A heart-shaped yellow diamond that once belonged to the Duchess of Windsor is among a trove of jewels from the collections of Estee and Evelyn Lauder that will be auctioned to benefit breast-cancer research next month.
Sotheby’s said the 35 pieces were estimated to bring $13 million at the Dec. 5 sale at its Upper East Side auction house.
Proceeds will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation founded by Evelyn Lauder in 1993. She died last year.
Estee Lauder, her mother-in-law who died in 2004, was the founder of the Estee Lauder fragrance and skin-care products line.
The 47.14-carat Fancy Intense diamond was worn by the Duchess of Windsor as a ring and refashioned as a pendant by Van Cleef & Arpels for Estee in 1978. It is estimated to sell for $1.5 million to $2 million.
When the Duchess of Windsor’s collection was auctioned by Sotheby’s in Geneva in 1987, missing from the sale was the diamond she bought from Harry Winston in 1951. As Sotheby’s prepared for the upcoming auction, it found Estee Lauder, a friend of the duchess and duke, bought it in the mid-1970s through the duchess’ lawyer.
Other lots in the sale include a rare Fancy Intense Pink diamond ring. Weighing 6.54 carats, it has a pre-sale estimate of $4 million to $5 million.