Bonhams & Butterfields, will hold its annual holiday auction of Natural History on Sunday, December 6, 2009. The sale will feature a diverse group of distinctive and high quality mineral specimens, exceptional fossils, gold nuggets and unusual jewelry including a selection of “phenomenal” gems as well as lapidary works of art.
The Winter Palace, an illuminated music box fabricated of Rock Crystal Quartz, Diamonds and Aquamarines, highlights the lapidary works of art section of the winter sale (est. Estimate $250,000-300,000). Designed in the form of a Russian onion-domed palace tower this enchanting creation is the virtuoso work of a team of highly skilled craftsmen under the direction of the German lapidary artist, Manfred Wild.
“The Winter Palace is one of Manfred Wild’s masterworks. Intricately carved and bejeweled on a level rarely seen at public auction, pieces of this size and stature are highly sought after by collectors of all types,” said Claudia Florian G.J.G., Co-Consulting Director, Natural History.
The iconic Russian image—the onion dome—is formed of highly transparent, carved and polished rock crystal. The walls are also fabricated of rock crystal textured with a matte finish and dendritic or “fern-like” patterns resembling winter’s frost as it forms on a window—a stylistic device used in much of the work of Carl Fabergé—for whom Wild’s family produced a great number of objets d’art at the beginning of the last century.
The structure rests upon a base carved of white dolomite, a mineral whose internal structure of reflective platelets presents a scintillating effect reminiscent of newly fallen snow. The sculpture is decorated with 641 small diamonds with a total approximate weight of 4.75 carats. A key-wind mechanism controls the music box function—the key itself is fabricated of 18K yellow gold with a cabochon aquamarine inset on each side, together totaling approximately 7.24 carats.
The music box is both illuminated and electrified, so that the multiple doors of the Palace open to reveal a magical interior. The reverse side of each door bears a photograph of a wintery scene while deep in the interior rests a perfectly scaled model of a Russian dacha, or country cottage, constructed of 18K yellow gold complete with a “snow” covered roof rendered in tiny natural diamond crystals, totaling approximately 110.50 carats, utilized to create the effect of icicles suspended from the eaves and tree branches.
Imagine the color of a Sri Lankan lotus flower combined with the hue of a fiery sunset and you will conjure up the delicate orange-pink shade of the large and exceptional padparadscha Sapphire on offer in December. The unusual name padparadscha derives from the Sanskrit/Singhalese “padma raga” or lotus blossom, and is a reflection of the stone’s exotic appearance. This particular shade of orange-pink is an elusive one in today’s market—and the size is unheard of as well. While one might occasionally see stones in the 2 to 3 carats range, the stone on offer weighs an impressive 18.36 carats. This pear-shaped gem possesses all the most desirable and sought-after attributes of a rare collector stone (est. $350,000 – 400,000).
In addition, a selection of gold, gold nuggets and native metals will be featured during the holiday auction. Highlighting the offering is a substantial and evocative gold specimen identified as “The Bonsai Tree.” The specimen , which was discovered at the noted Eagle’s Nest Mine, Placer County, California, is named not only for its notable arborescent crystal habit with its branch-like aggregates of flattened gold crystals but also for its iconic appearance of a gnarled bonsai tree. Aesthetically perched on a hillock of white quartz—it is a work of art—a natural wonder whose beauty is sure to be appreciated by collectors around the globe (est. $150,000 – 170,000).
Also featured in the December auction is an unusually large and highly sought after cat’s eye chrysoberyl ring (est. $120,000-140,000) dubbed “The Cat’s Meow.” The chrysoberyl cabochon weighs an impressive 47.80 carats, many times the greater than the typical 1 to 5 carats sizes found commercially available on the market. The gem is set in a stylish platinum mount and surrounded by 32 marquise-cut diamonds.
“The Palawan Princess,” a rare and immense natural non-nacreous pearl highlights the unmounted gem section of the sale. The product of the giant clam shell Tridacna gigas it was found off the coastal waters of the Philippines many years ago. Possibly the second largest pearl ever discovered and documented, the specimen weighs 5 pounds and is estimated to bring $300,000 – 400,000.
Also on offer in the unmounted gems section is an immense emerald-cut 722 carats Brazilian Kunzite (est. $35,000-45,000). Dubbed “The Holt Kunzite,” after its present owners, the stone was previously in a European collection for 25 years following its discovery and cutting in 1981 from a rough specimen which weighed over 1 kilo. This particular stone is a superb deep pink appearing almost amethyst-like in color, but it is the massive size and superb luster that makes this example highly sought after by collectors.
Additional jewelry highlights from the December auction include a chic pavé-set spinel and multi-colored sapphire butterfly brooch in hues of red, violet, purple, rose, pink, and orange (est. $20,000 – 30,000); a stunning oval 7.44 carat “Paraiba” green-blue tourmaline and Diamond Ring from Mozambique (est. $17,000 – 20,000) and a unique golden beryl and diamond pendant by Texas jeweler Robert Wander from the Crystal Candy Collection (est. $12,000 – 15,000). Also featured is a selection of “phenomenal” gems, gemstones from the “100 Carat Club” and several pieces of men’s jewelry made available to the public just in time for the holidays.
Preview: December 4-5, Bonhams & Butterfields, Los Angeles
Auction: December 6, 2009, Bonhams & Butterfields, Los Angeles
www.bonhams.com/natural