Phillips Names New Head of Jewelry in Europe

Geneva—Phillips announced the appointment of Benoît Repellin as its head of jewelry in Europe.

Repellin will take on the role as of Feb. 1.

He brings a decade of experience in the European market to the role, previously working with Sotheby’s as the director and head of its Magnificent Jewels sales.

The experienced auctioneer also conducted the other jewelry auctions in Europe. 

During his nine-year tenure with the auction house, he won a number of high-profile consignments.

In his new role at Phillips, Repellin will help establish a strong presence for Phillips Jewels in Europe.

“Europe remains an extremely important market for sourcing and selling jewels, and I believe Benoît has the expertise, network, and creativity to help us reach the next level of development in this category,” said Graeme Thompson, worldwide head of jewelry at Phillips.

“There is tremendous opportunity to build a highly competitive jewelry business with a modern sensibility in today’s auction market, and Benoît’s appointment marks the next step for Phillips in achieving this.”

Though based in Geneva, Repellin will travel extensively and work alongside the teams in New York, London, and Hong Kong as well as Geneva.

His appointment is part of the auction house’s expansion plan as it builds out its jewelry department.

Phillips hired Sara Payne Thomeier earlier this year as its head of jewels, America, senior vice president, and added Cristel Tan to its Singapore team as its international jewelry specialist in South East Asia.

The auction house said it reached a record annual total for its global jewelry auctions in 2021, posting a 75 percent increase from 2019.

Its jewelry auctions in Asia had a record year, the company said, with November sales in Hong Kong posting strong season-over-season growth.