Bonhams will present more than 200 jewels from the Estate of George and Charlotte Shultz on May 23, 2022, including more than 70 pieces from Tiffany & Co. Charlotte wore her jewels to receive Queen Elizabeth II, Pope John Paul II, and countless world leaders as San Francisco’s chief of protocol for more than fifty years, serving ten mayors. She found her perfect match in George Shultz, a great American statesman who served as secretary of state under President Ronald Reagan and held four different cabinet positions under three presidents. Their personal collection will be featured in a dedicated sale at Bonhams New York that will celebrate their life of philanthropy and elegance.

Charlotte and George dedicated their lives to public service, and Charlotte’s contributions to the city of San Francisco were unmatched. From hosting galas to climate summits, Charlotte was devoted to every cause, served on many boards, and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, in addition to volunteering in her position for the city. The black-tie events that Charlotte had a hand in planning (and attended with George) required beautiful designer gowns from Caroline Herrera and Oscar de la Renta matched with exceptional jewelry. George never missed a chance to gift jewels to the willowy blonde who favored solid colors and perfect tailoring. It was fitting that Tiffany & Co., the most important American jeweler since 1893, was their favorite designer.

The hundreds of pieces of jewelry in the Shultz collection include museum quality works, particularly two of Jean Schlumberger’s greatest designs for Tiffany & Co., the “Hedges and Rows” necklace and the “Scarf” necklace. Charlotte wore the yellow beryl, turquoise and diamond “Hedges and Rows” necklace (Estimate: $150,000-200,000) to several galas and photographs show her alternately matching it with beautiful yellow and deep teal gowns which emphasized the graduated cascade of foliate tendrils perfectly. She wore the “Scarf” necklace (Estimate: US$100,000-150,000) to the Find Your Light gala alongside Tony Bennett, with the articulated swag design of round sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds on a gold rope motif paired with a multi-colored sequined dress.