If you've ever wondered what happens to all the wealth that is seized from criminals by government agencies ranging from customs to drug enforcement to the Internal Revenue Service, you can get a glimpse of some of it at the Oct. 19 auction at Los Angeles Auctioneers in Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Taking place online simultaneously at iCollector.com, the fine art and jewelry auction will provide buyers with exquisite items at relatively inexpensive prices. It's a perfect example of your tax dollars at work, and it creates an opportunity for ill-gotten gains to be redistributed to the general public at auction.
Top-of-the-line jewelry
Apparently, whenever you see a rich criminal on a television show or movie giving his wife an ostentatious necklace it's not that far from reality. As several examples from the upcoming auction prove, a good percentage of the wealth accumulated by people who have later been convicted of crimes has gone toward breathtaking baubles.
At the top of that list has to be a 90.36-cut center emerald and 10.85-cut center diamond necklace set in nearly 38 grams of 18-karat white gold (lot #161). This stunning piece, as expensive as many homes, still represents a steal over what you might pay at a jewelry store.
A pair of diamond and tanzanite earrings, also set in 14-karat white gold (lot #138), is another item that anyone looking to take advantage of the seized-goods prices has to take a look at. The deep blue, reflective gemstones will make their wearer the belle of the ball, leaving onlookers frozen in admiration.
Works of art
Some works from masters of modern art will also be on display come the 19th. A color lithograph by Joan Miro, the 20th century Spanish surrealist, which includes the artist's signature (lot #132) is among the many items of note in the fine art auction portion of the proceedings.
Two florid, colorful acrylics by Itzhak Tarkay, the famed Austrian-born Israeli artist, will also be up for bid. His boldly stylized work, "Woman in Violet Dress," which is signed by its creator (lot #152), has deep, vivid hues that jump off the canvas and bring the painting's subject to life. And an untitled painting of two women sitting together in a parlor (lot #172) is equally as colorful, yet has a more wistful air to it.
Meanwhile, the eclectic mastery of William Verdult will also be on display, with a number of his pieces that show off his broad range of mediums, including; "Simon Zurich," a painting from his Kings and Queens collection (lot #118); a 1965 original oil painting of a young woman (lot #23); and a sketch called "Emerald Girl," which shows a woman bejeweled with several of the eponymous gemstones.
It's rare that collectors, or really anyone who wants to add to their art or jewelry inventory, get a chance at such a diverse collections of lots, especially one with such remarkable bargain prices. And your best way to get access to this spectacular jewelry and art auction is through iCollector.com.
