Editor’s Note
This article highlights the robust market for vintage jewelry, as seen in a recent Sotheby’s auction. A 1954 piece by designer Suzanne Belperron sold for $635,000, underscoring the enduring demand for iconic names and exceptional craftsmanship among today’s collectors.
A sapphire cabochon plastron designed by Suzanne Belperron in 1954 sold for $635,000 at Sotheby’s this month.
Sotheby’s
Early December saw a Sotheby’s sale of pieces by the star jewelry designer of the 1930s-1950s, demonstrating the ever-growing interest in this creator.
Never before have there been so many auction houses worldwide competing with extraordinary pieces and names to attract the great collectors of our time, particularly in the realm of jewelry. This is evidenced by the “Legacy of Elegance: Jewels from an Exceptional Collection” sale held in New York on December 8th at Sotheby’s new headquarters in the iconic Breuer Building, which once housed the Whitney Museum. A dream catalog that ticked all the boxes to attract jewelry enthusiasts, featuring historical Boucheron, mystery-set pieces, jewels by JAR (Joël Arthur Rosenthal, the most sought-after contemporary jeweler), and creations signed by Belperron, an auction star for two decades.
Little known to the general public, Suzanne Belperron (1900-1983) was born in Saint-Claude in the Jura region – then a major hub for precious stone cutting in France – and trained at the Beaux-Arts in Besançon, before joining Boivin, where she remained for…
