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RAPAPORT... Sotheby's will hold a series of auctions from the collection of the late Rachel Lambert Mellon in November. The sale will begin on November 10 with a curated selection of fine art that spans four centuries. Mellon's jewels will be auctioned on the evening of November 20, followed by a three-day sale of various fine pieces from Mellon's residences. The auctions are estimated to achieve in excess of $100 million with proceeds benefiting The Gerard B. Lambert Foundation, a trust that supports horticultural and educational endeavors. Mellon favored jewels from Verdura, Schlumberger and Givenchy as well as period pieces from Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Black Starr & Frost. Of the top jewelry lots, Sotheby's will offer a gold and diamond rivière necklace by Cartier, circa 1900, featuring a graduated design, set with 29 old European-cut diamonds and weighing approximately 111 carats. Completed with a clasp, set with a round, fancy deep yellow diamond of 4.20 carats, this piece is estimated to sell for between $1.25 million to $1.5 million. An important 9.15-carat, VS1, natural color fancy blue diamond pendant, mounted in platinum, is offered with a presale estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million. Additionally, a 9.75-carat, VVS2, potentially internally flawless, natural color, pear-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond is priced to sell for between $10 million and $15 million.
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