 | $6,983 | 180 | $47,667 |
The Gold Vimy Pilgrimage Medal, 1936 | 8 | $16,625 | 181 | $1,393,333 |
The Pair of Gold, Tinted Rock Crystal Intaglio and Enamel Cufflinks, English, circa 1915 | 9 | $49,543 | 105 | $88,000 |
The Gold and Diamond Nécessaire du Soir, Cartier, Paris, 1947 | 10 | $161,263 | 82 | $73,333 |
The Gold Cigarette Case, Cartier, London, 1934 | 11 | $33,250 | 186 | $953,333 |
The Gold, Ruby, Turquoise and Diamond Purse, Van Cleef & Arpels, New York, 1942 | 12 | $36,575 | 128 | $88,000 |
The Gold Oval Watch, Compass and Sundial, Cartier, Paris, circa 1939 | 13 | $84,655 | 134 | ? |
The Diamond Dress Suite, Cartier, London, 1935 | 14 | $153,283 | 15 | $66,000 |
The Emerald, Ruby, and Diamond 20th Anniversary Brooch, Mounted by Cartier, Paris, 1957 | 15 | $272,983 | 26 | $33,000 |
The Gold and Gem-set Cigarette Case, Cartier, London, 1935 | 16 | $241,063 | 32 | $51,333 |
The Gem-set and Diamond Cross Bracelet, Cartier, 1934-1944 | 17 | $799,663 | 31 | $22,000 |
The Gold and Diamond Nécessaire du Soir, Cartier, Paris, December 1947 | 18 | $185,203 | 28 | $44,000 |
The Onyx and Diamond Panther Bracelet, Cartier, Paris, 1952 | 19 | $6,013,263 | 57 | $293,333 |
The Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Citrine and Diamond Flamingo Clip, Mounted by Cartier, Paris, 1940 | 20 | $2,289,263 | 52 | $161,333 |
$10,607,482 Total | >$4,319,332 Total |
Books on the Duke & Duchess of Windsor's Jewels
A King's Story: The Memoirs of H.R.H. the Duke of Windsor by The Duke of Windsor
The Heart has its Reasons by The Duchess of Windsor
A Family Album by the Duke of Windsor (London) Windsor Revisited by HRH The Duke of Windsor (Boston)
In his second autobiography, the Duke of Windsor share what interests him about his story, and leaves history for the historians. His love of clothing and ceremony (inherited from his grandfather) is told from baby clothes to Oxford, becoming a king and life after abdication.
Once a King: The Lost Memoir of Edward VIII by Jane Marguerite Tippett
The Duke had created an unexpurgated version of his autobiography, The King's Story, and these notes were found in the archive of Charles Murphy.
Murphy continued his friendship with the Windsor’s and notes and recollections all the way through the end of Wallis’ autobiography in 1956 are included.
Day by day details of the 1936 abdication with a special section focused on dissecting the evidence of the Dukes support of Germany.
The Duke & Duchess of Windsor Sotheby’s New York September 11-19, 1997
The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor Sotheby's Geneva April 2-3, 1987
Exceptional Jewels & Precious Objects formerly in the Collection of The Duchess of Windsor Sotheby's London November 30, 2010
Magnificent Jewels Sotheby's New York December 5, 2012
Fine Jewels Sotheby's London December 12, 2013
Beautiful People of the Café Society by Thierry Coudert
Published in 2016, Thierry Coudert does a masterful job of giving context to the amazing scrapbooks created by the Baron de Cabrol to commemorate his glamorous life.
The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor by John Culme and Nicholas Rayner
The Royal Jewels by Suzy Menkes
The Windsor Style by Suzy Menkes
Famous Jewelry Collectors by Stefano Papi and Alexandra Rhodes
20th Century Jewelry & The Icons of Style by Stefano Papi and Alexandra Rhodes
The Cartiers by Francesca Cartier Brickell
Jewelry by Suzanne Belperron by Patricia Corbett, Ward Landrigan, and Nico Landrigan
Fall in love with Suzanne Belperron
Beginning with a beautifully written introduction by Karl Lagerfeld where he shares his favorite personal pieces of Belperron jewelry, this book never stops giving us reasons to love Suzanne Belperron and her work.
Collected by the Duchess of Windsor, Ganna Walska, Merle Oberon, Daisy Fellowes, and María Félix, Suzanne Belperron’s singular voice was cherished by the great tastemakers of the 20th century, and this definitive monograph shares the incredible beauty and impact of her exceptional jewelry designs.
Working together with some of the most amazing craftsmen of the 20th century, Belperron pulled jewelry into the modern world, and created designs in her own style that still feel fresh today.
Jewelry historian Patricia Corbett’s captures the history of Suzanne Belperron and creates a solid foundation for the relaunch of Suzanne Belperron’s jewelry by Nico Landrigan, son of Ward Landrigan, who relaunched and stewards Verdura, another extraordinary heritage brand.
If you are looking to fall in love with Suzanne Belperron’s work, this is the book for you. As such, this book is perfect for anyone who loves jewelry and its history.
David Webb, The Quintessential American Jeweler by Ruth Peltason
Elegant Jewelry can be Fun
Driven by fashion, David Webb created fashionable jewelry that was also incredibly elegant. He showed the world that elegance can also be fun.
Published in 2013, this definitive monograph is brilliantly researched and complete. Filled with beautiful photos, it is detailed enough for the collector of David Webb’s incredible work.
David Webb defined American jewelry design of the 1960s, and this book reveals all of his glory and impact as a jewelry designer.
Besides the curating of the best pieces from each of his most famous collections, his animal bracelets and Maltese crosses, highlights include the story of the 69 gifts of state commissioned by Jackie Kennedy, and his famous evening boxes (purses).
David Webb inspired countless other jewelers, and his incredible designs are still breathtaking today. As such, this book is perfect for any lover of jewelry or jewelry history.
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