Duchess of Windsor's Jewels Sell High At Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Dec 1st 2010 at 5:01AM

An onyx and diamond panther bracelet once owned by Wallis Simpson set a new world record for the most expensive bracelet ever sold at auction. The bracelet sold for £4.5 million ( $7.036 million) at Sotheby's London on Tuesday. The bracelet was part of a collection of jewels once owned by King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, that brought in almost £8 million, far above estimates that topped out just over £4 million. The sale was 100% sold.

A flamingo brooch designed by Jeanne Toussaint and decorated with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, citrines, and diamonds sold for £1.7 million ($2.7 million) to Collection Cartier beating estimates.

A heart brooch with the initials W. and E. commissioned for the couple's 20th wedding anniversary sold for £205,250. Madonna is currently working on a movie about the star-crossed couple with the title W.E. The relationship caused global scandal when in 1936 King Edward abdicated his throne so that the could marry the twice-divorced American socialite.

After the sale David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby's Jewellery in Europe and the Middle East, said: "It has been an immense pleasure to bring once again to sale these jewels worn by a woman who was a leader of fashion and the epitome of elegance and sophistication for her generation and beyond."

Tags: duchess of windsor, jewelry auction, jewels at auction, king edward VII, sothebys, wallis simpson, wallis warfield simpson