Editor’s Note
This article previews a landmark auction at Bonhams Paris, offering a rare, comprehensive survey of Hermès jewelry from the 1960s to the present. It highlights the collection’s role in tracing the brand’s artistic evolution.
On October 21, Bonhams Paris will present “Hermès: Treasures of Gold and Silver”—a single-owner sale devoted entirely to the French house’s fine jewelry. The live auction will feature 280 pieces spanning the 1960s through the 2020s, offering an unusually comprehensive look at Hermès’ evolution from equestrian atelier to world-renowned luxury powerhouse.
Leading the lineup are three bracelets, each estimated at $14,000 to $18,000. They include a Kelly bracelet in rose gold set with 515 diamonds totaling 3.25 carats. Its clasp echoes the one on Hermès’ iconic Kelly bag—a perfect example of the maison’s ability to translate its design codes to other categories.
The other top-value bracelets are a circa 1960 yellow gold Vendôme with anchor chain links and a Galop GM in pink gold featuring the brand’s famed horse motif, with five graduated diamonds on the horse’s nose.
Additional highlights include a Sellier Gourmette bracelet in yellow gold, estimate $9,300–$14,000; a mors de bride (bridle bit) necklace; and a long silver Kelly padlock necklace, estimated $1,200 to $1,800.
Founded in Paris in 1832, Hermès introduced jewelry in the late 1920s. From the 1938 debut of the anchor chain (chaîne d’ancre) link to Pierre Hardy’s modern fine jewelry era beginning in 2002, the brand has balanced tradition with innovation—qualities reflected across this meticulously curated collection.
