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A Dynasty in Diamonds: The Vanderbilt Family Treasures at Phillips Geneva

A Dynasty in Diamonds: The Vanderbilt Family Treasures at Phillips Geneva October 7, 2025Auction, Geneva, High-JewelryOff

The Vanderbilt Jewels: Echoes of an American Dynasty

By Shari Inessa for What We Adore Magazine

This November, in Geneva, the world will witness a collection that transcends both – a glittering portrait of legacy, ambition, and artistry: The Vanderbilt Family Jewels, unveiled by Phillips as part of The Geneva Jewels Auction V.

A name synonymous with the American dream, the Vanderbilts embodied the splendor of the Gilded Age – a dynasty where railroads met royalty, and luxury became language. Within their lineage lies a story not just of wealth, but of taste, power, and devotion to beauty. And at the heart of that story glows a sapphire – deep, celestial, unforgettable.

The Vanderbilt Sapphire

Among the treasures that once graced the salons of New York and the palaces of Europe, the “Vanderbilt Sapphire” reigns supreme. Crafted by Tiffany & Co. at the dawn of the 20th century, this 42.68-carat Kashmiri sapphire – in the coveted “Royal Blue” hue – is mounted in a diamond-set brooch of exquisite delicacy. Its luminous soul reflects the refinement of the Belle Époque, an era when elegance itself seemed eternal.

Gifted by Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt to her daughter Gladys Moore Vanderbilt, Countess Széchényi, the brooch is far more than a token of maternal affection. It is a symbol of alliance – between old Europe and new America, between heritage and ambition. Its story gleams across generations, whispering of soirées beneath crystal chandeliers and coronations in Vienna, where Gladys wore her family’s jewels with the poise of inherited grace.

A Dynasty in Diamonds

The Vanderbilt collection presented by Phillips is not merely a display of stones; it is a mosaic of lives lived in extraordinary light. A Cartier diamond brooch, once part of a diadem commissioned for Gladys’s 1908 wedding to Count László Széchényi, speaks of transatlantic unions that defined an era — when heiresses became countesses, and fortunes became legend.

The brooch, crowned by a 4.55-carat pear-shaped diamond of color E, is one of the last surviving fragments of that diadem — a vestige of opulence and promise. Alongside it, intimate relics of daily grandeur: an emerald and diamond bow brooch from the late 19th century, a ruby-and-diamond vanity case monogrammed “GV,” a travel clock engraved “from DS, Xmas 1913.” Each piece carries the perfume of an age when even time itself was dressed in gold.

The Last Heiress of the Gilded Age

Gladys Vanderbilt, born in Newport in 1886, was the last daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, and perhaps the final symbol of America’s grand inheritance of beauty. She grew up between The Breakers, the family’s seaside mansion, and their Fifth Avenue palace in New York — worlds of carved marble, Venetian glass, and orchestral evenings. Her marriage to Hungarian nobility bridged two civilizations: American industry and European aristocracy.

When she later entrusted The Breakers to the Preservation Society of Newport County, she safeguarded not only architecture but the spirit of an era. Her jewels — now unveiled in Geneva — are the last tangible echoes of that luminous dynasty.

The Legacy of Light

Today, pieces from the Vanderbilt collection are exceedingly rare, and their appearance on the market is an event in itself. Their beauty lies not only in their craftsmanship — the hand of Cartier, the eye of Tiffany, the gleam of Kashmiri sapphire — but in their provenance, that delicate bridge between past and present.

To hold such a jewel is to hold a story — of a family who built empires, of women who shaped history through grace, and of artisans who turned dreams into heirlooms.

On November 10, 2025, at Geneva’s Hôtel Président, these works of art will find new custodians. But the legend will remain — shimmering through time like light through cut glass.

Because the Vanderbilt jewels were never just ornaments. They were — and remain — the reflections of a world that once believed in beauty as destiny.

Discover more at phillips.com

The Vanderbilt Family Jewels — Phillips Geneva Jewels Auction V (November 2025)

“The Vanderbilt Sapphire”
- Tiffany & Co., Exceptional sapphire and diamond brooch, early 20th century
- Sugarloaf Kashmiri sapphire weighing 42.68 carats, ‘Royal Blue’ color, no indications of heating
- Given by Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt to her daughter Gladys Moore Vanderbilt, Countess Széchényi
- Estimate: USD 1,000,000–1,500,000 / CHF 800,000–1,200,000
Cartier, Magnificent diamond brooch, circa 1905
- Wedding gift from Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt to Gladys Vanderbilt on her marriage to Count László Széchényi in 1908
- Originally part of a tiara; main stones could be interchanged between amethysts or diamonds
- Estimate: USD 100,000–150,000 / CHF 80,000–120,000
Cartier, Gold, ruby, and diamond vanity case
- With the monogram of Gladys Vanderbilt
- Estimate: USD 8,000–12,000 / CHF 6,000–9,500
Cartier, Gold, ruby, and diamond wristwatch
- Estimate: USD 3,000–5,000 / CHF 2,200–4,000
Diamond comb, early 20th century
- Estimate: USD 3,000–5,000 / CHF 2,200–4,000
Diamond and emerald brooch, late 19th century
- Estimate: USD 5,000–8,000 / CHF 4,000–6,000
Cartier, Gold lighter and Gold & sapphire compact
- Estimate: USD 3,000–5,000 / CHF 2,200–4,000
Silver and enamel desk clock
- With leather-fitted case and key
- Estimate: USD 2,000–3,000 / CHF 1,500–2,200
Cartier, 8-Day traveling clock
- With GS monogram, engraved “From DS, Xmas 1913”
- Estimate: USD 5,000–8,000 / CHF 4,000–6,000
Ruby and diamond enamel heart ribbon brooch
- Inscribed “L’Amour en fait le lien”
- Estimate: USD 400–600 / CHF 300–500
Pair of diamond brooches
- Estimate: USD 600–1,000 / CHF 500–800
Gold and sapphire purse and a diamond, ruby, and pearl purse
- Estimate: USD 3,000–5,000 / CHF 2,200–4,000