JEWELS FROM THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF PRINCESS SALIMAH AGA KHAN AT CHRISTIE'S IN GENEVA

          Hotel Richemond, Geneva - Monday, November 13, 1995

LONDON, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Magnificent jewelry, part of the personal Collection of Princess Salimah Aga Khan, is to be sold by Christie's in Geneva on Monday, November 13, 1995. A proportion of the proceeds of the sale will be given by Princess Salimah to a charitable cause of her choice.

The Collection is the most sumptuous to have appeared on the market since the sale of the Duchess of Windsor's jewels in 1987.

The Collection comprises over two hundred and fifty pieces of important jewelry, which Princess Salimah inherited from her grandmothers and fabulous pieces which she received as gifts.

Most of these exceptional pieces were specially designed for the Princess, a celebrated beauty, by the greatest jewelers of this century.

Magnificent suites of carved emeralds and diamonds, parures of rubies and diamonds, designed for Princess Salimah by Van Cleef & Arples, Cartier and Boucheron in Paris, together with Buccellati in Rome, often using antique stones set in light airy designs, are to be offered alongside splendid jewels for day and evening by Bulgari, Harry Winston, Tiffany-Schlumberger and Marina B.

"The attraction of a jewel is not just in its value or in the pleasure of wearing it, but above all in its design and in the talent of the workmanship that turns stones into magic," says Princess Salimah. "It is this quality that speaks to you and makes each piece of jewelry unique."

"This is the first time in my twenty five years as a jewelry specialist at Christie's, that we are offering such a complete and magnificent jewelry collection for sale," said Francois Curiel, Director of Christie's International Jewelry Department. "Not only does it comprise exquisite pieces by the most famous makers, but it also includes several gemstones of the highest quality such as 'The Begum Blue' diamond of 13.78 carats, which will cause a sensation in the world of colored diamond collectors."

The highlight of Princess Salimah Aga Khan's personal Collection is 'The Begum Blue,' a glorious fancy deep blue heart-shaped diamond of 13.78 carats. This wonderful diamond forms the center-piece of a diamond pendant necklace, comprising forty-one heart-shaped diamonds. 'The Begum Blue' diamond is the focal point of, and pendant to, this truly fabulous necklace. A second exceptional heart-shaped diamond, of 16.04 carats, D color, Internally Flawless, is in turn, suspended from 'The Begum Blue.' The necklace together with the two diamonds is expected to realize over $7 million.

A pear-shaped 16.66 carat D color diamond ring by Van Cleef & Arpels which Princess Salimah often wore with a diamond brooch set with marquise and pear shaped diamonds by Harry Winston, is included in the sale. The ring is estimated at over $400,000. The brooch is estimated by over $160,000. A magnificent suite of emerald and diamond jewelry by Cartier, comprising a pendant necklace, a superb ring and brooch and a pair of ear-pendants is expected to realize over $850,000.

The Collection also includes a selection of pieces by the noted Roman jeweler Buccellati typifying the evocative delicate designs inspired by the art of renaissance goldsmiths, for which this jeweler is renowned. This includes a suite of important ruby and diamond jewelry, which is estimated at over $200,000.

In a different, yet still delicate mood, a group of Indian Moghul jewelry is included in the sale, among which is an 18th Century 'Fish' necklace, an interesting example of the Moghul art of enameling. It is estimated at over $10,000.

In complete contrast is a small group of designs from Angela Pintaldi, a rising young jewelry designer from Milan, among which is a 'scarf' formed of many strands of river pearls.

Christie's will be exhibiting Jewels from the Personal Collection of Princess Salimah Aga Khan in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore and Seoul, before the pre-sale view in Geneva from November 10 to 13.

For further information & photographs contact Christie's Press Office, 0171-389-2117, or Fax: [phone].

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/NOTE TO EDITORS: Princess Salimah Aga Khan will not make a statement or give any interviews until after the sale./

/CONTACT: Susan Adams, in London, 171-389-2965, or Kristen Aldrich, in New York, 212-546-1121, both of Christie's/

CO: Christie's ST: New York, California IN: SU:

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