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Fortuna Auction House to Host ‘Important Jewels’ Sale on April 30

Amid global shutdowns, Fortuna is offering a virtual alternative to auction buyers.

Published

4 years ago

April 23, 2020

INSTORE Staff

(PRESS RELEASE) NEW YORK — Located in the epicenter for COVID-19 cases within the United States, Fortuna, the NYC-based boutique fine jewelry and watch auction house, is moving forward with their spring auctions, Important Jewels and Important Watches—taking place on April 30. Buyers can participate remotely, either online—via Fortuna’s mobile app or website—or over the phone. Back in March, when cases of coronavirus started to swell, Fortuna had also hosted its live Fine Jewels auction in a similar virtual fashion.

The Important Jewels auction offers a variety of estate and designer jewelry, from all price points. Highlights include a stunning Chaumet Ruby and Diamond Bracelet, which showcases an intricate combination of rubies and emerald-cut, pear-shaped and round brilliant-cut diamonds—exemplary work by the master Parisian jeweler. This piece is offered for an estimated $30,000–$50,000.

Also in the sale are a variety of jewels by Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels, such as the Bulgari Fireworks diamond necklace, estimated at $15,000–$16,000, and a chic Van Cleef & Arpels diamond and multi-colored gemstone ring, estimated at $6,500-$8,000.

In addition to designer jewels, the auction also offers fine period jewelry, most notably an Art Deco diamond wide bracelet with French hallmarks, estimated at $22,000–$35,000.

The April sales promise to be the first of many in this new global landscape. In observance of social distancing, Fortuna has supplemented their online catalog lot listings with additional images and video views of every jewel offered, now that their showrooms are closed to the public.

The auction goes live on Thursday, April 30 at 3PM EDT, but you can start placing your bids online now.

Browse all lots on FortunaAuction.com.

PHOTO GALLERY (6 Images)

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”