With a passion for history, travel, music, literature, and design, Doña Yolanda Eleta de Fierro amassed an exquisite collection of pieces from Bulgari, David Webb, and Tiffany & Co., reflecting her unwavering commitment to bold jewelry pursuits.
It is said that Doña Yolanda Eleta de Fierro creatively combined travel with history and learning, as evidenced by her Maison Jansen-style mansion on Calle Serrano.
It is in her jewelry that we see the outward expression of her unique eye. Throughout a life filled with social engagements and in a home brimming with entertainment, she owned and frequently wore a diverse array of exceptional jewels.
From opulent gemstones and diamonds to antique yellow hammered beads, from classic Tiffany & Co. and Cartier to trendy mid-century designers like Seaman Schepps and Andrew Clunn, we can see these pieces united through bold color and form in her home collection.
Born in Panama and educated at Stanford University, Doña Yolanda moved to Madrid with her banker husband Ignacio Fierro, embarking on a life of family, global travel, and social engagements.
Her house in Madrid, built in 1966, showcased her fascination with historical styles and craftsmanship, a trait mirrored in her jewelry. She combined substantial Colombian emeralds, important diamonds, and high-carat gold with simpler materials like tiger’s eye and moonstone, not to mention her beloved pearls, which feature prominently in the collection.
As one would expect from a woman so attuned to aesthetic details, most of the jewelry was custom-made directly, with no shortage of pieces from Cartier, Harry Winston, David Webb, and Bulgari. In fact, it is said that she would personally oversee the entire production process.
While it’s challenging to select favorites from these carefully curated pieces, the emerald and diamond works stand out for their sheer quality and timeless design. For instance, Lot 62 includes a pair of extraordinary pear-shaped Colombian emeralds, one weighing 8.43 carats with only minor clarity enhancement, and the other 7.02 carats with no indications of enhancement.
These earrings, created by Jacques Timey for Harry Winston, are surrounded by marquise-cut diamonds, perfectly complementing the special gemstones.
Another emerald and diamond combination is a necklace that can be worn as two bracelets, set with a row of rectangular step-cut Colombian emeralds interspersed with marquise-cut diamonds. One can imagine the effect of these gems sparkling on a warm evening in the Serrano mansion.
Clearly, Doña Yolanda collected not just jewelry but quality gemstones. She also commissioned Cartier to set a 14.7-carat step-cut white diamond with bullet-shaped shoulders, the diamond being G color and VVS2 clarity. Even more intriguing are pieces by designers like Elizabeth Gage and Andrew Clunn, which are so whimsical, creative, organic, and luxurious.
Gage’s enormous gold and pearl jewels almost look like the adornments of a high priestess, while in another brooch, pearls seem to grow directly from a golden base. Similarly, his Equally Clunn and textured bracelets bring a different, more modern and primal emotional expression to Doña Yolanda’s neoclassical lifestyle.
Amidst these glittering international styles, one theme stands out prominently: the sea. From pearls and pearl-encrusted shells designed by Verdura, Fred Leighton, and Tiffany & Co., to an exquisite David Webb dolphin brooch adorned with brilliant-cut white diamonds, yellow diamonds, round sapphires, pear-shaped diamonds, and shimmering droplet-shaped sapphires set in platinum and 18K yellow gold, the ocean could attest to her love for travel or nostalgia for her birthplace, Panama.
Like many influential women in society, one of Doña Yolanda’s favorite jewelers was Bulgari – her pieces from them are incredibly modern. Whether it’s an Indian-style Chandra tourmaline necklace, a watch from the Serpenti collection, or a very chic gold and diamond bracelet, each Bulgari piece could express her love for travel vividly.
But perhaps what best defines Doña Yolanda’s style is a Bulgari necklace and a brooch made of gold, diamonds, and citrine, with a delicate pearl set in the brooch. These are certainly not the most expensive materials, but their uniqueness combined with their intelligent combination allows for a fusion of antique and modern elements without being gaudy. This is Doña Yolanda’s style, in her jewelry and in her life.
The Refined Gaze of a Seasoned Jewelry Connoisseur: Doña Yolanda Eleta de Fierro’s Exquisite Collection
Tweet
