Known for her extravagant ensembles with glittering jewels to match, actress Zsa Zsa Gabor once said she had never met a diamond she didn’t like. The star of Moulin Rouge, wife to hotelier Conrad Hilton and later actor George Sanders, Gabor epitomized Old Hollywood glamour. A piece from the jewelry collection that defined her ‘fabulous’ persona is up for auction at Bonhams this December.
Created by iconic American jeweler Harry Winston in 1964, the stunning diamond rivière necklace was photographed on Gabor throughout her career. In true, over-the-top Gabor fashion, the necklace features 45 graduated round brilliant-cut diamonds weighing a total of 66 carats, with an estimated value between $1.2m and $1.5m. Worn frequently by Gabor during the 1960s, the diamonds in the necklace remain very much intact, with the five central diamonds weighing 8.07, 6.34, 6.33, 5.35 and 4.88 carats, respectively.
The necklace will be previewed at Bonhams in New York, Geneva, Los Angeles and Bonhams Hong Kong during November and December. The auction will take place at Bonhams New York at 3pm on December 4, 2017. Bids can be placed online, via telephone, in writing and in person on the day of the sale.
Bonhams New York is located at 580 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10022. For more information, please visit bonhams.com.