Five pieces of handmade jewellery by Alexander Calder, made as personal gifts for members of his own family, are heading to auction at Bonhams in New York. The group, held privately for nearly 70 years, will be displayed at the auction house's new flagship at 111 West 57th Street from 7 November, before going under the hammer in Bonhams' Post-War & Contemporary Art sale on 19 November. Together the five pieces carry an estimate of nearly $300,000.

The highlight is a silver necklace Calder made for his sister, Margaret Calder Hayes, known as Peggy, around 1940. The hand-wrought piece, with sweeping curved forms, is expected to sell for between $100,000 and $150,000. Also offered are a pair of sculptural silver earrings made for Peggy, estimated at $40,000 to $60,000, which resemble a pair worn by model Kendall Jenner at the Venice Film Festival this past September. The group is completed by two silver brooches spelling out the initials of Calder's mother, Nanette, and his niece, Eva, along with a spiral-shaped silver ring made for his niece.

Calder is best known for inventing the mobile, the kinetic sculpture moved by air currents, but jewellery was a lifelong parallel practice. He made around 1,800 distinct pieces of handmade wearable art over his lifetime, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which hosted the first museum exhibition devoted to his jewellery in 2008. He designed custom pieces for his inner circle, working in brass, copper and silver, and his avant-garde designs were worn by figures including Peggy Guggenheim, Georgia O'Keeffe and Anjelica Huston.

The sale is notable because the pieces come to market as a single family group rather than singly. Each was a personal gift that stayed with the family for decades, and their appearance together at Bonhams' new American headquarters gives collectors a rare chance to acquire Calder jewellery with a direct family provenance.