Loot from Liza Lands in Palm Beach June 22, 2011 – Posted in: Press

by Robert Janigian
Published June 22, 2011
Palm Beach Daily News

Yes, it’s true.

A couple of weeks ago, Liza Minnelli, the veteran Oscar-winning actress and singer, unloaded a few of her possessions at a friend’s yard sale in East Hampton, NY.

Indeed, reports from the seaside town, a summer destination for celebrity types from coast to coast, mention that Minnelli even belted out a few numbers during the sale.

You can take the gal out of the cabaret, but you can’t take the “Cabaret” out of the gal.

(Sorry, had to do that)

So, wouldn’t you know it, but a couple of things purchased from Minnelli have made their way to Palm Beach?

A longtime friend of island estate jeweler Adele Kahn happened to stop by the sale and picked up a few items, which were passed along to her, for a price, of course.

They might be friends, but they also do a little business now and then.

Anyway, the always-acquisitive Kahn, took two of Minnelli’s yard-sale treasures off their hands, which she showed me yesterday at her Peruvian Avenue store.

Mythical Sea Creature Brooch accompanied by Cabochon Emerald. Set in 18 karat Yellow Gold. Signed David Webb. Circa 1960’s. Previously owned by Liza Minnelli, inherited from her mother, Judy Garland.

She bought an Art Deco-style sculpture and a brooch, [the latter] shown in the photo above.

Kahn doesn’t know much about the sculpture, but says she liked the looks of it.

And it is signed by Minnelli on the bottom (though when I examined the signature, I couldn’t really make it out, but was assured that it was Liza’s scrawled name I was looking at).

The brooch, on the other hand, is something the jewelry-savvy Kahn knows a thing or two about: it’s an 18-karat-gold signed David Webb piece, probably from the 1960s, in the form of a mythical sea creature. Its eye is a cabochon emerald.

She recalls having seen it once worn by Minnelli’s mom, the late, great Judy Garland.

Movie legend Judy Garland and daughter Liza Minnelli, singing together onstage. Image credit: blogspot.com

I asked if she intended to sell the Webb piece, as she has many other Webb designs on display in her cases, all with price tags.

“I don’t really want to sell it,” she said. “It’s got a great history.”