Meet the Sherlock Holmeses of the jewellery world: 'Someone requested a Cartier bangle owned by the Duchess of Windsor. I knew where it was'
It’s heartbreaking to lose a precious piece of jewellery, but help is at hand from the ‘jewellery detectives'.
When one British nobleman wanted to propose to his girlfriend and it was clear that no ordinary diamond would do, he turned to Karine Zacharias of KZACHARIAS, formerly of Gem Trails. ‘The bride said that, if she ever got married, she wanted an 18th-century, pear-shaped diamond from the Golconda mine. It was a very particular and exclusive piece,’ explains Karine.
Eight months and €800,000 later, the five-carat diamond was acquired through her network of Indian contacts, gathered when she was living in Jaipur. (The girlfriend said yes.)
Karine is one of a number of jewellery detectives using an extensive network to replace a loved piece that has been lost or stolen (although finding the exact item is another matter). Another common request is furnishing a nostalgic ancestor with a beautiful piece similar to one that their grandmother once owned.
'He relies mostly on phone calls and his established and trusted contacts'
Lee Siegelson in New York shares this enthusiasm for sleuthing: ‘I had someone request a specific Cartier bangle owned by the Duchess of Windsor. I knew where it was and I was able to get it quickly and offer it to the client, who purchased it and was thrilled.’
Each request is different and Lee keeps track of who owns important pieces wherever possible: ‘The ideal scenario is when someone asks for something and I already know where it is — or I already own it.’
He relies mostly on phone calls and his established and trusted contacts. ‘The big reveal is exciting, when you’ve managed to acquire the right object, but the behind-the-scenes detective work might appear boring to observers.’
Fuelling the market for jewellery sleuths is a surge in interest in Art Deco pieces and signed works by the likes of Suzanne Belperron, Louis Comfort for Tiffany and Andrew Grima. Tutti Frutti by Cartier is in hot demand and there’s a surprising resurgence in brooches.
Another sleuth who thrills in the chase is Guy Burton of Burlington jewellery emporium Hancocks, who also helps with replacing pieces that have been stolen. ‘The reality is that the likelihood of finding the exact same jewel is very slim and expectations need to be managed from the start,’ he reflects. ‘Pictures of the original pieces are absolutely essential, so we always recommend keeping good records of your jewellery collection. An important place to consider starting with is the Art Loss Register and we would be able to do research through our international sources to see if the item is on the market.’
If the original can’t be found, Guy is likely to be able to locate something similar. Auction houses are another good source. Don’t discount smaller ones, such as the well-respected Chiswick Auctions and Fellows in Birmingham, but the big three are, of course, Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Bonhams, especially when it comes to tracking down standout gemstones.
‘I have a very important private client who collects top-quality gemstones,’ says Mei Y, the then director of private sales (jewellery) at Christie’s. ‘She wanted a pair of very rare yellow Zimmi diamonds. We found them for her in Switzerland by trawling through cutters and manufacturers and set them into ear studs.’
Kristian Spofforth, head of Sotheby’s London jewellery sales, is often tasked with trying to trace or replace a stolen piece. ‘It can be really hard if the piece is very old, as, sadly, people give descriptions, not records,’ he explains. ‘If it’s from a large jewellery house, such as Van Cleef & Arpels, we can contact the company and say Mr X bought this in 1942. Its archive department is often able to help.’
When the search proves successful, however, the rewards are rich. ‘When the client says “that is exactly like my grandmother’s, it’s what I’ve been looking for”, it’s really satisfying,’ concludes Kristian.
