AN EXCEPTIONAL FANCY VIVID YELLOW DIAMOND, DIAMOND AND SAPPHIRE CLIP-BROOCH, VERDURA | 艷彩黃色鑽石配鑽石及藍寶石別針一枚，Verdura

Illustrated in Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler by Patricia Corbett, page 178.

The spirit behind the extraordinary piece offered here begins with Duke Fulco di Verdura. Born into Sicilian aristocracy in 1899, he channeled his vivid imagination and playful brand of humor into his formal training as an artist. By the age of 23 he had inherited his title, but not the fortune to go with it. His prospects changed considerably, however, when he met the newly-wed Cole and Linda Porter in Palermo, laying the foundation for a lifetime of friendship and patronage. The Porters and Verdura were kindred spirits, sharing a passion for beauty in all forms and reveling in the heady social whirl of pre-war Europe. Fulco di Verdura personified the “good life.” His charm, pedigree and connections served him well throughout his career, from his early days designing for Coco Chanel to the support he received from Vincent Astor when establishing his salon on Fifth Avenue.

As revealed through thousands of sketches and gouaches, Verdura conceived an extraordinary number of unforgettable jewels. Fantastical creatures appeared alongside works derived from the canon of European design. For every sea nymph or seashell, there was a Maltese cross cuff created for an eager and devoted clientele. Each piece is expressive and joyous, whether through an effusion of color, an unexpected flourish, or sheer impact. His most ardent admirers—Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Babe Paley and the Duchess of Windsor, to name but a few—valued his talent for flexing aesthetic boundaries with refinement and grace.  

Verdura’s legacy continues today with Ward Landrigan and his son, Nico. Since 1985, the Landrigan family has triumphed the work of Verdura, creating jewels with the same passion and devotion as the Duke himself. Commissioned in 1999 by the present owner, lot 497, like most of Verdura’s blooms, is life-sized and as realistically rendered as one laden with gemstones can be. When the brooch dips into the surrealist waters explored by Fulco, however, with its 14.37-carat Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond, it becomes truly iconic.

The color of the diamond is so astonishing as to encourage disbelief. A true specimen stone, its intensity and quality is unlike anything seen on the market in recent years, bringing to mind the marquise-shaped 13.83-carat Julie V. Burden diamond sold by Sotheby’s in 1997 for $3.3 million. The cut of the stone, a squared cushion with broad, brilliant-cut facets and an open culet, would typically cause color to escape from a diamond, making the saturation all the more impressive.

Sotheby’s is honored to present this remarkable gemstone, set within an exquisite jewel, from the legendary house of Verdura.