Stunning Jewels from Barneys New York’s Pressman Family Hit the Auction Block
Highlights from the collection include a necklace featuring over 30 carats of blue sapphires and 30-plus carats of diamonds set in platinum
A showstopper of a sapphire and diamond necklace is one of the highlights of the Freeman’s | Hindman Important Jewelry sale, taking place on September 16 in Chicago. Boasting approximately over 30 carats of blue sapphires and an additional 30-plus carats of diamonds set in platinum, the statement sparkler is a red-carpet ready piece. Yet it’s from the collection of the Phyllis and Fred Pressman. Fred, who died in 1996, is widely credited as putting the once legendary Barneys New York boutique on the fashion map; his wife Phyllis created the Chelsea Passage section of the shop, filled with high end home design from around the globe.
This is the first of five sales that include items from the Pressman’s estate; the others include furniture and decorative art (October 24), Post War and Contemporary Art (November 14), The Holiday Edit: Jewelry and Luxury Handbags (November 18), and American Art and Pennsylvania Impressionists (December 7).
Photographs of Mrs. Pressman, who died last year at the age of 95, depict an elegant woman clad in tailored pieces in muted tones, with jewelry to match. The aforementioned attention-grabbing necklace, to an outside observer, seems out of character. April Matteini, senior vice president and head of the Freeman’s | Hindman jewelry department, confirmed that there is no on-the-record history of that piece, which of course makes it all the more captivating.
It’s just one of over 50 lots from the Pressman’s collection that will be on view in New York City from September 2-6 and in Chicago from September 11-15. Matteini explained that “a lot of [Mrs. Pressman’s] jewelry was emblematic of the way she dressed–very elegant and sophisticated.” Scrolling through the lots is a delicious, voyeuristic journey. There are, of course, plenty of diamonds: a ring set with a 10-plus carat pear-shaped sparkler, a Rivière necklace, studs weighing in at over 6 carats a piece.
While many of the diamond pieces aren’t attributed to a specific designer, the Pressmans collection checks many storied brand boxes: Cartier (diamond and sapphire “Panthère” hoop earrings), Bulgari (a yellow gold and diamond necklace with matching bracelet from the 1980s), Tiffany & Co. (a pendant watch necklace), David Webb (diamond hoop earrings), Harry Winston (Jacques Timey-designed diamond swirl earrings), and Van Cleef & Arpels (a yellow gold bracelet with an array of colored diamonds). Intriguing outliers include a minimalist yellow gold oval link necklace by Georg Jensen, and several Art Deco pieces. “Somebody like Phyllis Pressman had access to an enormous quantity of jewelry,” observed Matteini. “It’s so interesting to see what she chose to put in her own collection.”
Freeman’s | Hindman’s Important Jewelry auction takes place on September 16 in Chicago.