Hemmerle: The biggest single-owner sale in history to be auctioned at Sotheby’s
On 26th November 2019, the largest single-owner collection of Hemmerle jewellery in history will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in London. Such diverse and at the same time instantly recognisable jewellery made by the Munich-based company will be given a new lease of life. It is jewellery that deserves to be worn and enjoyed, not stored in a box and hidden from public view.
The Hemmerle jewellery maison, founded in 1893, is a family-owned business run by jewellers who are known for their love of innovative combinations of materials, craftsmanship and quality, for blurring the line between jewellery, art and design.
Hemmerle emerald bead, jasper cameo and tsavorite garnet pendant necklace
Kristian Spofforth, head of Sotheby’s jewellery department in London, said: Hemmerle jewels are a rare sight at auction and so it is a joy to be able to offer this unique single-owner collection. We often see clients collecting across the categories in our sales. The avant-garde designs of these jewels are sure to transcend the field of jewellery and appeal to seasoned collectors of fine art and contemporary design.
Hemmerle spinel and pink sapphire earrings
To present the full scope of the upcoming sale: in 2006, Die Neue Sammlung, the Munich Museum of Art and Design, organised the Hemmerle exhibition ‘Myths: Jewels Today’, where – thanks to the amazing efforts of the organisers – 145 of the brand’s jewellery creations were presented. Now, 12 pieces of Hemmerle jewellery are being offered for purchase at the same time, something which can be considered as impressive for a collection made by the brand.
Hemmerle emerald bead, jasper cameo and tsavorite garnet pendant necklace
Christian Hemmerle, director of the Hemmerle jewellery maison, commented on the occasion as follows: “By blending the vocabulary of sculpture with the functional demands of jewellery design, we strive for a timelessness in our work that endures – we are pleased audiences will have the rare opportunity to reassess these historical works through the filter of the present. Collected by a single owner over a decade, these creations provide insight into our context and development as designers during an important and defining period in our history. Recent years have also seen jewellery become more widely recognised as an art form, in turn growing the secondary market for contemporary collectible jewellery – we are pleased to see our creations become part of this development through this unprecedented sale.”
The collection is truly timeless, something that is apparent when studying the jewellery itself. It includes four pieces made with antique cameos – a practice that has become Hemmerle’s hallmark – the most impressive of which is a pendant necklace depicting Neptune in jade, surrounded by emeralds and tsavorites with an oval link chain.
Earrings made with diamonds in pineapple-shaped settings decorated with two large traditionally faceted diamonds of a grey and orange-brown colour also merit attention. Each of them holds a 19th century cameo in a diamond setting: one is an agate with a profile of a Moorish woman, the other is an onyx depicting the patron of the poets Horace and Virgil. A pair of brooches boasting amazing diamonds offer the wearer with an avant-garde opportunity: to transform the brooches into a laurel branch that can be worn as a hair clip.
Hemmerle pair of diamond brooch hair clips
This remarkable collection will be auctioned alongside an outstanding selection of precious stones from the 19th century to the present. All the jewellery will be on display at Sotheby’s Gallery in New Bond Street from 22nd to 25th November.
WORDS
Katerina Perez With more than 12 years’ experience in the jewellery sector, Katerina Perez’s expert knowledge spans everything from retail sales and management to content creation, including brand building, jewellery writing and styling. Born and raised in St Petersburg, Katerina’s favourite hobby as a child was playing with the treasures in her grandmother's jewellery box, inspiring a lifelong love of jewellery from a very early age. She spent five years in St Petersburg University of Culture and Arts studying not journalism but business studies and languages, and her writing skills have developed as her passion for her favourite subject – jewellery – has grown. This is why her writing comes straight from the heart rather than the pages of a book. Daughter of an entrepreneur mother, Katerina exchanged her retail management job for jewellery writing in 2013 and hasn’t looked back since.
Related Articles
Designer Gifts: The Latest Men’s Jewellery for the Label Lover in Your Life
2024 has been the year that men's jewellery really got into its stride, shedding its traditional image, embracing innovation, and emerging as a bold and brilliant category in its own right.
Latest Stories
Add articles and images to your favourites. Just
Jeweller of the Month:MADLY Gems
Singaporean brand celebrates 10-year anniversary
Jewels Katerina Perez Loves
Continue Reading
Ask Katerina:Diamond Jewellery Styling Tips for Modern Dressing
Here are some of the answers I gave during the presentation to aid your jewellery dressing…
Brand Focus:Van Cleef & Arpels
Jewellery Insights straight to your inbox