"I have so much and cannot wear it all, and I like you Miss Gus." With these words, Barbara Hutton presented a stunning ring to her Swedish physiotherapist Karin Gustafson, called "Miss Gus." In 1935, Hutton was staying in Egypt in a hotel not far from the pyramids of Giza. Gustafson enthusiastically told her aunt in Sweden about the gift in a letter, stamped February 13, 1935.
The ring was from Cartier, one of Hutton's favorite jewelers. It was cut from a single rock crystal in the 1920s or early 1930s and crowned with a star-shaped platinum setting set with white diamonds in transitional and single cuts, making it a dreamlike piece of Art Deco jewelry.
"It’s an absolutely lovely story about Hutton’s generosity," says Stefan Gustavsson, Head of Jewellery Department at Kaplans Auktioner in Stockholm, where the ring will be auctioned on June 3 as one of the highlights of the Important Jewellery auction. "This ring has never been put up for sale before, which makes this auction particularly exciting."
Generosity had been one of Barbara Hutton's most endearing qualities. As a Woolworth heiress, she had an immense fortune. In fact, she was one of the richest, if not the richest, woman of her time.
But Barbara Hutton also spoiled herself extensively. She owned houses all over the world and a jewelry collection that was second to none. But, as Karin Gustafson described in her letter, Hutton simply "couldn't carry it all."
"Jewelry sold with this type of provenance at auction tends to attract a lot of attention," said Gustavsson. "We’re extremely honored to be the auction house that brings this ring to the market."
The Important Jewellery auction will take place on June 3 at Kaplans Auktioner in Stockholm. The estimated price is SEK 320,000 (about $30,600).