This design from Silvia Furmanovich is part of the Phillips Flawless x Vivarium online sale, “Woman to Woman: A Powerful Voice in Jewelry,” happening now. (Image courtesy of Natural Diamond Council)
Hong Kong—Female designers’ rise in fine jewelry has been swift in recent decades, and Phillips is recognizing some of its most impactful talents.
“Woman to Woman: A Powerful Voice in Jewelry” is an online selling exhibition running now.
The sale marks a collaboration between the auction house’s new e-commerce wing, “Flawless,” and jewelry author and historian Vivienne Becker’s company, Vivarium.
“Having known Vivienne for many years, it makes me extremely happy to launch the partnership between Phillips Flawless and Vivarium,” Phillips Worldwide Head of Jewelry Graeme Thompson said.
Feng J “Calla Lily Ring” featuring 2.97-carat Zambian emerald and signature double rose cuts in hand-painted gold (Price available upon request)
“The synergies of our collaboration are extremely powerful because, together, we share the same vision, passion, and objective to promote the very best contemporary jewelers from around the world, whilst preserving the historical context of jewels from the past.”
The “Woman to Woman” exhibition features 42 works from 15 female designers spanning the last century-plus.
Pieces from contemporary names like Solange Azagury-Partridge, Feng J, and Silvia Furmanovich are included alongside works from Suzanne Belperron, Paloma Picasso, and Marina Bulgari.
Leading the sale is an iconic “Chocolat” bracelet from Suzanne Belperron for Boivin.
A Suzanne Belperron for Boivin 18-karat white gold “Chocolat” bracelet circa 1929 in black onyx and diamonds; the piece also comes with its original drawing (not pictured here). ($300,000)
Produced in 1929, the graphic piece is an excellent example of Art Deco style. Belperron, who was a top designer at Boivin from 1919 to 1932, created the piece when she was still in her 20s.
Phillips called the bracelet “extremely rare” and “museum quality.”
It’s priced at $300,000, though the online sale offers a variety of price ranges, the least expensive piece being a pair of Angela Cummings hematite earrings priced at $3,000.
With the sale running through May 31, Becker has organized a number of online discussions focused on female empowerment in jewelry design, the exhibition’s historical jewelers, and talks with the contemporary stars that include peeks into some of their studios.
Solange Azagury-Partridge “Hot Pink Diamond Scribbles Ring” in 18-karat white gold with diamonds, black rhodium, and lacquer ($78,000)
“It’s very exciting to be working with Phillips Flawless on this first collaborative event, a themed and curated private sales exhibition, in which the jewels are brought to life through cultural, social, and historical context,” Becker said.
She added the Phillips sale allows them to present jewelry as important works of contemporary design, just like any other art piece.
“It is also a wonderful opportunity for me to share jewelry history—that I so love—in a very different, and hopefully entertaining, way and to tell the fascinating story of women in jewels.”
“Woman to Woman: A Powerful Voice in Jewelry” may be viewed and shopped online or seen in person by appointment at Phillips’ Hong Kong location.
