Phillips Names New Head of Jewelry in Europe
Benoît Repellin, the former head of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sales, will join the auction house next year.

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.
The Latest

The family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.

Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.

The reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.

Retailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.

Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association


In the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.

Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.

Colored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.

The expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.

The lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.

The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.

Two suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.

Finsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.

Michel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.

Longtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.

Jamie Cygielman will take on the role on Aug. 24.

Moore, Polly’s husband, is remembered as a family man with an easygoing spirit and a love for sports and the outdoors.

Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams share the best ways to display, present, and explain colored gemstones to younger customers.

The mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers will take place Sept. 5-6 on Zoom.

Honest Hands Ring Co. Founder Benjamin Bosworth shared his thoughts on jewelry technology and why AI can never replace the human element.

QVC Group President and CEO David Rawlinson is temporarily being replaced by a familiar face, former QVC CEO Mike George.

The brand also added two one-of-a-kind brown diamond pieces to the “Sanssouci” series of its “Gardens” collection.

Ostbye took home top vendor honors at the Independent Jewelers Organization’s show, held last month in Kentucky.

Sponsored by Stratus Estate Buyers

Cloud, who will officially join Blue Nile on Monday, spent 26 years at Tiffany & Co. and founded jewelry brand Roseate.

Garcia will take over from the company’s current CFO, Anders Boyer, who is retiring at the end of November.

Etsy CEO Kruti Patel Goyal explained why the company is letting go more than 200 employees as its performance improves.






















