Sotheby’s Worldwide Jewellery Sales Total $460.5 Million in 2012 -- HIGHEST TOTAL IN COMPANY HISTORY
Propelled by the success of private collections, exceptional diamonds and gemstones, and historical jewels with noble provenance, Sotheby’s marked its highest-ever total for a year of jewellery sales in 2012, achieving an outstanding $460.5 million. Highlights of these results include:
- Sotheby’s Geneva set a new world auction record for any various-owner jewellery sale in May at $108.4 million. This result surpassed the then-record $105 million established by Sotheby’s Geneva in November 2010.
- Across its worldwide salesrooms, Sotheby’s jewellery auctions sold a very strong average of 84% by lot last year
- 72 lots sold for more than $1 million, with six of those lots selling above $5 million
- Sotheby’s saw its highest-ever total for a day of jewellery sales in the Americas, when its December auctions in New York reached $64.8 million
- Sotheby’s annual total of $114.5 million in Hong Kong marked the company’s second-biggest year of jewellery and jadeite sales in Asia
- Throughout 2012, prominent private collections fuelled strong sale results, featuring jewels owned by Brooke Astor, Estée Lauder, Evelyn H. Lauder, Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, Suzanne Belperron, Michael Wellby and more
- Sotheby’s held two rare ‘white glove’ auctions – 100% sold by lot – in 2012: Jewels from the Personal Collection of Suzanne Belperron in Geneva in May, and The Jewellery Collection of the Late Michael Wellby in London in December
SPRING 2013 SALE CALENDAR
Important Jewels
New York, 7 February
Magnificent Jewels & Jadeite
Hong Kong, 8 April
Fine Jewels
London, 11 April
Magnificent Jewels
New York, 17 April
Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels
Geneva, 14 May
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