PodcastsAug 19, 2026
Episode 8: Diamond Industry Update With David Bonaparte & Ronnie VanderLindenThe industry veterans join the podcast to discuss diamond marketing, the FTC Jewelry Guides, and lobbying for lower tariffs.
AuctionsApr 30, 2020
Cartier ‘Tutti Frutti’ Bracelet Sets Online Jewelry Auction Record
The Art Deco piece earned $1.34 million at Sotheby’s this week.
This Cartier Tutti Frutti carved gemstone bracelet smashed its pre-sale estimate high when it went for $1.34 million at auction, setting a record for an online jewelry auction.
New York—If one recent auction is any indication, the desire for luxury jewelry items is alive and well.
This week, in a single-lot online sale, Sotheby’s New York sold a Cartier “Tutti Frutti” bracelet to an undisclosed buyer for $1.34 million. The Art Deco piece was expected to earn between $600,000 and $800,000.
Its final price tag is the highest price for any jewel sold in an online auction, according to Sotheby’s, as well as highest price for any jewel sold at auction so far in 2020 by any house.
Cartier’s Tutti Frutti styles exemplify a western cultural fascination with Asia in the Art Deco period, Sotheby’s explained.
The first example of the work was Pierre Cartier’s necklace for Queen Alexandra in 1901. The wife of King Edward VII, she was the Empress Consort of India and desired an Indian-inspired style.
Pierre Cartier’s brother, Jacques Cartier, traveled to India in 1911. Inspired by the sights and cultures he encountered, he embarked on the Tutti Frutti collection in earnest, incorporating carved Mughal gemstones into geometric platinum, diamond and enamel patterns that exemplified Deco style.
Several jewels in this style were exhibited at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. Fashionable women like Cole Porter and Daisy Fellowes became fans and collectors.
Each Tutti Frutti jewel is one-of-a-kind. This particular one boasts carved emeralds, rubies and sapphires set in platinum with diamonds, onyx and enamel.
“The result achieved for this bracelet is testament to the fact that, even under the most challenging of circumstances, the demand for great art endures,” Catharine Becket, Sotheby’s head of magnificent jewels auctions in New York, said in a statement.
The bracelet that sold this week hasn’t appeared at auction before. It was created circa 1930 and has been passed down through an American family for the last 30-plus years.
The family who sold it also sold the 35-carat Flagler Emerald at Sotheby’s in 2015, which shattered its $1 million to $1.5 million pre-sale estimate, selling for $2.8 million.
“Tutti Frutti jewels have always held a special allure for collectors, capturing the West’s fascination with the ‘exotic’ at a time when travel was relatively limited, much as it is today,” Becket added. “Now, of course, we can connect with the touch of a button, which allowed us to engage with bidders worldwide. We look forward to bringing more great jewels to the marketplace in the months ahead as
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
we expand our calendar of online sales.”
Overall, Sotheby’s online jewelry sales in 2020 have sold 93 percent of lots for a total $7.4 million, above high-end sale estimates. Bidders hail from more than 30 countries and 30 percent of all bidders in 2020 were doing so for the first time with Sotheby’s.
Overall, Sotheby’s online jewelry sales in 2020 have sold 93 percent of lots for a total $7.4 million, above high-end sale estimates. Bidders hail from more than 30 countries and 30 percent of all bidders in 2020 were doing so for the first time with Sotheby’s.
More on Auctions
The Latest
MajorsAug 19, 2026
Mike Alexander To Succeed Scott Murphy as Jewelers Mutual CEO Murphy will retire at the end of the year and Alexander, currently the company’s president, will take over at the start of 2027.
Policies & IssuesAug 19, 2026
Spinelli Kilcollin Embraces Dupes With Trade-In ProgramThe jeweler is encouraging customers who own lookalike rings to come into the store and trade them for credit towards an authentic piece.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
MajorsAug 19, 2026
Zales Wants You to Wear Fine Jewelry Every DayThe new campaign, “You Are The Occasion,” discourages shoppers from saving their fine jewelry for special occasions only.
Weekly QuizAug 13, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingAug 19, 2026
Vasant Mehta, a Dedicated Diamond Industry Leader, Dies at 81Mehta led India’s GJEPC through the 2008 financial crisis and was respected worldwide for his wisdom, integrity, and knowledge.
CrimeAug 18, 2026
2 California Men Arrested in Fatal Vehicle Smash RobberyOne is the driver who allegedly crashed a car into a Sacramento jewelry store in April, striking a 71-year-old employee who later died.
Brought to you by
Why More Jewelry Retailers Are Hosting Turnkey Estate Buying EventsRetailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.
ColumnistsAug 18, 2026
Peter Smith: The IKEA Effect and Bridal Branding In a new column, Peter Smith posits that people actually enjoy putting together IKEA furniture, and the same is true for engagement rings.
CrimeAug 18, 2026
Thieves Snatch $1M in Jewelry From New Jersey Jeweler9lakha Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey, was the target of a smash-and-grab robbery on Aug. 8.
Lab-GrownAug 18, 2026
Ring Concierge, Kendall Jenner’s Tequila Brand Collab on GiveawayThe jeweler has partnered with 818 Tequila to gift lab-grown diamond studs to a bride-to-be and their bridal party.
Events & AwardsAug 17, 2026
Exhibition on Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Studios to Open at The MetThe exhibition will feature more than 100 drawings of stained-glass lampshades, windows, and more, many created by women and émigrés.
CollectionsAug 17, 2026
Marquise Diamonds Dance in Spinelli Kilcollin’s ‘Wren’ CollectionMarquise-cut diamonds in drop charms are the center of the new collection, reflecting the movement of a dancer in modular styles.
Events & AwardsAug 17, 2026
There’s a New Jewelry Show Coming to FloridaThe inaugural Fort Lauderdale Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show will be held from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, 2027.
IndependentsAug 14, 2026
Smyth Jewelers to Open Fourth LocationThe family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.
CrimeAug 14, 2026
Wife of Man Convicted in Jeweler’s Murder Sentenced for Conspiracy Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.
TrendsAug 14, 2026
Paul Morelli’s Latest ‘Wavey Vine’ Earrings Embrace ColorThe reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.
Supplier BulletinAug 13, 2026
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSponsored by American Gem Trade Association
FinancialsAug 13, 2026
Pandora’s ‘Talisman’ Collection Shines, Lab-Grown Diamond Sales FallIn the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.
SourcingAug 13, 2026
2,488-Carat Diamond, Largest Found in Botswana, Has a New Owner Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.
CollectionsAug 13, 2026
John Hardy Infuses ‘Icon,’ ‘Heishi’ Collections with ColorThe expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.
Lab-GrownAug 13, 2026
Jean Dousset Opens Third StoreThe lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Eshed-Gemstar on the Painstaking Process of Cutting ‘The Legacy Emerald’The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Elderly NYC Woman Targeted in Jewelry Swap SchemeTwo suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.
SourcingAug 12, 2026
Another Diamond Mine Poised to CloseFinsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.
CrimeAug 12, 2026
Jewelry Store Employee Gets 20 Years to Life in Choking Death of BossMichel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.
MajorsAug 12, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names New SVP of SalesLongtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.
