Newport always sparkles in the summer, but in 2003, the sunlight glittering on the sea and the vibrant nightlife take a back seat to the rocks at Rough Point. No, I don't mean the craggy, water-weathered stones from which heiress Doris Duke, the mansion's owner, was known to take an Atlantic dip. These are the rocks that are measured in carats--the brilliant diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and other gemstones set within the dazzling jewelry creations she inherited, wore and collected during her lifetime.
Just how many carats are we talking about? Well, there's one Tiffany & Co. solitaire ring on display (and pictured in the photo slide show above) that sports an emerald-cut diamond weighing 19.72 carats. And that's just the beginning.
Each case in the chronologically arranged exhibit, which features jewelry made during the century between the 1860s and 1960s, holds new marvels that provide insights into the passions of their owner. Rough Point's Director of Collections, Bruce MacLeish, who led a group of writers on a sneak peek tour of the jewelry collection prior to its May 9 opening to the public, tried to downplay the magnificence of one of the exhibit's true stunners, the 1908 Cartier diamond and pearl festoon necklace featuring 1,540 diamonds. Some of the diamonds "are really quite small," he said, rather unconvincingly.
Doris Duke was only 13 when she inherited Rough Point, along with the roughly $80 million fortune amassed by her father, James Buchanan Duke, founder of American Tobacco and Duke Energy Company and a benefactor of North Carolina's Duke University. What's a "Million Dollar Baby," as she was dubbed by the press, to do with all of that money? Well, she didn't blow it all on glamorous jewelry. In fact, she invested wisely, and her estate was worth more than $1 billion at the time of her death in 1993.
That's not to say that Duke didn't have a bit of fun-she traveled the world, collecting Islamic, European and Southeast Asian art and furnishings. Rough Point, one of five homes she owned, is a magnificent showcase for her fine and decorative art treasures. You'll need to tour the house first in order to view the jewelry collection. It makes sense, as the jewelry is best appreciated with knowledge of this remarkable woman and her eclectic tastes.
"Gems and the East and West: The Jewelry Collection of Doris Duke," housed in an upstairs exhibition gallery at Rough Point, features about a quarter of the 400 jewelry pieces owned by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, with a focus on singular works by famed period designers including Cartier, Seamen Schepps, Verdura and David Webb, plus a sizable collection of 19th-century jewelry crafted in India or inspired by Indian color schemes and themes. Duke's fascination with these bold and intricate pieces likely began during her 1935 honeymoon trip to India.
Also featured are family heirlooms including cameos and woven gold mesh bracelets, along with gifts given by James Buchanan Duke to his wife and to his only daughter. The exhibition will be open in Newport through the end of September, then move to Honolulu and New Jersey-both places where Duke owned estates. As per the heiress's instructions, most of the collection will then be sold at auction and dispersed, so this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to peek inside Doris Duke's jewelry chest.
Next Page: How to See the Doris Duke Jewelry Collection at Rough Point
Images (c) 2003, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Archives, Somerville, New Jersey. Used with permission.
