A Diamond belonging to Wallis Simpson is up for auction as part of the Estee and Evelyn Lauder family jewels. Once piece 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 $US13 million ($12.5 million) at the Dec. 5 sale.The proceeds will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation founded by Evelyn Lauder in 1993. She also was the co-creator of the Pink Ribbon, the now familiar breast cancer awareness symbol.
Estee Lauder, who died in 2004, was the founder of the Estee Lauder fragrance and skincare products company. Her daughter-in-law Evelyn Lauder died last year.The 47.14-carat heart-shaped Fancy Intence yellow diamond was worn by Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor as a ring and refashioned as a diamond pendant necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels for Estee Lauder in 1978. It is estimated to sell for $US1.5 million to $US2 million. The jewel has an intriguing history.When the Duchess of Windsor's collection was auctioned by Sotheby's in Geneva in 1987, missing from the sale was the diamond that the duchess had bought from Harry Winston in 1951. As Sotheby's prepared for the upcoming auction, it discovered that Estee Lauder, a close friend of the duchess and duke, had bought it in the mid-1970s through the duchess' lawyer. Simpson, who died in 1986, sold a number of her jewels during her lifetime.Her son, Leonard Lauder, said his mother always said she bought the diamond from the duchess, the auction house said.
Highlights of the collection will be exhibited in Geneva, London and Los Angeles before going on display for four days on Dec. 1 in New York.
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