Cartier isn’t the only designer with an affection for panthers. Case in luxurious point, this emerald, onyx, and diamond brooch from Van Cleef & Arpels that delights with one of the big cats reclining on a tree branch. Photos courtesy Sotheby’s.

Lot 352 — a diamond and onyx Graff brooch designed as two squirrels — is estimated to draw a bid of upwards of $19,000.

BY KAREN AANONSEN

With more than 400 lots going under the hammer on December 16, the Sotheby’s Fine Jewels sale has no shortage of timeless diamonds, dazzling emeralds, and rich rubies for classicist collectors. But animal lovers are also in for a treat. From alligators and frogs to shrimp and bees to bears and butterflies, the London auction boasts an array of adorable zoomorphic pieces. Dreamed up by Graff, Tiffany & Co., David Webb, and more, the bejeweled creatures inhabit bracelets, earrings, brooches, and rings that date from the 1920s to the present. The statement pieces — as well as the entire Fine Jewels inventory — are on exhibit now through Dec. 15.

—Dec. 13, 2014

Dating back to the 1930s, Cartier’s diamond Norfolk Terrier brooch features a ruby eye and an onyx nose.