There’s a connection with two key trends among younger affluent customers — renting and concerns about sustainability. “We’re seeing a lot more rotation these days,” explains He. “People will buy a watch or a bag at auction, use it for a few years, and then sell it again through an auction house and buy something else.”
Christie’s is seeing considerable interest among buyers in vintage jewellery from the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. “A good example is Bulgari’s Monete collections,” explains Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Jewellery at Christie’s. “The first appearance of the Monete collection took place in 1966 and was adored by film divas like Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly. Later, in the 1980s, a second wave of jewellery pieces centred around ancient coinage was released by Bulgari. In 2022, a third collection came to market. Initially, the auction market mainly focused on the 1960s pieces, but interest has expanded to the 1980s pieces in the last two to three years. The secondary market will turn its interest more rapidly to the 2022 pieces as earlier pieces are more difficult to find.” In November, it will sell the Mellon Blue in Geneva. The Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond, weighing in at 9.51 carats, is expected to fetch between $20m and $30m.
