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02 May 2021
Yasuki Hiramatsu at auction: a first
By Marie-Laure Cassius-Duranton.
Auctions are not only about jewelry that once belonged to our ancestors. Three creations of Yasuki Hiramatsu (1926-2012), considered the first contemporary Japanese jeweler-artist, have just been sold by De Zwann (Amsterdam) – marking a first. Highly appreciated by the initiated, his pieces are usually sold in specialized galleries and have no auction price yet. The showpiece, a square brooch in crumpled gold, is characteristic of Hiramatsu’s sensual relationship with the material. Coming from a family of metalworkers, Hiramatsu finely rolled his gold, then bent, crumpled, hammered or beat it to create textured surfaces. The shapes are simple, the most important thing is the relationship of the metal to the light. The brooch (a similar example can be seen at the Victoria & Albert Museum), estimated at €1800-2,200, went under the hammer for €3,200.
By Marie-Laure Cassius-Duranton.
Auctions are not only about jewelry that once belonged to our ancestors. Three creations of Yasuki Hiramatsu (1926-2012),...
27 April 2021
415
In France, a few major auction houses – Christie’s, Sotheby’s, Artcurial and Aguttes – dominate jewelry and watch auctions as well as the media – the top ten account for 41% of all jewelry and watch sales. However it is little known that there are in fact 415 auction houses in the country, 68% of which are small companies with annual sales of less than 2 million euros. Scattered throughout Paris and the regions, they too offer jewelry and watches, most often in regular sales (along with furniture, cars and even DIY tools). In other words, they still offer non-wealthy amateurs a rich experience, where real bargains can be found. Keep an eye out!
From CVV (Conseil des Ventes Volontaires)
In France, a few major auction houses – Christie's, Sotheby's, Artcurial and Aguttes – dominate jewelry and watch auctions as well as the media – the top ten...
26 April 2021
Ruba Abu-Nimah, new creative director of Tiffany & Co
Exit Reed Karkoff, artistic director of America’s Tiffany & Co. Following the takeover by LVMH (for 15.8 billion dollars), he makes way for Ruba Abu-Nimah. She may as yet be unknown to the general public, but fashion and graphic design aficionados follow her work very closely, as evidenced by her Instagram account with its nearly 70,000 followers. A Swiss of Palestinian origin, she’s a Parsons School of Design graduate, whose career began in the 90s in Paris at ELLE, followed by Glamour. She then became the first female artistic director of Elle US before heading up the global creative team at Shiseido and Revlon. With Ruba Abu-Nimah, Tiffany & Co has guaranteed itself an ultra-hyped global vision and a rejuvenated clientele. Watch this space.
Exit Reed Karkoff, artistic director of America’s Tiffany & Co. Following the takeover by LVMH (for 15.8 billion dollars), he makes way for Ruba Abu-Nimah. She...
20 April 2021
Women's watches at Watches & Wonders 2021
The new annual watchmaking gathering Watches & Wonders has just gone entirely digital. Thirty-eight brands took part, many of them from the erstwhile SIHH and Baselworld: Cartier, Chanel, Piaget, Chopard, Baume&Mercier and Hermès. As usual, the women’s watches (or which can be worn by women) were few in number and consisted mainly of re-editions of existing models – but there were some dazzling surprises, such as the two watches entirely covered with stylized scales by Cartier and Bulgari.
The new annual watchmaking gathering Watches & Wonders has just gone entirely digital. Thirty-eight brands took part, many of them from the erstwhile SIHH and...
22 March 2021
Bulgari, "Serpenti through the eyes of" Mary Katrantzou
The jeweler Bulgari has entrusted the third “Serpenti through the eyes of” to Mary Katrantzou, a Greek fashion designer well known to the maison – in 2019, its high jewelry pieces adorned dresses at her fashion show at the Acropolis. She draws on the theme of metamorphosis to reinterpret bags with a clasp featuring a snake’s head. Two are in leather, one with a sublime handle featuring an undulating body, while the other has been exquisitely embroidered with pearls. On the flap of the bag, the famous snake head in enamel lies at the center of a coiled body fragmenting into a cloud of butterflies…. These insects, omnipresent in Mary Katrantzou ‘s work, fuse with reptile of the Italian jeweler, who is of Greek origin. In the ultimate metamorphosis: the snake head becomes the bag, the two merging into a single minaudiere. A remarkable work.
The jeweler Bulgari has entrusted the third "Serpenti through the eyes of" to Mary Katrantzou, a Greek fashion designer well known to the maison – in 2019, its high...
