A sapphire and diamond cluster ring believed to have belonged to silent film star Virginia Cherrill is going up for auction at Woolley and Wallis’ Fine Jewelry sale in the U.K. on July 9–10. The piece is expected to fetch between $6,850 and $9,590 (£5,000–£7,000).
Crafted circa 1987, the ring features a cabochon sapphire—rumored to have been a gift from the Maharaja of Jaipur—surrounded by circular-cut diamonds, all set in 18k yellow gold and platinum.
🎬 Who Was Virginia Cherrill?
Born in 1908, Cherrill is best known for her unforgettable role opposite Charlie Chaplin in the 1931 silent film City Lights, where she played the blind flower seller. Though released four years after “talkies” had taken over, City Lights was a critical and commercial hit. In 1991, it was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry, and in 2007, the AFI ranked it the 11th greatest American film of all time.
📽️ Cherrill’s Hollywood rise began with a chance encounter with Chaplin. She later appeared in:
- Girls Demand Excitement (1931), opposite a young John Wayne
- Delicious (1931), a musical comedy
- Troubled Waters, one of James Mason’s early British films
- Projects by legendary directors like John Ford and Tod Browning
🌟 She received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for her contributions to cinema.
💔 Her Glamorous & Tumultuous Love Life
Cherrill’s personal life drew as many headlines as her career.
- In 1934, she married actor Cary Grant—the union lasted just a year.
- She later became Countess of Jersey after marrying English peer George Child Villiers, divorcing in 1946.
- Her final marriage to Florian Kazimierz Martini lasted 48 years, until her death in 1996.
“We are delighted to offer this charming ring, believed to have been owned by such a shining star in cinema history,” said Marielle Whiting, jewelry specialist at Woolley & Wallis.
This isn’t just a jewel—it’s a slice of Hollywood history.