The Bonhams New Bond Street saleroom is set to host the London Jewels auction on 5 June 2025. A standout highlight of the live event is a Cartier tiara, formerly belonging to Nancy, Viscountess Astor (1879–1964). This rare piece, crafted around 1930 and adorned with turquoise and diamonds, is expected to fetch between £250,000 ($465,232 CAD) and £350,000 ($651,325 CAD).

This marks the first time the tiara will appear at auction since it was originally acquired by Lord Astor directly from Cartier London in 1930. Influenced by Eastern design motifs, the tiara stands as an example of Cartier’s enduring legacy in high jewelry craftsmanship.

Nancy Astor, born Nancy Witcher Langhorne in Danville, Virginia, holds a significant place in British political history. After moving to England in 1905, she met Waldorf Astor—also American-born and heir to the Astor family fortune—during a transatlantic voyage. The couple married in 1906 and settled at Cliveden, a grand Buckinghamshire estate gifted to them by Waldorf’s father.

Astor broke barriers in 1919 when she became the first woman to take a seat in the British Parliament, where she served until 1945. Known both for her role as a trailblazing politician and a leading society hostess, she was a vocal proponent of causes such as education reform, temperance, welfare, and women’s rights.

This sale not only presents a rare opportunity to acquire an important piece of jewelry history but also offers a tangible connection to one of the most influential women of the early 20th century.

Cartier’s archives first mention the tiara in 1929, and by 1930, the company had commissioned English Art Works to transform a diamond bandeau by adding intricately carved turquoise motifs of plumes and leaves.