“Christie’s to Auction World’s Largest and Most Valuable Private Jewelry Collection of Late Austrian Billionaire Heidi Horten”

Christie’s auction house will offer to buy the 700-piece private jewelery collection of the late Austrian billionaire Heidi Horten, making it the world’s largest and most valuable collection of its kind to be sold at auction. The total revenue could exceed 150 million dollars, referring to “Christie’s”, writes “Reuters”.

Some of its most impressive pieces include Harry Winston’s 90-carat “Briolette of India” diamond necklace and a diamond ring estimated to be worth up to $20 million.

The collection, which dates from the early 1970s until Horten’s death last year, also includes more than 100 pieces of Bulgari jewellery.

The sale price of the Horten Collection is estimated to surpass the record price of the Elizabeth Taylor Collection in 2011 and the 2019 Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence auction, the only two jewelry collections to fetch more than $100 million at auction.

“Christie’s” informs that the income from the auctions will be directed to the Heidi Horten Foundation, which supports charitable activities, including in the field of health care and child protection.

Before agreeing to auction the collection, Christie’s said it had taken into account the business practices of Horten’s late first husband, German department store magnate Helmut Horten, who during the war “bought Jewish businesses that were being forcibly sold.”

“The important thing is that we have been completely transparent,” Rahul Kadakia, head of international jewelery at Christie’s, told Reuters. “We are selling this collection under the name ‘Horten’, disclosing its identity. It is not being sold as an anonymous collection.”

Christie’s said it would make a “significant contribution” from its final proceeds to Jewish organizations to promote Holocaust research and education in the field. The auction house did not disclose the planned allocated amount.

“Of course, we can’t erase history,” emphasizes Max Fawcett, Head of Jewelery at Christie’s in Geneva. “But we hope that the funds from this sale will go to good causes in the future.”

Christie’s will auction 400 items in Geneva on Wednesday and Friday and hold an online sale. In November, it will host a second online sale of the remainder of the collection.