Making a Statement: The Jewelry of Madeleine Albright
The powerful statement-making jewelry of the late Secretary of State Madeleine Albright earns a vote of approval from collectors at auction.
A piece of statement jewelry is meant to grab attention to the wearer’s personal style and taste. In the case of the late Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (1937-2022), pieces she wore also sent messages to powerful people around the world.
A famous example of this is after Albright criticized the late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein when she was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, his poet-in-residence called her an “unparalleled serpent.” The next time she met with Iraqi officials, Albright wore a snake pin, sending the diplomatic message: “Don’t tread on me,” proving that a well-chosen piece of jewelry can literally be a statement piece.
Statement brooches continued to be Albright’s sartorial signature after she became the first woman to serve as the Secretary of State under former President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001. She became so deft at using jewelry as a diplomatic tool that her collection was showcased in the 2009 exhibit, “Read My Pins,” which toured the country for years.
It’s no surprise then that when Freeman’s|Hindman offered many of her celebrated pins at “The Private Collection of Secretary Madeleine K. Albright” auction May 7-8, they dominated the top lots, along with other pieces of her jewelry.
While it wasn’t the infamous piece she wore for Iraqi officials, a green and white rhinestone snake pin sold for $5,398, commanding almost 20 times its high estimate of $300. The pin, included in the “Read My Pins” exhibit, was made by renowned costume jewelry designer Kenneth Jay Lane, whose work is always in demand with collectors.
Albright’s patriotic-themed pieces were also hits with bidders, including her brooch of a 14-karat rose gold leopard with emerald eyes and a black-and-white diamond body draped in an American flag of rubies, sapphires and white diamonds that sold for $10,795, more than three times its high estimate of $3,000, and a lot of three costume jewelry eagle pins that fetched $5,080, more than seven times the high estimate of $700. Eagles were prominent in Albright’s collection, and she gifted eagle pins to women foreign ministers.
The top lot in the sale was Albright’s “Fireworks” choker necklace that brought $24,130 (estimate was $12,000-$18,000). Made by Bulgari, the white gold piece has 185 round brilliant-cut diamonds.
Another top seller was a double-strand choker by Mikimoto of multi-colored cultured pearls accented by colored diamonds and a pearl drop that sold for $13,970, nearly double its high estimate of $8,000.
Bidders were highly keen on other Albright pieces that reflected her interests and personal journey, also pushing them way above their estimates: A collection of suffragette-themed pieces sold for $6,985, almost 10 times the pre-sale estimate of $700 to $900; a silver and enamel Art Nouveau owl brooch by Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, a nod to Albright’s own heritage, fetched $6,033, soaring high above its estimate of $300-$500; and a glass and gold foil Breaking the Glass Ceiling pin, designed for Albright by glass fusion artist Vivian Shimoyama, sold for $4,763, shattering its estimate of $500-$700.
For more information on the auction, visit hindmanauctions.com.
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