A Woman of Substance takes her jewellery to auction

Bonhams London will auction a jewelry collection from novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford in December. Selected jewels include 40 pieces the author has collected to date, during her 49-year marriage to film and TV producer Robert Bradford, such as a 14.07-carat, G, VS1 cushion-shape diamond single stone ring, an antique sapphire and diamond brooch, a pair of cultured pearl and diamond earclips and an 18.37-carat sapphire ring.

Bonhams scheduled a presale tour of the collection in October for New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, followed by viewing in Hong Kong on November 20. Bonhams will display the collection in London from November 30 and the sale is scheduled for December 5.

The author, who has sold 88 million books worldwide, said much of the collection had been languishing unworn in a drawer in her New York home, but declined to reveal which family members would be sharing the proceeds of the auction.