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.
Barry Kieselstein-Cord is a quintessential American designer who has consistently created strong classical jewelry in his signature matte gold with colored gems and diamonds. Kieselstein-Cord began his artistic journey while studying at the Parson Schools of Design and the American Craft Institute. In 1972, he founded his namesake company, which not only dives into jewelry, but also handbags, home furnishings, and belts. His first collection focused heavily in the more affordable sterling silver, which he presented to Remica Russell, the fine jewelry buyer for Georg Jensen. She agreed to showcase the collection at the Georg Jensen U.S. flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York City. This skyrocketed Kieselstein-Cord's career, as the collection was universally well received. With wearable pieces that are widely appealing it’s not hard to imagine how he acquired notable patrons such as Oprah, Andy Warhol, and Louise Nevelson. More recently Billie Eilish wore his serpent buckle belt for a ‘V’ magazine shoot. In 1976, he introduced gold and semi-precious stones in his ‘Pompeii’ and ‘Borgia’ collections. Today, his work can be found in The Louvre, Paris, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Houston Museum of Fine Art.
Now often referred to as BKC, Keiselstein-Cord jewelry has an important place in the canon of American jewelry.
Upcoming Lots Barry Kieselstein-Cord
Auction Results Barry Kieselstein-Cord
