Christie’s is organising an auction of its largest private collection of jewellery parures at Dubai’s Jumeirah Tower Hotel on 27 October 2010. The word “parure” refers to a set of three or more matching pieces of jewellery, traditionally consisting of a necklace, bracelet, ring and a pair of earrings. Christie’s jewellery suites to be presented, comprise of 41 parures signed by Chatila, Jahan and Mouawad, and add upto a total of 2,180 carats of rubies, 1,970 carats of emeralds, 1,630 carats of sapphires and 6,460 carats of diamonds.

David Warren, International Director of Christie’s Jewellery department and Head of Jewellery Middle East says: “This is a significant opportunity for anyone who is passionate about jewellery. From Ancient Egypt through to 1950s Hollywood glamour and beyond, the parure provides the ultimate jewellery gift. Whether you wear a single ring or you wear the whole suite, a parure provides flexibility, variety and extravagance to last a lifetime.”

Each of the 41 lots consists of earrings, a ring, a matching necklace and bracelet and will be accompanied by a certificate from its maker. Estimates range from $40,000 to $400,000 and all lots will be offered without reserve. Some of the lots include:

13 emerald parures. The highlight amongst these is one signed by Jahan, featuring a necklace set with seven large pear-shaped Colombian emeralds weighing a total of 158.52 carats; a bracelet, ear pendants and ring en suite. (estimate: $350,000-450,000).

10 sapphire parures will be offered. The highlight is a bracelet with 375 carats of Ceylon sapphires and 164 carats in diamonds of 180.84 carats, and will be offered individually (estimate: $250,000-350,000).

12 ruby parures: A Suite by Chatila is one of the highlights, featuring a necklace with five rows of oval-shaped rubies with diamond intersections, with bracelet, ear pendants and ring. (estimate: $250,000-300,000).

4 diamond parures amongst which the highlight is a demi-parure by Chatila, composed of necklace and ear-pendants, containing a staggering 340.09 carats of Marquise, pear and round brilliant cut diamonds (estimate: $250,000-350,000).

Christie’s auction of International Modern and Contemporary Art is slated at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel on Tuesday, 26 October 2010 and its auction of Jewels and Watches; The Dubai Sale, is slated at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel on 27 October 2010.

Back in 2006, Christie’s had featured the Gulf pearl parure, by Harry Winston in Dubai, and achieved a record price of $4.1 million for the parure in a sale in Geneva.