MajorsAug 21, 2025
Claire’s Finds Buyer, Could Save up to 950 StoresThe retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.
AuctionsAug 10, 2016
Christie’s announces record half-year results
Auction house Christie’s is having a record-setting year so far, announcing a 22 percent increase in total sales and noting its 20th consecutive year of auction market leadership in the jewelry sector.
Christie’s luxury category, which includes jewelry, watches and wine sales, have totaled $455.5 million in the six-month period ended June 30, a 20 percent increase as compared with 2013.
Colored diamonds have been instrumental in driving up the totals of Christie’s jewelry sales in the first half of the year.
The largest fancy blue vivid diamond in the world sold for $23.8 million at Christie’s May 14 sale of Magnificent Jewels in Geneva. The diamond’s price brought the auction’s total to more than $150 million and set a new world auction record for a jewelry sale.
RELATED CONTENT: Aided by big blue, Christie’s sale sets new record
Also in May, a 6.13-carat cushion-shaped fancy intense green diamond ring set a world auction word price for a fancy intense green diamond when it sold for $3.6 million. In June, a 5.50-carat fancy vivid pink diamond sold for $9.6 million at Christie’s New York, exceeding its pre-sale high estimate of $7.5 million.
Christie’s total sales, including for categories outside luxury, have increased to $4.47 billion in the first half of the year, driven not only by an increase in the value of artwork but also through digital engagement and new buyers, the auction house said.
Christie’s launched the Watch Shop earlier this year, an online-only retail model that provides e-commerce consumers with a place to buy rare, vintage and luxury timepieces through a retail store format, rather than as an online auction.
RELATED CONTENT: Christie’s enters retail with online watch store
Christie’s said to date, 33 percent of its Watch Shop consumers are new customers. While the average watch price is around $10,000, the highest price achieved on the digital store is $58,000.
The Watch Shop also is the most-viewed sale of any of Christie’s auctions or online sales to date in 2014, aiding in the watch category’s 10 percent growth in the first half of the year.
Online-only auctions also continue to attract new buyers and
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
drive revenue for the auction house, with sales up 87 percent to $14.4 million in the half-year period.
Christie’s first introduced online-only jewelry sales in 2013, and has held five of these auctions to date, offering pieces from brands including Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. While the jewelry offered is at relatively lower price points as compared with its regular auctions, generally less than $50,000, the company has said the online-only sales have been instrumental in engaging new collectors from around the world.
The highest-grossing piece sold online this year (though not in an online-only auction) is a Van Cleef & Arpels diamond ring, which went for $2.8 million through Christie’s Live, part of its Magnificent Jewels sale held in Geneva in May.
Geographically, strong results in the first half of the year were recorded by region, with significant activity in the Americas. New York sales are up 31 percent to $1.76 billion, and sales in the EMERI region (Europe, the Middle East, Russia and India) have increased 22 percent to $1.45 billion.
“Christie’s continued position of leadership is evidenced again in our half-year results. Yet more important is that we are meeting our goal of serving more clients than any other art business globally and at all levels of collecting,” said Christie’s CEO Steven Murphy.
More on Auctions
The Latest
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Target Names New CEO as Sales Continue to Lag Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.
Policies & IssuesAug 21, 2025
JA, IDMA Talk Tariffs With Execs in DC The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Pops Up at 2025 US OpenThe pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.
Weekly QuizAug 15, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
IndependentsAug 20, 2025
Bellman’s Jewelers Opens Second Store After COO's TikTok Takes OffThe New Hampshire-based store has expanded to Boston, propelled by the success of Alex Bellman’s TikTok page, “The Truthful Jeweler.”
CrimeAug 20, 2025
Another CA Jewelry Store Rammed With Car, RobbedThe latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
WatchesAug 20, 2025
Oris Launches Watch Benefiting NYC Harbor Oyster RestorationThe new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.
Events & AwardsAug 20, 2025
Take the Jewelers for Children ‘Trinity of Purpose’ ChallengeParticipants who attend any three Rings of Strength events will be awarded a special medal.
SourcingAug 19, 2025
Dubai’s Jemora Group Buys Diamond Miner LucapaThe investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.
ColumnistsAug 19, 2025
Peter Smith: The Arrival Fallacy and Jewelry RetailSmith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.
CrimeAug 19, 2025
Customs Seizes 7,300 Pairs of Fake ‘Alhambra’ EarringsThe counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.
MajorsAug 19, 2025
MJSA Apprenticeship Program Is Nationally RecognizedThe MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
WatchesAug 19, 2025
Casio America Names New Timepiece Division ManagerCasio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.
MajorsAug 18, 2025
Verragio’s Michael Barabash, a ‘Kind Soul,’ Dies at 58Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.
CollectionsAug 18, 2025
John Hardy’s New ‘Dot’ Collection Is on PointOriginally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.
Events & AwardsAug 18, 2025
IJO Announces 2025 Vendor of the YearAllison-Kaufman has received the honor for the fourth year in a row.
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
EditorsAug 15, 2025
Piece of the Week: Etho Maria’s Showgirl-Approved Ruby Drop Earrings Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in ManufacturerIts investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.
MajorsAug 15, 2025
Rio Grande Names New Marketing DirectorNicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.
CollectionsAug 14, 2025
In Midst of ‘Sardine Girl Summer,’ Pippa Small Looks to ‘Flounder Fall’Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.
MajorsAug 14, 2025
Casio America Names New CEOLongtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.
SourcingAug 14, 2025
West Coast Orgs to Host Trading Event, Mixer in LAThe full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Proposes With Gigantic Oval-Cut DiamondModel Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.
SourcingAug 13, 2025
ICA Names 2025 Board of DirectorsThe board elected 9 new directors at its recent ICA Congress in Brazil.
