FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS, A CHICAGO COLLECTOR’S FATHER EXPRESSED HIS LOVE THROUGH GIFTS OF JUDITH LEIBER MINAUDIÈRES. NOW HIS DAZZLING TRADITION ENTERS A NEW CHAPTER.
By Barbara Tunick | September 17, 2026
Sometimes a gift is more than a gift. Sometimes it becomes a tradition. In rarer instances, it becomes a legacy of love that outlasts a lifetime. Carolyn Grey of Chicago could not have known that the first crystal-encrusted Judith Leiber minaudière her father, Edward, gave her more than 25 years ago would become the foundation of her remarkably diverse and eclectic Judith Leiber minaudière collection.
“My mom died when I was 24 years old. The following Valentine’s Day, my dad surprised me with a Judith Leiber Teddy Bear bag,” she recalls. “My dad never remarried, and since he didn’t have my mom to shower gifts on, he showered them on me and everyone else in my family. He never believed in buying one of anything. Instead of buying one purse, he’d buy eight so that at Christmas he could gift everybody the same one. He was generous to a fault, and he also wanted to make sure that everything was even-Steven between everybody.”
Judith Leiber Blue & Green Crystal Peacock Peek-A-Boo Minaudière with Gold Hardware. Available in Heritage’s October 1 Autumn Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction.
Judith Leiber Bronze & Black Crystal Kinkaku-ji Zen Temple Minaudière with Gunmetal Hardware. Available in Heritage’s October 1 Autumn Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction.
Grey’s father bought minaudières for her aunt, her sister-in-law, her cousins, her cousins’ kids, and even for her good friends on their milestone birthdays. She now has a spreadsheet of 20 people and every bag her dad ever bought them. “He asked me to create it so that he wouldn’t duplicate gifts for anyone,” she says.
Of course, that really isn’t possible since no two Judith Leiber minaudières are exactly alike. In fact, it takes up to two years and 20 artisans to create each meticulously handcrafted piece of wearable art. Each intricately beaded clutch is sculpted, molded, painted, and cut before one individual artisan inlays the semiprecious stones and crystals over a five-day period.
Judith Leiber Pink & Green Watermelon Margarita Minaudière with Silver Hardware. Available in Heritage’s October 1 Autumn Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction.
Judith Leiber Blue & Silver Crystal Scottie Schnauzer Minaudière with Silver Hardware. Available in Heritage’s October 1 Autumn Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction.
Indeed, the beloved, whimsical creations, which are frequently compared to Tiffany stained glass and Fabergé eggs, have been exhibited in museums across the globe, including London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, and as part of the permanent collection of The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. They’ve been carried by nearly every first lady since Mamie Eisenhower in 1953; celebrities including Greta Garbo, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga; and fashion icons and royalty such as Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth.
“My dad always liked to surprise me. I never knew what he was going to give me, but I always knew how much he loved giving them to me, and that made each one even more special,” Grey says. “I’ll never forget the birthday my dad was away. There was a knock at my door. A man stood there holding a gift for me. My dad had bought and wrapped the Judith Leiber Pink & Green Watermelon Margarita minaudière. He then dropped it off with a jeweler he knew in town and asked him to bring it to my house on my birthday. That was my dad.”
Then there was the Christmas he arrived with a gigantic box filled with 10 Judith Leiber purses. “They were all for me,” Grey says with a laugh.
Judith Leiber Red & Green Crystal Apple Minaudière with Gold Hardware. Available in Heritage’s October 1 Autumn Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction.
Judith Leiber Blue & Gold Crystal Tie The Knot Tiered Cake Minaudière with Gold Hardware. Available in Heritage’s October 1 Autumn Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction.
Over the years, Grey has enjoyed both wearing and displaying her Judith Leiber collection. “I love wearing specific bags to events or places that align with their design,” she says. “I’ve worn the Red & Green Crystal Apple minaudière to New York events and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.” She also kept them in a display case where they would be seasonally rotated. “For instance, in the spring, I’d put out the Tulip and Ladybug, and the Apple in the fall.”
Just as her minaudières changed with the seasons, so, too, has Grey’s lifestyle. “At this point in my life, we’re downsizing, and I don’t attend the types of events as often as I had in the past. As a result, my Judith Leiber bags are not getting the use they once did. I want them to be loved and appreciated rather than have them in a closet or display case,” she says.
On October 1, Heritage Auctions will offer Grey’s “Dazzling Private Collection of Judith Leiber Minaudières” as part of the Autumn Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction.
Judith Leiber Silver & Blush Crystal Basket of Roses Bouquet Minaudière with Silver Hardware. Available in Heritage’s October 1 Autumn Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction.
Judith Leiber Red, Orange, & Black Crystal Ladybug Minaudière with Gold Hardware. Available in Heritage’s October 1 Autumn Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction.
Judith Leiber often said her minaudières were inspired by a love of art, nature, and travel — an influence clearly reflected in this collection’s Blue & Green Crystal Peacock Peek-A-Boo minaudière, Blue & Silver Crystal Scottie Schnauzer minaudière, Bronze & Black Crystal Kinkaku-ji Zen Temple minaudière, and Blue & Gold Crystal Tie The Knot Tiered Cake minaudière.
“We’re delighted to showcase Carolyn’s collection of Judith Leiber’s minaudières, curated by her father’s love,” says Diane D’Amato, Heritage Auctions’ Director of Luxury Accessories, Private Sales & The Boutique. “The collection features highly coveted vintage and current designs, many of which are rarely offered on the secondary market.”
Two years ago, Grey’s father was hospitalized. “I think he knew it would be his last Christmas,” she says. “He made sure to buy a Judith Leiber bag for each of my cousins. The older generation received the Silver & Blush Crystal Basket of Roses Bouquet minaudière, while the younger ones got the Red Envelope with crystal bow.” After he died at 87, Grey cleared out his home and opened every box except one hidden behind a stack of wood in the basement. “The estate people found it,” she says. “There were still 17 Judith Leiber purses inside that he had planned to give away.” In that moment Grey decided to honor her father by continuing to gift Judith Leiber bags to family and friends, carrying forward his legacy of love.
“I’ve already started carrying on his tradition,” she says. “Last November, I gave a Judith Leiber bag to a close family friend for her 60th birthday. She had been close to my dad, and when she opened it, she was so moved that she started to cry.”
