Sotheby’s Paris Jewellery and Watch auctions shattered records, achieving a remarkable $10.9 million. Featuring everything from rare sapphires to iconic maison creations, the sale celebrated the art of craftsmanship and highlighted a growing demand for exceptional luxury—underscoring both this year’s market strength and the sustained momentum of Paris jewellery and watch auctions over recent years.
It was the best jewellery sales results of Sotheby’s Paris since 2018 and the fourth consecutive white glove sale for the Fine Watches sale. Both sales are part of Sotheby’s Paris Luxury Sales, which also includes luxury handbags as well as wine and spirits auctions series.
The Paris Fine Jewelry sale, featuring a superb selection of 269 jewels, including exceptional creations by Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Graff, and others, achieved a total of $8,636,000 following a live auction in which nearly half of all lots sold above their high estimates.
Exceptional coloured gemstones of outstanding quality led the sale, achieving stellar results such as a Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring weighing 10.68 carats, which soared to $813,753 after a spirited bidding battle — more than double its high estimate.
Among the highest value lots, a Burmese sapphire and diamond ring by Cartier, set with a stone of over 18 carats, realised $651,002. A Cartier “Panthère” bracelet (pictured below) set with sapphires, onyx, emeralds, and diamonds achieved $325,591.
Several pieces delivered surprise results, such as a diamond pendant sold for $50,298 from an initial estimate of $6,990- $9,320 and a pair of de Grisogono black and white diamond earrings that fetched $44,400 from an initial estimate of $5,825- $8,155— both lots achieving more than five times their high estimates.
Other notable highlights included a Van Cleef & Arpels “Flot de Rubans” diamond brooch, which sold for $207,167 (estimate $32,620- $44,270), and a Bulgari “Naturalia Marina” demi-parure, which achieved $192,352 (estimate $25,630- $46,600), both selling for over four times their high estimates.
Magali Teisseire, Head of Jewellery and Watches, Sotheby’s France, “These results confirm the strong and growing position of our Jewellery Department on the international stage. After attracting enthusiastic collectors from around the world, this auction marks our finest jewellery sale to date, setting a new Paris sales record just a few months after the previous one.”