Jewelry

Sotheby's offers the most extraordinary jewels in the world to discerning collectors looking for special designs dating from the 19th century to the present day. Our auctions feature rare and iconic examples of the artistic creativity of Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, Harry Winston, JAR, Graff, David Webb, Verdura, Boucheron, Chaumet, Suzanne Belperron, Boivin and Alexandre Reza, amongst others. The selection of top quality white and coloured diamonds, coloured gemstones and natural pearls is wide and varied, with many fresh-to-the-market examples from private collections, such as Queen Marie Antoinette’s Pearl, sold in Geneva for $36.2 million, a world record for a natural pearl.

Sotheby’s leads the greatest sales totals for auction since 2015, achieving $228 million total sales in Europe, higher than our nearest competitor. Leading 2018’s record results was the historic sale of Royal Jewels from the Bourbon Parma Family, with 100% sell through rate, achieving $53.1 million. Sotheby’s has sold 4 out of the 5 most expensive jewels ever offered at auction, led by the “CTF Pink Star”, a 59.60ct oval-cut Fancy Vivid Pink Internally Flawless diamond sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in April 2017 for USD $71.2 million, a world record price for any diamond or jewel. In May 2017, Sotheby’s Geneva sold the Apollo & Artemis diamonds, a 14.54ct Fancy Vivid Blue diamond and a 16ct Fancy Intense Pink diamond for USD $57.4 million, a record price for a pair of earrings. The diamonds were renamed by the buyer “The Memory and Dream of Autumn Leaves”.

The international team of Jewelry specialists at Sotheby’s believes that Jewelry is the most personal of the decorative arts and that these pieces tell a special story about the women who once owned them. Their choices reflect their lifestyles, and often provide a fascinating glimpse into another era. From noble and celebrity provenance to prominent philanthropic families, we’ve been privileged to handle the jewels of many distinguished women including the Duchess of Windsor, Brooke Astor, Ava Gardner, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, Maria Callas, Lily Marinho and Gina Lollobrigida.

Our live and online Jewelry auctions are held throughout the year in New York, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Paris and Milan. In advance of our forthcoming sales, we would be delighted to provide you with a free and confidential jewelry valuation.