Christie's sale of Austrian heiress' jewels stirs criticism

(9 May 2023)
SWITZERLAND JEWELLERY AUCTION
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
LENGTH: 05:45
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Geneva, Switzerland - 8 May 2023
1. Various of jewellery on display
2. Sale poster reading (English): "The world of Heidi Horten: an unparalleled collection of jewellery"
3. People looking at jewellery
4. Wide of one of the preview rooms
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Max Fawcett, head of jewellery department, Jewellery, Christie’s Geneva:
"There is a huge amount of jewellery from all of the famous jewellery houses: Cartier, Bulgari, Van Cleef, Harry Winston. It really is an array of the best of the best from the jewellers in the 1970s and 1980s and even on into the 2000s."
6. Various of jewellery on display
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Würzberg, Germany - 9 May 2023
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Hoeres, historian, University of Würzberg: ++VIDEO CALL++
"There was no confiscation. He bought, but to be sure he profited. He took advantage from the bad circumstances, from the pressure (to sell their stores to emigrate) to the Jewish owners."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Geneva, Switzerland - 8 May 2023
8. Various of jewellery on display
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Los Angeles, California, US - 9 May 2023
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean, Simon Wiesenthal Center: ++VIDEO CALL++
"Number one, if Christie's wants to do the right thing, and they should, they need to halt the sale, halt it now before it's complete. Number two, they should make an effort, now we live in the social media world it can't be that difficult to make a global effort to try to identify the rightful heirs of these items."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Geneva, Switzerland - 8 May 2023
10. Various of Bulgari jewellery
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Max Fawcett, head of jewellery department, Jewellery, Christie’s Geneva:
"Mr Horten's business activities during the Second World War are well-documented, and that is something that Christie's carefully considered when pitching for this collection. And we took on this collection in the understanding that 100% of the final sale proceeds will go to philanthropic causes. I think that was very important. We wanted to be transparent about that and hopefully, we cannot erase history, but hopefully the money from this sale will go to do good in the future."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Geneva, Switzerland - 8 May 2023
12. Rahul Kadakia, head of jewellery, Christie’s International, taking a photo
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Rahul Kadakia, head of jewellery, Christie’s International:
"This is a three-strand natural pearl necklace. These pearls most likely originated from the Gulf region, which is where the best natural pearls were mined, from oysters, and the clasp of the necklace is an 11-carat pink diamond. So quite a special necklace, very important sizes, very nice pink diamond clasp. It’s estimated between 7 and 10 million dollars, and we expect it to sell over the $10-million mark."
14. Close of necklace held by Kadakia
15. Sign on display case reading (English) "The Briolette of India"
16. Employee taking necklace out of display case
17. Various of employee showing the necklace
18. Pull focus of employee showing Bulgari earring
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Max Fawcett, head of jewellery department, Jewellery, Christie’s Geneva:
20. Various of "The Great Mogul" necklace
21. Bulgari set on display
22. Employee taking some pieces out of a display case
LEADIN:
Expected to reap around $150 million, the sale has stirred criticism.
STORYLINE:
Seven hundred pieces of dazzling jewellery are going up for auction.
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[@corgeousgeorge]

"100 percent of the proceeds will go to philanthropic organizations" = 99.9 percent will go to the "charitable trust" that the family made for themselves and appointed themselves to the board of and will get to decide what is done with that money and pay themselves a salary of 10 million a year for 20 yrs.

[@cellocat-sm8lx]

Why are they not wearing gloves handling these beauties?

[@janejdough2230]

If forced to sell because to the extermination is should be considered stolen.

[@pumpkindiamond994]

No it is not considered stolen by law but you can call then greedy. But aren't the jews businessmen arw also known to be greedy?

[@francoveritas2]

97% of the jewelry was manufactured decades after the holocaust. The acquisition of ALL of the collection of this highly disgraceful Heidi Horten was done with money stolen or short changed in the forced sales of Jewish Owned companies by the disgusting husband of this gold digger female.

[@lindaflowerpower8498]

@@francoveritas2 👍 very honest comment!! I wonder why YT has not yet cancelled

[@Jmittle101]

So what’s the story here?

[@ethanshusband8913]

Her husband was involved heavily with Nazi's and some of the jewelry was stolen from the Jewish community.

[@gasparma2316]

Sad I hate seeing such beauties go I to auction instead of staying within the family.

[@vincentmancini6279]

Families!!!!! Sad

[@robbk5738]

No

[@carminarosariolizarragapar4626]

Bellezas de joyas

[@kobaltblau]

Ich find´s toll, dass die Heidi sich so viel Schmuck leisten konnte.

[@Nicolas-Picolas]

Im the rightful owner she stole this and my inheritance!

[@Nicolas-Picolas]

THIS BELONGS TO ME! THIS IS THE NASHVILLE SCHOOL SHOOTER NOT HEIRESS!

[@SoklengjeverychannelKh-ws8le]

Hello I'm from Cambodia

[@mikegreen1095]

First

[@nancyadamson286]

Gawd. Get a life. There is a serious issue here.

[@francoveritas2]

Shame on Christie’s and their rotten decision to go ahead with the auction even after they received millions of complaints!! 7 generations of the most important $$$$ Jewish families will boycott the disgraceful auction house! Only 7 generations! Afterwards if Christie’s still exists, we will not witness it ourselves, but they will pay the price for their shameless behavior!!

[@ΔήμοςΜετεώρων]

Free 🍉

[@francoveritas2]

@@ΔήμοςΜετεώρωνgive it to your mama! She needs it, not me!

[@Nicolas-Picolas]

PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS! IM THE QUEEN OF HEVEN, DNA BACK TO EVE!