18 January 2021
December 2020
Here are some figures in preview from the monthly Francéclat-Panel5 report for the year 2020 relating to the jewelry and watchmaking sector. In France, 2020 has been the most negative year (since the first Panel5 studies in 1979) with a 14% drop in turnover compared to 2019. The good news was the rebound in December with a 12% increase in turnover compared to last year. “It was the best December since 2011, a remarkable performance because foreign customers were absent and the threats to our society and our economy were numerous,” says Hubert Lapipe, founder of Panel5. The full 2020 figures will be unveiled very soon by Francéclat.
Here are some figures in preview from the monthly Francéclat-Panel5 report for the year 2020 relating to the jewelry and watchmaking sector. In France, 2020 has been...
10 January 2021
Cartier panthers at Artcurial
In its annual Monaco sale, Artcurial includes around twenty Cartier panthers. “They all come from a personal collection of 100 pieces of jewelry that a great jewelry lover gave as a present to his wife,” says Julie Valade, director of the jewelry departement. Cartier has been inspired by panthers since 1914 and has never stopped creating new versions. The panthers on sale dating from 1990 to 2010 take various forms: all-gold ring alongside one entirely set with diamonds, a pendant spotted with enamel or black onyx, flat or in 3D, as well as a necklace, a brooch, etc. Not to mention a spotted watch that echoes the original 1914 model. My favorite piece : the roaring stylized and faceted panther into which you slip your finger.
Auction 20 January 2021 at L’Hermitage, Monte-Carlo
In its annual Monaco sale, Artcurial includes around twenty Cartier panthers. "They all come from a personal collection of 100 pieces of jewelry that a great jewelry...
08 January 2021
Melanie Georgacopoulos’ padded mother-of-pearl
In her latest collection, Melanie Georgacopoulos pulls off a new feat: padded mother-of-pearl, sculpted as if a button had been pushed into a cushion. “Only the tenderness of this material, often seen as a disadvantage, made this work possible. I had fun associating it with diamond, the hardest stone.” Over the last decade, Mélanie Georgacopoulos has masterfully taken mother-of-pearl, her favorite material, out of the classical register thanks to spectacular pieces and new techniques. Her masterstroke: cutting the pearl in half to reveal its inner beauty (for M/G Tasaki), plus the different layers of mother-of-pearl that compose it. Her Instagram account, with images that celebrate this material above and beyond her own creations, is a must.
In her latest collection, Melanie Georgacopoulos pulls off a new feat: padded mother-of-pearl, sculpted as if a button had been pushed into a cushion. "Only the...
07 January 2021
Cathy Waterman's fairy tale at White Bird
Los Angeles-based designer Cathy Waterman creates about fifty unique pieces for a select few boutiques around the world each year. White Bird is her sole representative in Europe. Waterman is passionate about the Middle Ages and draws in her work on naturalistic motifs such as oak leaves, laurel leaves and bramble leaves. The chiseled openwork gold on the frames conjures up dewdrops or tears, while the subtle blend of very warm (almost pure) 22-carat gold or oxidized gold with luminous white platinum imbues her pieces with an emotive beauty.
Los Angeles-based designer Cathy Waterman creates about fifty unique pieces for a select few boutiques around the world each year. White Bird is her sole...
12 September 2020
Ancient jewelry on Caillou
Having worked in communications for a number of contemporary jewelery designers, Anne-Lise Delsol launched Caillou. On this site, she sells her selection of antique pieces exclusively from professional dealers. “All those years of walking around antique fairs with my collector father suddenly caught up with me!” Her sharp eye falls mainly on delicate jewelry of charm and finesse, with a beautiful choice of earrings and engagement rings. Other irresistible treasures to be discovered at Caillou : “Les Réinventés” collection including the solo earrings that Anne-Lise Delsol makes from elements adorning tiepins that have fallen into disuse. Spellbinding.
Budget between €250 and €3500.
Having worked in communications for a number of contemporary jewelery designers, Anne-Lise Delsol launched Caillou. On this site, she sells her selection of antique...
