{"id":14796,"date":"2022-04-13T10:26:28","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T04:56:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/?p=14796"},"modified":"2022-04-13T16:19:54","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T10:49:54","slug":"david-bennett-the-diamond-whisperer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/david-bennett-the-diamond-whisperer\/","title":{"rendered":"David Bennett: The Diamond Whisperer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

David Bennett, ex-Worldwide Chairman, Jewellery Division, Sotheby\u2019s had nurtured a predilection for film direction, but his starry ambitions were nipped due to paternal concern over securing his future; so instead he was steered towards another equally glittering world \u2013 that of diamonds, gems and jewellery, at Sotheby\u2019s. David is the Chief Guest for The Artisan Awards 2022 ceremony, which is being organised by GJEPC in Mumbai on 13th April.<\/em> <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
David Bennett<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

David joined the auction house\u2019s one-year training programme and the universe aligned, and he was smitten! His celluloid dreams took a backseat and he rose up the ranks to ultimately earn the sobriquet of the \u201c100-carat man\u201d for auctioning seven 100-carat diamonds at record prices. David was also at the helm for auctioning the \u201cJewels of the Duchess of Windsor\u201d (1987) \u2013 one of the sub-themes of this year\u2019s Artisan Awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David is not just known to have an eye for sussing jewellery but getting deeply acquainted with a diamond is a complete sensorial experience for him. Gems have a particular pull on him as he also practises hermetic astrology, and takes on bespoke assignments to design jewels for his special clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these years later, David\u2019s passion for diamonds and jewellery glows with the same intensity, as is evident in this exclusive interview with Solitaire International.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeing India through an auctioneer\u2019s eye, given its historic association with gems and jewellery, tell us what fascinates you most about the country?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, India is unique in that gems and jewellery are integral to life as lived in the country and to its traditions \u2013 dating back over 2,000 years. I\u2019ve been lucky to attend a number of weddings in Jaipur and the time-honoured exchange of jewellery in the context of the traditional attire of the bride, the groom and their guests continues to be observed and seems to be increasing in popularity, if anything. Gems and jewellery are fundamentally woven into Indian society and its well-loved conventions. Wherever I go in India I meet people who are informed and passionate about gems and jewels. I learn so much here. It\u2019s unique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of all the significant diamonds that you auctioned, which were the standouts for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was very blessed during my more than 40-year career at Sotheby\u2019s to handle and sell some of the world\u2019s rarest gemstones. For me, each one had a definite character and personality that set it apart from its peers \u2013 and I am not referring here to visible characteristics alone \u2013 but rather to something intangible; in order to perceive this we need to use different \u2018eyes\u2019 and to listen (strange as that may sound!). Generally, the stones remained with me for only about 4 to 6 months before the eventual sale and so I would make a point of spending as much time with them as possible in order to fix them firmly in my memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from the record-breaking \u2018Sunrise Ruby\u2019 which I sold in 2015, three diamonds remain particularly close to me still:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Beau Sancy<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Beau Sancy, a modified double rose-cut diamond, weighing 34.98 carats, I auctioned in Geneva in 2012 for $9.57million. It was an incredibly powerful stone with immense presence. It was mined in the Kollur mine, India, but the date is unknown. However, it was acquired in the late 16th century by Nicolas de Harlay, Seigneur de Sancy, probably in Constantinople, where he was French Ambassador at the Sultan\u2019s court. Harlay sold it to the French king, Henry IV, who wanted it to be the centrepiece at the top of the crown of pearls and diamonds which his wife Marie de\u2019 Medici was to wear for her coronation in 1610, in the Basilica of Saint-Denis, Paris. The Beau Sancy can be clearly seen in her coronation portraits. Over the next 400 years, the diamond passed through several European royal families, including the Dutch and British and Prussian, and was always prominently displayed in their jewel collections. Having been witness to so many of the historic events in European history adds, without question, to the stone\u2019s extraordinary charisma, but quite apart from that it is an astoundingly beautiful stone and I feel honoured to have held it in my hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Blue Moon of Josephine<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Blue Moon of Josephine, an internally flawless, cushion-shaped, fancy vivid blue diamond, weighing 12.03 carats was sold in 2015 for $48.4million \u2013 it holds the world record price per carat for a diamond or gemstone at auction. Unlike the Beau Sancy with its rich history, the Blue Moon had been mined only recently and had never been mounted and worn \u2013 in fact its journey has only just begun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diamonds with a natural blue colouration are of course among the most rare and valuable of all gems, but The Blue Moon stood out for me as something truly exceptional with its rich, deep colour so brilliantly revealed by the classic cushion shape cut of the stone. A magnificent gemstone \u2013 and I fell in love with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
CTF Pink Star<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Without hesitation, I would also add the CTF Pink Star, which I auctioned for $71.2 million in 2017 in Hong Kong \u2013 the single most expensive diamond or jewel ever sold at auction. The stone was mined in 1999 in South Africa, and when cut and polished weighed 59.60 carats and was classified as internally flawless and fancy vivid pink. It is, by a wide margin, the largest diamond of this grading ever discovered. The CTF Pink Star is unforgettable not only because of its remarkable size but also for its beauty. It was a wildly impressive diamond and also rather joyful, like a glass of bubbly pink champagne!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indians are big believers in the power of gemstones for bringing good luck and fortune. We’ve learnt that you believe in astrology and the mystical connection between humans and gemstones. Would you care to elaborate? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I see astrology as a science, and it\u2019s been my passion since my time studying Philosophy at university. Some of the world\u2019s greatest scientists were in fact also astrologers, Isaac Newton being just one good example among many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The link between precious stones and astrological influences is old and well-established in India, but in the West, it endured only until the late Middle Ages when it was banned by the church. In contrast, as you say, in India it continues to flourish to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My career with gems re-established and enhanced my passion for astrology and rediscovering the long-lost link between planets and gemstones within the Western tradition.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I am convinced that there is indeed a deep connection between human beings and gemstones, although it is extremely complex \u2013 and has nothing to do with the fad for \u2018birthstones\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there a creative pursuit that brings out the Artisan in you? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2000, I\u2019ve created a limited number of talismanic jewels in precious materials. Each jewel is designed specifically for the individual wearer and involves several months of astrological consultations and calculations in order to realise its final form. Understandably, it is quite a time-consuming process!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell us more about your \u2018Understanding Jewellery\u2019 joint initiative with Daniela Mascetti.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daniela and I worked together for 40 years at Sotheby\u2019s. We\u2019re from very different backgrounds; I studied Philosophy and Daniela read Archaeology at university, but neither of us had any links with jewellery. So all our knowledge has been acquired by handling and studying literally hundreds of thousands of pieces that we have sold and examined in the intervening years. Both of us now share a love of gems and jewellery, which led to us to write three books together. The first was Understanding Jewellery (published in 1989), which quickly became a best-seller and is now often referred to as the \u2018jewellery Bible\u2019; then came Celebrating Jewellery (2012) and latterly Understanding Jewellery The 20th Century (2021). We are now working on our fourth book, where we will take a deep dive into 19th century jewels, and it is due to be published later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So against the background of many years of collaboration and friendship, by setting up our new business, also called Understanding Jewellery (www.understanding-jewellery.com)<\/a>, our aim is to share our expertise and enthusiasm for this fascinating field through the online version of our first work which we have made available on the site, and through our educational courses and articles. We\u2019re also now able to offer an independent specialist voice in the market, which we believe is much needed at a time when so many pieces are available both online and in real life. We recognise that people looking to make a purchase will seek guidance and an unbiased opinion.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any comment on the GJEPC\u2019s stated goal of making India globally synonymous with gems and jewellery (the way Switzerland is known for watches\u2026)? Any words of advice for the industry on the journey to getting there?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Artisan Awards seem to me to be the perfect vehicle for the on-going development of India as the worldwide centre for gems and jewellery. It\u2019s vitally important to nurture the next generation of designers and makers, and it\u2019s exciting to see GJEPC taking the lead in this initiative. I am particularly drawn by the idea of \u2018the treasure\u2019 \u2013 something that should in itself be treasured, not just in the physical sense of being looked after or kept carefully but taken to the level of veneration and celebration. The Artisan Awards seem to me to speak to and honour these concepts. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you were not a jewellery historian and auctioneer, what would you be?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Had I not joined Sotheby\u2019s on the graduate trainee scheme in the early 1970s, I would have taken up my place at the London Film School, so I might have become a film director. I find film a fascinating medium, the way it fills the screen, and how the 2-dimensional image is converted into a 3-dimensional form by the mind. The whole process of making a film fascinates me \u2013 the technical elements, the lighting, the editing, the music. I am drawn to the relationship between the observer and the observed, as portrayed on screen. I have always been an avid film watcher, and regularly return to the classics from the past century.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

