Sterling Associates to auction fine jewelry, art and other treasures from estates and upscale New Jersey-area residences, Nov. 8

Featured: Gold & diamond snake bracelet, beautiful selection of Tiffany & other floral brooches, diamond dangle earrings, after Rembrandt Bugatti bronze, U-boat torpedo, 40 paperweights

NORWOOD, N.J. – Sterling Associates, one of the Northeast’s most trusted specialists in the sale of fine estate and personal property, takes pleasure in announcing highlights of their November 8, 2023 Fall Jewelry and Antiques Auction. Several upscale estates and collections from the New Jersey/New York and Connecticut tri-state region are represented in the 140-lot boutique event, which glitters with exquisite jewelry including designs by Tiffany. Bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.

The jewelry trove includes more than 50 lots of bracelets, necklaces, earrings and figural brooches, which are currently in high demand with the fashion-forward Hollywood crowd. “They’ve become unisex statement pieces,” said Sterling Associates’ owner, Stephen D’Atri. “It’s even quite trendy for men to wear brooches, now. Football players looking for something different are wearing large, beautiful fine-jewelry brooches on their jackets, along with diamond and black-pearl necklaces.”

A stunning rose-form pin brooch by Erwin Pearl, a distinguished and award-winning New York jewelry designer, is made of 18K gold accented by round diamonds with an approximate total diamond weight of .9 carats or 30.1 grams. It measures 66mm by 36.5mm and is estimated at $2,000-$2,500. 

Another fabulous bejeweled flower pin has a sinuous shape and is made from 18K gold, spinach jade and crystal, with a cluster of diamonds (.50 carats) at its center and seven pear-shape emeralds (56g gross weight) to simulate anthers. The eye-catching adornment is offered with a $2,000-$3,000 estimate. 

Two 18K-gold flower-form brooches by Tiffany will be auctioned as consecutive lots, each carrying a $1,000-$1,200 estimate. Both designs incorporate 9 round rubies, the first having a total gem weight of 14.5 grams, and the second, 16.6 grams.

Where you find flowers, you’ll find butterflies, and the November 8 auction is no exception. Lot 8 is a magnificent production created from 18K gold with 18 round diamonds (approximately .60 carats) or G color and SI1 clarity; and six baguette emeralds (20.2 grams). No fine detail or subtle accent has been spared in this design, which displays a very high level of artistry throughout. The pre-sale estimate is $1,000-$1,200.

Snake-form bracelets have graced the collections of prestigious Italian and French jewelers for more than a century. Whenever a particularly attractive or exotic example appears at auction, it usually gravitates to the spotlight with ease. Such is the case with Lot 39, a 14K gold, diamond, jade and amethyst design with multicolored enamel. It is very nicely articulated and detailed to show wide eyes and serrated teeth, with a bezeled amethyst dangling from its lower lip. The total weight is 40.3 grams, and the auction estimate is $2,500-$3,000.

Another top highlight is the dazzling pair of circa-1950s 18K gold and diamond long-drop earrings. Its post-Art Deco design shows off approximately 104 rose-cut diamonds with a total weight of 3.5 carats of 21 grams. Just in time for holiday parties or gift-giving, these elegant heirloom earrings are expected to sell in the vicinity of $2,000-$3,000.

Also adding color and beauty to the auction selection are 40 paperweights by Baccarat, Perthshire, St Louis, and other sought-after names. All are from a single Bergen County, New Jersey estate. They are primarily circa-1970s productions, but several are antique, including one of “scramble glass,” which is estimated at $200-$300. 

The fine art section is led by a beautiful and very well-cast bronze, after Rembrandt Bugatti (Italian, 1884-1916), and titled Lione et Lionne de Nubie (Lion and Lioness of Nubia). A member of the famed Bugatti family of fine artists and automotive designers, Rembrandt Bugatti distinguished himself as a sculptor of wildlife subjects well before such depictions became a staple of the Art Deco era. The auction piece, which measures 34 inches long, bears an indistinct foundry mark. Stephen D’Atri observed: “In my opinion, it is not a period casting, but most likely was cast in the 1960s to 1980s.” Note: A different Bugatti bronze titled Lione et Lionne de Nubie sold at Phillips in 2018 for $1,095,000. It was described in the auction catalog as having been conceived circa 1909-1910 and cast before 1934 as number 6 of an edition of 7. The later variant bronze entered in Sterling Associates’ sale is estimated at $1,000-$1,500. 

Certainly the most unusual item in the auction is what appears to be a torpedo’s rear section from a World War II German U-boat G7A. Its former owner, an antique militaria specialist in Parma, Italy, purported that the object came from the set of the 1981 West German film classic Das Boot. Although it has undergone careful research and scrutiny, it is uncertain whether the curiosity is an altered original period piece or possibly a purpose-made movie prop. Its country of origin is a mystery, as well. It measures 5ft by 2½ft and is constructed of steel and brass-colored plated metal. “If live, a torpedo of this type would have carried a 280 kilogram charge,” D’Atri noted. “Whether it is was an actual wartime munition that became a movie prop, was purpose-made for use in the film, or is neither, this is the kind of thing that could easily be turned into a floor-lamp base or some other offbeat furnishing.” Estimate: $2,000-$3,000

Sterling Associates’ Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023 online/phone/absentee auction will follow the same innovative blueprint which owner Stephen D’Atri has employed since first opening the doors to his brick-and-mortar business. The auction will begin at 5pm US Eastern Time and will be conducted online via LiveAuctioneers, exactly like a gallery auction, but without a live audience in attendance. Absentee bids will also be accepted. All items may be previewed through the online catalog or in person at Sterling Associates’ gallery by appointment only. Winning bidders have the option of picking up their auction purchases at Sterling Associates’ premises at 537 Broadway, Norwood, NJ 07648. Alternatively, goods can be shipped anywhere in the world.

For additional information on any item, call 201-768-1140 or email [email protected]. Online: http://www.antiquenj.com. View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live online through LiveAuctioneers.