The Heidi Horten Jewellery Collection
When Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten died last year, aged 81, she left behind no obvious heir - but also the worlds largest and most valuable private jewellery collection.
Estimated at £120,566,00 and now heading for what will be an astounding landmark sale at auction.
Over 700 pieces will be spread across four auction dates, the collection is already causing a huge media and private interest, and a bidding frenzy is to be expected. The first 400 pieces are coming up for auction at a trio of sales at Christie’s Geneva next month.
Who was she?
Heidi Goess- Horten was a big name in the art world. With an art collection started back in the late 70’s, which she developed with her husband, and which grew to become over $1billion worth of art.
Her husband was Helmut Horten, owner of the German Horten department store. He died in 1987, leaving his fortune to add to her fortune….
Heidi was no stranger to spending - she believed in collecting the good, the highly desirable and the very very special. In 1996, Heidi famously spent $22 million in a single week at Sotheby’s, placing winning bids on works of art to add to her collection.
Obviously, her love of fine things included her jewels as well as her artworks.
As a 19-year-old bride in 1964 she began her married life with an incredibly important gemstone, gifted to her by 51-year-old Horten, the flawless 31.06ct Wittelsbach blue diamond that had once been part of the Austrian Crown Jewels. If we can skip over the couples age difference for a minute -it was a very good start to her jewellery box.
She then sold this gem in 2008 to London diamantaire Graff, for £16.39 million.
In 2018 she won the auction for one of the most coveted jewels ever to come to auction for many decades- a pearl and diamond pendant that had belonged to French queen Marie Antoinette. Winning bid? £33 million. It is quite the large jewel -
What’s in this collection?
Part of the huge buzz around this is the secrecy surrounding her collection. Right up until the auction sale 'teaser' photos nobody was quite sure exactly what she owned. People just knew a few pieces, which like the Marie Antionette pearl, were of exceptional quality, historically and quality wise.
Turns out it is like a jeweller's fairytale collection. Jewels as big as apples, colours are vibrant, pieces are rare finds and 'never seen befores'.
Items like this pink pear modified brilliant cut diamond ring, of 20.06 carats with 18k white and yellow gold.
A notable necklace is the one with the Briolette of India; a 90.38ct colourless diamond set on a diamond necklace. The Briolette of India is the oldest diamond on record, traceable back to the first half of the 12th century. {you can see Heidi wearing it in the first image}
Goëss-Horten also bought a triple strand of natural saltwater pearls from Harry Winston, which closes at the nape of the neck with a clasp boasting an 11.15ct cushion-cut fancy light pink diamond.
This quite remarkable emerald necklace; the Great Mughal emerald and diamond necklace by Harry Winston, seen here on Heidi many years ago.
Bulgari make up a number of the pieces, - 130 of them to be exact, with their vibrant colours standing out. Heidi was believed to have been on the worlds top five Bulgari collectors.
This breathtaking Bulgari diamond, sapphire and emerald necklace for example.
The most sort after of her collected Bulgari pieces is probably the unusual comet brooch, of a pink heart diamond and diamond trails to orange, blue and yellow fancy diamonds.
In total the collection is expected to fetch more than $150m (£120m), making it the most valuable set of jewels ever sold at auction.
All the proceeds from the Christie’s sale will go to the Heidi Horten Foundation, which she set up in 2020 to fund a public art museum of which is housed in the Heidi Horten Collection museum in Vienna, and to fund medical research.
We look forward to reporting back with the prices achieved for this collection!
Whilst not quite at the Heidi Horten level of pricelessness, we do have some incredible jewellery pieces here. We'd like to draw your attention to our Creations collection - truly individual masterpieces of gemstone jewellery.
You can view it here, and make an appointment to view in person in our Southampton Store .