George and Charlotte Shultz were each among the political elite in their own right.
George advised presidents from Nixon to Bush, and served as President Reagan’s Secretary of State. Charlotte served 10 San Francisco mayors and three California governors as Chief of Protocol, welcoming foreign dignitaries and heads of state, and throwing black tie celebrations, victory parades and charitable balls dating back to Dianne Feinstein’s days as mayor.

In fact, it was Feinstein who introduced the couple, both widowed, in the late 1990s. They were married at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral in 1997, in what the New York Times called the social event of the season.
"The groomsmen were fighting over who would get to walk Nancy Reagan down the aisle," said Victoria Richardson, head of Bonhams San Francisco auction house.
Beyond their passion for public service, George and Charlotte shared a love for fine jewelry — especially American-made pieces, and those in patriotic colors. Together, they amassed hundreds of items, from everyday silver to diamond necklaces with six-figure price tags — much of it from Tiffany & Co.

"George Shultz was a true patriot," Richardson said. "They could've chosen to collect something like a Cartier or a French brand, but they chose an all-American classic."
That jewelry is now up for auction, after George Shultz died last year at the age of 101, and Charlotte died just 10 months later at the age of 88. Their family hopes to find the right buyers for some of the rare Tiffany pieces, and historically-significant items like George’s official State Department cuff links.

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"We're always hopeful that institutions such as the Smithsonian and other museums might like to buy these and put them on exhibit," Richardson said.
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Bonhams is touring the collection around the world, including stops in London and Hong Kong, before selling the more than 200 individual pieces of jewelry at a May 23 auction in New York City.