Rago Auctions

This exceptional one-of-a-kind brooch once belonged to the pioneering Helen Gurley Brown, best known for her role in reinventing Cosmopolitan and for advocating for women’s sexual freedom. Brown became the editor in chief for Cosmopolitan in 1965 and held that title until 1997. She continued her work for the publication as the U.S. editor and International editor until her death in 2012. 

Helen Gurley Brown gave Ellen Levine her first shot at running a publication, a short-lived Cosmo offshoot and helped her get the role of editor in chief at Woman’s Day magazine. In 2016, Levine wrote, “Working for Helen changed everything. She mentored me on dozens of issues, from how to compose a Cosmo caption to how to move up in our industry.”

A gift from Brown to Levine, this brooch is not only a beautiful display of Webb’s exceptional gem work, it is also symbolic of a friendship between two powerful women who have helped to reshape the role of women in society. 

The present lot comes from the esteemed collection of Richard and Ellen Levine. Ellen Levine made her way to the top of the magazine publishing industry, becoming the first female editor in chief for Good Housekeeping and helping to found O, The Oprah Magazine, before taking a role as the editorial director of Hearst Magazines. Levine recognized her audience and was an outspoken advocate for women’s health. Further, Levine evoked positive change when she was appointed to the President’s commission on pornography in 1985 and in 1999, she was honored for a special report she wrote on colon cancer. 

Her husband, Richard Levine was a top OBGYN in New York and renowned in his field for innovative and minimally invasive surgical techniques. He was a mentor and professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University teaching generations of doctors to provide thoughtful and caring treatments. Together, the two were a New York City power couple. 

The jewelry offered here reflects Ellen’s fabulous sense of style and her no-nonsense attitude. Her collection features fine jewelry suited for everyday wear including earrings by Schlumberger, Cartier, Bulgari and Tiffany & Co. and brooches which she would pin to the center of her shirts or to the lapel of her jackets. A few evening pieces such as the pair of Buccellati diamond and silver earrings accent her collection and compliment her often admired hair.