Cartier Sautoir Worn in ‘The Great Gatsby’ Headlines Upcoming Christie’s Sale

By Annie Davidson Watson | April 20, 2026

If you’ve ever watched The Great Gatsby starring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow and wondered what happened to those fabulous jewels, Christie’s has an answer for you. A 1925 Cartier emerald and pearl sautoir worn in the film by actress Lois Chiles (as Jordan Baker) is set to be a highlight of Christie’s May 13 Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva.

The necklace, estimated at $310,000 to $510,000 (converted from 240,000 to 400,000 Swiss francs), was no prop department rental for the 1974 movie. Costume designer Theoni V. Aldredge, who would take home an Oscar for her work on the film, teamed with Cartier and longtime house designer Alfred Durante to dress the entire principal female cast in real art deco jewelry from the maison.

The sautoir, which also features diamonds, was originally commissioned in 1925—the same year F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby was published—by one of Cartier’s most important clients, who already owned the 86.71 ct. emerald pendant carved with the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati.

Boucheron necklace — *Boucheron art deco necklace with rubies, diamonds, onyx, and emeralds, estimate $310,000–$510,000 (CHF 240,000–400,000)*

Another extraordinary necklace from 1925, a Boucheron ruby and diamond piece with onyx and emeralds, will be on the block next month at Christie’s too, carrying an identical estimate to the Gatsby piece. Boucheron exhibited the necklace at the 1925 Paris show known as the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, the event that essentially gave art deco its name. It has detachable parts, so it can be worn as two bracelets and a choker. (Versatility was apparently a thing even then.)

Art deco necklace — *Cartier art deco necklace with garnets and diamonds, estimate $205,000–$310,000 (CHF 160,000–240,000)*

The art deco section of Christie’s sale also includes a Cartier diamond tiara (estimate $335,000–$620,000, converted from CHF 260,000–480,000), a Van Cleef & Arpels sapphire and diamond “Fuchsia” mystery-set clip-brooch (estimate between $130,000 and $195,000), and a garnet and diamond necklace attributed to Cartier (pictured above). The Magnificent Jewels auction will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues.

(Photos courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd. 2026)

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