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Geneva, Switzerland – This is Geneva shopping at its best: a Magnificent and Noble watch and jewel sale at Sotheby’s.

Colombian emeralds and fine diamonds parure for auction

Not all that glitters is gold, this one is a 52-carat diamond ring

I, for once, will be keeping an eye on the emeralds, on a 52-carat diamond ring and on some exceptional watches.

If you happen to have CHF7.23 million laying around, you could buy not only the diamond pictured above, but also the right to name it.

And where can you get a glimpse of all this glitter? At the Beau Rivage Hotel in Geneva. The exhibition of all items for sale begins on Saturday 8 May at 9:00, and remains open until the sale begins on 9 May at 20:00 hours.

The two-day auction promises colored diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and watches of “significance”, all on offer in the heart of Geneva.

In addition to stunning diamonds, a sizable selection of jewels from Lily Marinho, a Unesco good-will ambassador from Brazil, will be auctioned off. Previously, jewels from her collection fetched CHF11 million at Sotheby’s.

Bulgari sapphire and diamond parure

This time around one of the most-talked about jewels in her collection is a parure of Colombian-emeralds and classical diamond settings, comprising a necklace, a ring and a pair of earrings with an estimated value between CHF300,000 and CHF500,000 (picture seen above left).

Another favorite in the Sotheby’s lot, is a Bulgari necklace circa 1870, with a distinguished royal lineage.

Previous owners include Carlo Alessandro, Principe della Torre e Tasso, Princess Marie Bonaparte, and Princess Eugenie of Greece and Denmark (pictured on your left).

Given that the auction is taking place in Geneva, it is only fitting that it feature “exceptional watches.” So how much does the tick-tock of your dreams cost?

The answer depends on who owned it first, and when it was last owned.

Geoffroy Ader, who heads the European Watch division at Sotheby’s says there’s a new “penchant for modern wrist and enamel watches in Asia,” thus high prices are expected for this portion of the auction on 9 May.

Leading the sale is the “Shepherdess watch,” a ca. 1805 gold, enamel and split pear Automaton made for the Chinese market which once belonged to Farouk, King of Egypt, first auctioned off in 1954 after his forced abdication and now back in the auction market. Starting price? A cool $400,000.

If you are looking to keep your bank account out of the red, think of a more “modest” starting bid, say CHF40,000. This will get you in the bidding for a gold and rare 6-diamond Rolex watch (most watches of this kind “only” boast 5 diamonds) that once belonged to the last Bey of Tunis. Other watches for auction include an 18-Century pocket watch, and a Swiss-made pocket watch made for the Turkish market.

King Farouk Shepherdess Automaton

One item will be auctioned off for a good cause, a modern, limited-edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry watch by IWC. The entire proceeds from the sale, estimated between CHF50,000 and CHF70,000, will be donated to charity.

So, the only question is: What’s the daily withdrawal limit on your ATM card?

See the jewelry and hear an explanation on the value of some of the most impressive items.

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