On October 19, 2024, New Orleans Auction Galleries will present the sweeping Kevin Stone and Mark Diamond Collection sale, comprising fine art, antique furniture, and decorative objects. Sourced from the couple’s home and personal collection, the selection reflects decades of dedicated sourcing and commitment to the historic preservation of material culture. “Everything in this home is from the heart,” said Kevin Stone. “We bought these pieces because we loved them. We picked them for their quality or their rarity or because they spoke to us in some way. Nothing about this collection is ordinary.

Courtesy of New Orleans Auction Galleries.

Stone alongside his partner Mark Diamond helmed Kevin Stone Antiques for almost 30 years, first located in Dallas before becoming a mainstay of New Orleans’s storied Magazine Street. With a mission centered on excellence, the collectors and antique dealers amassed a collection of some of the finest decorative and fine art available, which extended beyond what was offered in the store but to their home as well. A desire to streamline their collection coupled with the undertaking of a major renovation to a ca. 1836 Greek Revival home—the Banker’s House of Natchez—ultimately led to the organization of the present sale with New Orleans Auction Galleries, presenting a dynamic selection of rare and exceptional pieces.

Courtesy of New Orleans Auction Galleries.

Some sale highlights include a northern Italian walnut bureau cabinet, dating from the late 17th to early 18th century, featuring exceptionally carved details and mirrored doors; a pair of 19th-century mixed marble busts of a satyr and satyress respectively, made from different types of marble; and a suite of 12 European oak dining chairs featuring custom leather seats. Alongside a large assortment of Grand Tour objects and collectibles and other unique objects, the sale collection speaks to the owners’ unique connoisseurship.

“We have owned some of these items for longer than we’ve been together. Offering them at auction feels a bit like allowing your children to move into a new home. It is bittersweet to let them go,” said Stone.

Courtesy of New Orleans Auction Galleries.

The Kevin Stone and Mark Diamond Collection will be offered as Session One of New Orleans Auction Galleries October Estates Auction, with Session Two showcasing over 100 pieces of art and furnishings from the Southern Regional Collection of Fr. Jerry Young, a rare opportunity as it marks one of the most complete collections to become available in years.

The Kevin Stone and Mark Diamond Collection sale will take place October 19, 2024, at 10 a.m. CDT at New Orleans Auction Galleries.