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Yasuki Hiramatsu - "Crumpled Paper" brooch in gold - Ca. 1989
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Yasuki Hiramatsu - Brooch and ring in gold, armband in silver
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Yasuki Hiramatsu - Armband composed of many bracelets in twisted silver wire - 1990
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Yasuki Hiramatsu - Maker's mark
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Cartier - "Tortue" snake watch in enamel, mother-of-pearl, diamonds - Mechanical movement - Numbered limited edition of 30 pieces
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Hermès - "Faubourg Polka" watch in gold and diamonds
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Patek Philippe - "Nautilus" watch (35.2 mm) in pink gold and snow-setting of 2553 diamonds
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Bvlgari - "Serpenti Misteriosi Cleopatra" cuff watch in pink gold, citrines, tourmaline, amethyst, aquamarine,... -Quartz movement - Unique piece
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Piaget - "Limelight Gala" watches
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Cartier - The "Baignoire" watch inspired from a tortoise in diamonds, tsavorites and sapphires - Quartz movement - Numbered limited edition of 30 pieces
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Baume & Mercier - "Classima" et "Hampton" watches
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Chanel Horlogerie - "J12 X-Ray Electro" in gold and 46 rainbow sapphires with a in-house calibre 3.1
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Louis Vuitton - "Dentelle de Monogram" (30mm) in gold and diamonds
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Jaeger-LeCoultre - "Reverso One" in gemstones and enamel
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Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou - "Serpenti Metamorphosis" bag in leather
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Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou -"Serpenti Metamorphosis" bag in leather
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Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou - "Serpenti Metamorphosis" bag
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Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou - Embroideries on the "Serpenti Metamorphosis" bag
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Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou - "Serpenti Metamorphosis" minaudiere
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Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou -"Serpenti Metamorphosis" minaudiere
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Bvlgari x Mary Katrantzou - Natalia Vodianova "Serpenti Metamorphosis" minaudiere
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Cartier at Artcurial - Lot 452 a diamond pave-set panther frieze, emerald and gold necklace - Circa 2005 - Estimated €80-120,000
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Cartier at Artcurial - Lot 452 a diamond pave-set panther frieze, emerald and gold necklace - Circa 2005 - Estimated €80-120,000
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Cartier at Artcurial - Lot 451 a diamond, onyx and platinum ring - 2008 - €25-35,000 / Lot 427 a diamond, peridot, onyx, lacquered and gold ring - 2009 - €5-6,000
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Cartier at Artcurial - Lot 451 a diamond, onyx and platinum ring - 2008 - €25-35,000
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Cartier at Artcurial - Lot 425 a diamond, emerald, onyx, enamel and gold long necklace - Ca. 2008 - €12-15,000
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Cartier at Artcurial - Lot 404 "Panthère molle" pendant in blackered silver and yellow gold necklace in its box - €3-3,500
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Cartier at Artcurial - Lot 428 a tsavorite garnet, laquer, gold on black silk necklace - €5-6,000 / Lot 429 a tsavorite garnet, enamel and 18k yellow gold necklace - €2-3,000
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Cartier at Artcurial - Lot 633 a platinum, laquer, onyx and diamond set lady's wristwatch ; movement by LeCoultre - Ca. 1938 - Estimated €20-30,000
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Cartier at Artcurial - Lot 633 a platinum, laquer, onyx and diamond set lady's wristwatch ; movement by LeCoultre - Ca. 1938 - Estimated €20-30,000
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Cartier at Artcurial - Lot 450 corsage double clip - €12-15,000
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Melanie Georgacopoulos
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Melanie Georgacopoulos
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Melanie Georgacopoulos
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Melanie Georgacopoulos
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Cathy Waterman - "Lace Edged" earrings in recycled platinum, labradorites (21 carats), rose-cut diamonds - €19,500
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Cathy Waterman - Pendant in recycled platinum, diamonds, boulder opal - €14,400 (chain sold separately) / Earrings in recycled platinum, rose cut diamonds and labradorites 21 carats - €19 500
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Cathy Waterman - Ring in recycled platinum, diamonds and central emerald 2.08 carats - €6,480
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Cathy Waterman - Locket in 22k recycled gold, recycled platinum and diamonds - €16,200 (chain sold separately)
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Cathy Waterman - "Double Milgrain Ribbon" ring in 22k recycled gold, recycled platinum and diamonds - €10,800
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Cathy Waterman - "Square Bamboo" pendant in recycled platinum, diamonds and a green tourmaline - €34,500 (chain sold separately)
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Cathy Waterman - "Bamboo Three Leaves" hoops in 22k recycled gold, recycled platinum, diamonds - €23,500
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Cathy Waterman - "Cat Claw" ring in 22k recycled gold, central diamond of 0.9 carat, white diamonds - €9,800
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Earrings in gold, diamonds and natural pearls / in gold and jet - Late 19th century - SOLD / €1,555
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Cuff-bracelet in pink gold - Napoleon III - SOLD
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Rings in gold and agate intaglio / in gold and diamonds (around 0,2 carats) - €1,805 et €1,025 - Mid-19th century / Ca. 1950
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"Les Réinventés" solo earring made from a ancient tiepin in gold and dendritic agate
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Anne-Lise Delsol, founder of Caillou and her solo earrings made from elements adorning tiepins
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