David Bennett, ex-Worldwide Chairman, Jewellery Division, Sotheby\u2019s had nurtured a predilection for film direction, but his starry ambitions were nipped due to paternal concern over securing his future; so instead he was steered towards another equally glittering world \u2013 that of diamonds, gems and jewellery, at Sotheby\u2019s. David is the Chief Guest for The Artisan…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14797,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[99,86],"tags":[],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-14796","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design","category-the-artisan-awards"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDavid Bennett: The Diamond Whisperer - Solitaire magazine is a International jewellery magazine - India\u2019s leading B2B gem and jewellery magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"googlebot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"bingbot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/david-bennett-the-diamond-whisperer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"David Bennett: The Diamond Whisperer - Solitaire magazine is a International jewellery magazine - India\u2019s leading B2B gem and jewellery magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"David Bennett, ex-Worldwide Chairman, Jewellery Division, Sotheby\u2019s had nurtured a predilection for film direction, but his starry ambitions were nipped due to paternal concern over securing his future; so instead he was steered towards another equally glittering world \u2013 that of diamonds, gems and jewellery, at Sotheby\u2019s. David is the Chief Guest for The Artisan…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/david-bennett-the-diamond-whisperer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Solitaire magazine is a International jewellery magazine - India\u2019s leading B2B gem and jewellery magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-04-13T04:56:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-04-13T10:49:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Understanding-Jewellery-published-1989-banner-img.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1100\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/\",\"name\":\"Solitaire magazine is a International jewellery magazine - India\\u2019s leading B2B gem and jewellery magazine\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/david-bennett-the-diamond-whisperer\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Understanding-Jewellery-published-1989-banner-img.jpg\",\"width\":1100,\"height\":600},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/david-bennett-the-diamond-whisperer\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/david-bennett-the-diamond-whisperer\/\",\"name\":\"David Bennett: The Diamond Whisperer - Solitaire magazine is a International jewellery magazine - India\\u2019s leading B2B gem and jewellery magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/david-bennett-the-diamond-whisperer\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-04-13T04:56:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-04-13T10:49:54+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/#\/schema\/person\/9fb7ee18bb0ee6495ba78f48f508bcc5\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/david-bennett-the-diamond-whisperer\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":[\"Person\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/#\/schema\/person\/9fb7ee18bb0ee6495ba78f48f508bcc5\",\"name\":\"Shanoo Bijlani\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/30367b4f39ee75e29e8eb53937913df409900114c6d6f7f3fc8c8134a284701c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Shanoo Bijlani\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14796"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14927,"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14796\/revisions\/14927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14797"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14796"},{"taxonomy":"thb-sponsors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/thb-sponsors?post=14796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}