Feinstein jewelry, political mementos going up for auction

Jewelry, political mementos and a "stunning collection of American art" once belonging to Sen. Dianne Feinstein are hitting the auction block.

The "Legacy of a Stateswoman" auction from Bonhams, happening Oct. 8 in Los Angeles, will include some of the California Democrat's most beloved — and glitzy — personal items.

Feinstein, the country's longest-serving female senator in history, died in 2023 at 90.

Among the more than 70 baubles and jewels up for auction is a "dazzling 4.14 carat diamond ring flanked by tapered baguette diamonds," which is expected to fetch as much as $65,000. 

Some of Feinstein's extensive art collection that she displayed in her Washington home while serving in the Senate is also for sale. "Ships Sailing in the San Francisco Bay with Fort Point in the Distance," a 1907 painting by William Alexander Coulter, is estimated to be sold for $70,000 to $100,000.

Feinstein's own artwork will also be offered in the auction — the longtime lawmaker painted as a hobby.

The auction additionally includes a plethora of political keepsakes spanning Feinstein's more than three decades in the Senate.

A framed letter from former President Carter expresses sympathy for Feinstein's 1990 loss in California's gubernatorial race and some encouraging words: "Rosalynn and I thought that 1980 was a tragedy for us, but our lives since then have been more full, productive, and enjoyable than we ever dreamed."

A 2016 photo of Feinstein smiling alongside President Biden includes a personal message from the commander in chief lauding his former Senate colleague: "In all my years in public life I've never met anyone with whom I would rather work."

"You are insightful, generous and effective — and all at the same time," Biden wrote.

Other items in the auction, which will also be held as part of two additional online sales highlighting Feinstein's jewelry and southeast Asian art collections, include: presidential signing pens from former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush, a painted Senate desk chair and books inscribed to the then-lawmaker by former President George W. Bush, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other political figures. 

In a statement about the auction, daughter Katherine Feinstein said that her mother "would be delighted to know that her treasured pieces will be just as cherished and cared for by those whose lives she touched, and who admired her as a pioneering woman in politics."