Top Trends and 6 Must-Have Jewels from Sotheby’s Spring Auctions

Spring auctions are coming, and jewelry lovers are poised to bid—but what are savvy collectors seeking? “The auction market is increasingly discerning in terms of clients’ taste,” notes Quig Bruning, vice president and jewelry specialist at Sotheby’s in Los Angeles. “Vintage, signed jewels—particularly by makers such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels—dominate, and clients continue to search auctions for important, rare stones that they cannot find elsewhere.” Also garnering more interest are designs from the 1940s and ’50s, particularly those made with yellow gold. “In addition, we’ve seen great success with boutique brands, such as Lacloche [Frères] for vintage or Hemmerle for contemporary, whose designs are particularly distinctive.”

Bearing all this in mind, we asked Bruning to call out his six favorite pieces from more than 400 lots being offered through Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale on April 18 and the Fine Jewels sale on April 19. Take note, and happy bidding!