Christie’s to Sell Jewels From Late Italian Movie Star Claudia Cardinale

By Annie Davidson Watson | May 12, 2026

Actress Claudia Cardinale, who passed away last September at age 87, left behind one of the great filmographies in the history of Italian cinema—and, it turns out, an impressive jewelry collection as well.

Christie’s will offer approximately 20 Cardinale pieces in its online Paris jewelry sale June 19 to 26. The timing is poignant, as the auction falls just a few weeks after the Cannes Film Festival, where Cardinale had been a fixture for decades, first appearing on its red carpet in 1961.

The top lot from Cardinale’s collection is a Bulgari Serpenti enamel and sapphire bracelet watch from around 1965. For Cardinale, Bulgari was a natural extension of the world she inhabited as a star of Roman studio Cinecittà’s heyday.

Cardinale’s 1966 gold fox brooch by Bulgari will also be offered, with a presale estimate of €7,000 to €10,000 (about $8,200–$11,800). Three Bulgari rings round out the maison’s presence in the Cardinale sale: one with diamonds encircling a large ruby, one an emerald and diamond Trombino, and one featuring a star sapphire ring (estimate €50,000 to €80,000).

ruby ring — *Bulgari ring with ruby and diamonds, estimate €80,000–€100,000 ($94,000–$118,000)*

emerald ring — *Bulgari Trombino ring with emerald and diamonds, estimate €60,000–€80,000 ($71,000–$94,000)*

Italian jeweler Buccellati is well represented too, with several floral brooches, a complete parure, and an antique butterfly brooch (the butterfly is a signature Buccellati motif).

From Place Vendôme, the sale includes a Van Cleef & Arpels gold powder compact at €15,000 to €25,000 and several Cartier watches, among them a gold Tank model (estimated at €8,000– €10,000).

buccellati brooch — *Buccellati antique butterfly brooch with enamel, rubies, sapphires, and diamonds, estimate €20,000–€30,000 ($23,600–$35,300)*

Van Cleef’s connection to Cardinale runs deeper than a compact: The house designed a head jewel for her role in the 1963 film The Pink Panther, making her its muse for several years afterward.

Lots in the Joaillerie Paris auction will be on view at Christie’s Paris from June 19 to 26.

Top: Claudia Cardinale in 1964, wearing an early-20th-century necklace with 12 to 14 cts. old- and rose-cut diamonds that has a Christie’s estimate of €10,000 to €15,000 (photos courtesy of Christie’s Ltd. 2026)

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