One of Wallis Simpson's most famous sayings was that "You can never be too rich or too thin," and she could well have extended the aphorism to say ... "or have too much bling." The stylish American for whom King Edward VIII gave up his throne had another epic love affair: with jewellery. Yet her baubles were more than just expensive adornments. Through them, history, fashion and romance are perfectly combined and preserved forever.
In the opinion of David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby's Jewellery in Europe and the Middle East, Simpson's jewels are "the most important jewellery collection put together in the 20th century". When her collection was first sold by Sotheby's in 1987, the year after the Duchess of Windsor died (the sale was announced on 12 December 1986, exactly 50 years after the abdication), the auction held in Geneva caused a huge wave of interest. It eventually raised $50m (£31m) and set a new world record for a single-owner jewellery collection.
Today, 20 pieces bought from the original collection will be sold at Sotheby's, and are estimated to reach in the region of £3m. If the $43m difference between the estimate and the final figures for the 1987 sale are anything to go by, today's auction will raise considerably more than the estimate. While buying baubles at this level is the preserve of the super rich, it continues to fascinate a much wider group of people. Jewellery remains the most potent symbol of extreme emotions; of passion, faith, hope, power and greed. As Richard Edgecumbe, jewellery curator at the V&A told me when the museum opened a new jewellery gallery two-and-a-half years ago: "Jewels are a potent link with the past, a celebration of art and craftsmanship, and an embodiment of deep human emotions."
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