Barbara Hutton and her Qing Dynasty Jade Necklace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This April Sotheby’s Hong Kong will be putting  on the auction block the most important piece of jade jewelery in existence:   The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Sale on April 7th, 2014. This magnificent and historically important  jadeite bead necklace is expected to fetch  $12.8 million.  The Hutton-Mdivani necklace is an example of the finest jadeite in the world and was a gift to Barbara from her father on the occasion of her marriage  to Georgian aristocrate, Alexi Mdivani.   The 27 enormous  jadeite beads of a magnificent green color, exceptional  translucency, extremely fine texture, form a necklace of  majestic proportions due to their unusually large dimensions  ranging from 19.20 mm to 15.40 mm .  

 

The propositions alone make the necklace both rare  and impressive, as top-quality jadeite boulders can normally produce beads of no more than 5 to 10 mm in diameter. To assemble  a strand of matching jadeite beads, all the beads must be carved from the same boulder and as many as three times the desired number of beads are originally carved, from which number the most beautiful beads are selected to complete the necklaace.  As this practice necessitates enormous waste,  high quality jadeite bead necklaces  of this  standard remain among the most highly prized articles of jade (jadite) jewelry.

 

 

QUEK Chin Yeow, Deputy Chairman and Head of Jewelry Department, Sotheby’s Asia, said, “We are most honored to be entrusted to offer in our upcoming Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite sale The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace, the greatest jadeite bead necklace in the world. Of the finest quality and striking proportions, this jadeite bead necklace with a storied past is an epitome of the mysterious and captivating beauty of jadeite, the most revered oriental gemstone, and evokes the glamour of distinguished style icons of both China and the West at the turn of the last century.”

 

 

The lustre, as well as a patina and polish of these beads,  are consistent with the fine craftsmanship from the late  Chinese Qing period (late 19th century).   Since its introduction as an article of tribute to the Qing Imperial court in the 18th century, jadeite jewelry was exclusively worn by the ruling class in China.  The Imperial Court  particularly favoured  jade necklaces  and they were permitted to be worn only by Qing emperors and high-ranking officials. Considering the impressive size and quality of the Hutton-Mdivani Necklace , it most certainly would have been presented to the Imperial court.

 

As a result of the political instability prevalent in China  in the early 20th century, many  Imperial treasures were confiscated or stolen  from the palace and were smuggled out of the country.  A great  many of these treasures found their way to Europe and were subsequently redesigned into various forms of jewellery.  Like many lost treasures, the precise origin of this jadeite necklace  is impossible to determine.  However, a very similar Qing jade  necklace of certified Imperial provenence, although smaller and of lesser quality, was sold at Sotheby's New York in 2010.

 

In any case, one way or another, these beads of obvious superior quality and certain Imperial providence, found their way out of China and onto the road to Paris, landing  into the expert hands at Cartier.    The earliest existing written record of this necklace comes from the Cartier archives, dated 1933, when it was insured for $55,000 and left with them to be restrung and for the addition of clasp.   Cartier designed an innovative Art Deco clasp (specifically for the Hutton family), masterfully selecting  the best Burmese rubies to complement the intense green of the jade.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barbara's marriage to Mdivani lasted only two years, ending in divorce and a much mediatized multi-million dollar settlement  in favour of Mdivani, in 1935. Part of the settlement, I am sure much to Barbara's chagrin , was that the jadeite necklace remained in the Mdivani family.   It was first sold at auction for 2 million dollars  in 1988 as part of the estate of Princess Nina Mdivani, Alexi's sister.  At that time, it was reported to be the most expensive jade necklace in the world.   Six years later, in 1994, the necklace made headlines again when it sold for double its previous price at auction in Hong Kong, for 4.2 million dollars,  So, we will be expecting big things on April  7th;  will the necklace  reach 12.8 million ?  Going by the frenzy which other, lesser, jade pieces have inspired at auction lately, I wouldn't be surprised if that estimate was largely surpassed.  

 

 

 

UPDATE April 12, 2014:  Barbara's Necklace sold for $24,770,000.

 

 

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