Magnificent Jewels auction season kicks off this week with a blockbuster sale at Sotheby’s Geneva. For art jewelry lovers, however, the surrealist art sale at Christie’s New York promises to be even more exciting. In between, pass the time with a new batch of jewelry podcasts. And happy Mother’s Day! Here’s hoping all the moms in your life are properly bejeweled.
LISTEN
Rob Bates on the Rapaport Diamond Podcast (ongoing)
JCK news director Rob Bates speaks with Rapaport’s Avi Krawitz on the Rapaport Diamond Podcast about his newest book, Murder Is Not a Girl’s Best Friend; the challenges facing the diamond trade, including the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine on the diamond and jewelry sector; and predictions for JCK Las Vegas.
New Plumb Club Podcasts (ongoing)
The Plumb Club dropped two new podcasts at the end of April. In Lab-Grown Diamonds: What a Retailer Needs to Know, Bridie O’Hagan, vice president of retail at Unique Designs Inc., discusses the terminology retailers should use to explain and differentiate the categories, how to cross-sell them to existing customers, and makes the case that selling natural and lab-grown diamonds can increase sales for both.
In Jewelry as Activism, Duvall O’Steen and Andrea Hansen, on behalf of Plumb Club Member Uni-Design, provide statistics and insights into the key purchase drivers for Gen Z and millennial consumers, and offer tips on how retailers can demonstrate their commitment to social issues to help attract younger buyers.
BID
Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels Sale: May 10, 9 a.m. ET (in person and online)
Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva has something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for vintage treasures (cue the 1927 gem-set bracelet by Oscar Heyman & Bros.), contemporary masterpieces (from the likes of JAR, Hemmerle, and Michele Della Valle), extraordinary fancy colored diamonds (say, a 7.17 ct. fancy intense purple-pink diamond ring), or jewels with unbeatable provenance (such as the fancy intense yellow diamond ring once owned by South African opera singer Mimi Coertse), the auction is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Christie’s New York Sale of Surrealist Jewelry: May 14, 9:30 a.m. ET (in person and online)
Calling all lovers of artist jewelry. An incredible collection of surrealist art from two former retail executives who formed close friendships with the artists in the 1950s goes on the block at Christie’s New York on May 14. The jewelry featured in The Surrealist World of Rosalind Gersten Jacobs and Melvin Jacobs is playful, precious, and deeply personal. Acquired from artists whom the couple considered friends—including Man Ray, William and Noma Copley, and Max Ernst—the jewels, such as Man Ray’s Pendantif-Pendant earrings and Noma Copley’s silver Necktie necklace, are the epitome of surrealist statement pieces.
ATTEND
Plumb Club x PGI Webinar on Gemstone Security: May 11, at 1 p.m. ET (online)
In “Gemstone Security—It’s a Metal Matter,” the Platinum Guild International (PGI) teams with the Plumb Club to detail the important considerations jewelers need to take into account when setting diamonds and gemstones (and why platinum and gold are the metals of choice for security-conscious setters).
Top: Tiny Bubbles white freshwater pearl pendant in 14k gold with 0.075 ct. t.w. diamonds, $375; Maui Divers
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
