Jewelry Belonging to Victoria, Lady de Rothschild, Heads to Auction
Pieces from the style icon’s personal collection will go up for sale at UK auction house Dreweatts in March.

The auction is scheduled for March 8 and 9, featuring her jewelry as well as a selection of silver and tableware.
Victoria, Lady de Rothschild, was born in Daytona Beach, Florida on Sept. 17, 1949, as Victoria Lou Schott, according to her obituary in The New York Times.
Born into a wealthy family, her father, Lewis M. Schott, was a lawyer and a businessman, while her mother Marcia Lou Whitney was a descendant of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Victoria was a successful woman in her own right, earning a B.A. in economics and later studying at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.
In 1973, she married British financier Evelyn de Rothschild, a member of the Rothschild family. They had three children together, Jessica, Anthony, and David.
In addition to being a style icon, Victoria was a philanthropist, patron of the arts, and an avid collector, particularly of art and design pieces by 20th- and 21st-century designers.
She died Jan. 18, 2021, at the age of 71.
Her style was simple and clean, said Dreweatts, and so many of her jewels are statement beads, made by modern designers and craftsmen.
“She was a true champion of modern design and supported upcoming designers and artisans, which is demonstrated by the exciting pieces offered in the sale,” said James Nicholson, deputy chairman and international head of jewelry, silver and watches at Dreweatts.
“Her impeccable taste was much celebrated and I’m sure therefore that this collection will prove to be very popular.”
Among the highlights of the sale is a Modernist style gold-colored disc necklace by American jeweler and sculptor Irena Borzena Ustjanowski, known artistically as “IBU.” The necklace is estimated to sell for £4,000 to £6,000 ($5,400-$8,100).
A Boucheron pink sapphire and ruby ring (seen above) in the shape of a coiled serpent will also hit the auction block. Its eyes are set with cabochon emeralds and its tail is set with a black diamond.
The signed piece is estimated to sell for £2,000 to £3,000 ($2,700-$4,000).
Also heading to auction is a lapis lazuli and gold-colored necklace from contemporary British designer Jacqueline Ryan.
Ryan’s nature-inspired, organic forms spoke to Rothschild’s style, said Dreweatts, making the designer a favorite of hers.
The statement necklace is expected to sell for £1,500 to £2,000 ($2,000-$2,700)
A necklace by Algerian designer Taher Chemirk, also in the Modernist style, also is part of the sale.
The necklace features an azurite crystal set with a pair of brilliant-cut diamonds in a bezel setting with circular panels of cornelian and banded agate.
Chemirk’s work is characterized by his simplified shapes and clean lines as well as his experimentation with new and unusual materials, said Dreweatts.
The necklace is expected to sell for £700 to £1,000 ($950-$1,300).
A gold-colored and stainless-steel necklace by German designer Dorothea Prühl is another auction highlight.
Titled “Haken,” the necklace features circular links with lightning bolt-shaped gold-colored connectors.
Similar to Rothschild’s pieces from Jacqueline Ryan, Prühl’s work is also inspired by nature. The necklace is expected to sell for £300 to £500 ($400-$675).
A collection of Rothschild’s personal items was auctioned at Christie’s in December 2021, prior to her death that January, bringing in nearly £3.8 million ($5.1 million).
The Latest

One is the driver who allegedly crashed a car into a Sacramento jewelry store in April, striking a 71-year-old employee who later died.

In a new column, Peter Smith posits that people actually enjoy putting together IKEA furniture, and the same is true for engagement rings.

9lakha Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey, was the target of a smash-and-grab robbery on Aug. 8.

Retailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.

The jeweler has partnered with Jenner’s 818 Tequila brand to gift lab-grown diamond studs to a bride-to-be and their bridal party.


The exhibition will feature more than 100 drawings of stained-glass lampshades, windows, and more, many created by women and émigrés.

Marquise-cut diamonds in drop charms are the center of the new collection, reflecting the movement of a dancer in modular styles.

Colored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.

The inaugural Fort Lauderdale Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show will be held from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, 2027.

The family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.

Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.

The reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.

Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association

In the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.

Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.

The expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.

The lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.

The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.

Two suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.

Finsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.

Michel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.

Longtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.

Jamie Cygielman will take on the role on Aug. 24.

Moore, Polly’s husband, is remembered as a family man with an easygoing spirit and a love for sports and the outdoors.

Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams share the best ways to display, present, and explain colored gemstones to younger customers.

The mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers will take place Sept. 5-6 on Zoom.

Honest Hands Ring Co. Founder Benjamin Bosworth shared his thoughts on jewelry technology and why AI can never replace the human element.
























