n 1900, when the ground was broken for the building of New York’s subway system, Tiffany & Co took a small amount of dirt from the first shovel and encased it in the back of a pocket watch. The timepiece, studded with old-cut diamonds and suspended on a gold chain, was given to the daughter of then New York City mayor, Robert Anderson Van Wyck, and was sold by Christie’s in 2022 for $US70,560 – around three times the pre-auction estimate.
Jessica BeresfordAssociate editor, Life & LeisureJessica Beresford is the associate editor of Life & Leisure, based in Sydney. She writes about fashion, jewellery and beauty, and was previously fashion features editor at the Financial Times’ luxury glossy, HTSI, in London. Email Jessica at jessica.beresford@afr.com
