Christmas is approaching and the search for gifts, especially if you want to give a beautiful piece of jewelry, often turns into a headache. Because when contemplating the windows of the great jewelers, a harsh reality emerges. Many “Santas” will have difficulty reconciling budgetary imperatives and the desire to please. A solution exists: auctions. Obviously, we think of the most prestigious like that of the Duchess of Windsor’s casket, sold in 1987 for 50 million dollars, or that of Elizabeth Taylor’s gems, in 2011, which found a buyer for 116 million dollars . But this is an epiphenomenon, even if major sales are held regularly in Geneva. Throughout the year, with a clear acceleration around the holidays, jewelry sales take place throughout France and are conducive to good deals.
The expert eye is precious
These transfers are announced in La Gazette Drouot – paper version or website – and often in national or regional dailies. As with any auction, preliminary exhibitions take place, sometimes for several days, or only the day before and the morning of the sale. Experts are present and it is possible to examine the lots offered, find out their condition, possible repairs and try them out. For example, for a solitaire, the description always mentions the 4 Cs of the diamond, namely the cut (cut)purity (clarity)the color (color) and weight (carat). Other details are provided such as the presence of inclusions or impurities.
If it is a jeweler’s item, we will inform you about the brand, while telling you when it was created. The estimates, low and high, are of course indicative but always lower than the boutique price if it is a piece still manufactured. If you are won over, don’t forget that you will have to add fees to the hammer price which vary, all taxes included, between 20% and 30%. There are exceptions for Crédit municipal sales, which benefit from a rate of 18% and for judicial sales, at 14.28%.
Significant discounts at major jewelers
Depending on your means, you will opt for unsigned jewelry or big name creations. In the first category, prices remain affordable. We find gold bracelets for less than 1,000 euros, necklaces for less than 2,000 euros, sapphires set in rings for 2,000 euros or brooches at all prices, the latter varying according to the originality of the model and the materials used.
Of course, the creations of French jewelers from Place Vendôme, Italians Bulgari or Buccellati, or gold-working specialists like the Greek house Ilias Lalaounis are more expensive. But they give rise to the most interesting purchases. Ourson earrings in gold and diamonds by Van Cleef & Arpels were sold for 12,600 euros at Christie’s, while they can be found for 18,000 euros on a vintage jewelry sales site. From the same house, but at Aguttes, an individual took away a Rose de Noël set – earrings and brooch in gold, diamond and white coral – for 22,000 euros while it was listed for just over 35,000 euros at the jeweler. Also at Aguttes, a Buccellati bracelet in brushed gold and diamonds was sold for 15,744 euros while similar models are offered in stores between 21,000 and 27,000 euros.
These price differences can be seen at all famous jewelers, whether Boucheron, Cartier, Chanel, Chaumet, Dior or Tiffany. And for all jewelry, even those which, in stores, are the most accessible, like this Lalaounis gold bracelet sold for 1,968 euros even though it is worth almost double. You should therefore not hesitate, provided you are not carried away by the heat of the auction and avoid fashionable pieces, which are in high demand. You could then pay more than in store. This was the case at Aguttes for a Sweet Alhambra gold necklace, a trendy necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels with 16 four-leaf clover motifs, sold for 10,758 euros… while it is sold for 9,400 euros at Place Vendôme!