Sotheby’s announced today that it’s opening a private sales gallery in Monaco for the summer—and that alongside some classic Picassos and Matisses, it will house a display of high jewelry pieces from London-based jeweler Glenn Spiro.
The space will be open July 1 through October (the closing date is unspecified), and comes on the heels of successful Sotheby’s pop-up galleries in Palm Beach, Fla., and East Hampton, N.Y. It will be the first pop-up for the company in Europe.
Located at 20 Avenue de la Costa, in the swanky Côte d’Azur, the gallery will feature a rotating roster of important works over two physical floors.
The works of art were chosen to reflect the best examples from across all categories of Sotheby’s offerings. And the first exhibition, opening July 1, will feature works from iconic artists including Picasso, Picabia, Braque, Renoir, Léger, Matisse, Nolde, and Twombly, along with pieces from Italian artists Lucio Fontana, Alighiero Boetti, and Alberto Burri.
Glenn Spiro Waterfall earrings in titanium set with 487 brilliant-cut diamonds (31.31 cts. t.w.) and 52 marquise-shape diamonds (4.69 cts. t.w.)
The high jewelry pieces from Spiro will include dazzling shell-shape earrings featuring 596 cognac diamonds; an incredible cocktail ring centered by a huge natural Colombian emerald set in 18k red gold and within a natural carved crystal; and a diamond necklace that culminates in a rare natural cabochon sapphire weighing 180.49 cts. (see it at top).
Spiro, a longtime private jeweler, launched his G collection in 2014 inside a salon in Harrods. Two years later, he moved operations to a private salon in London’s Mayfair district, where the brand is currently housed.
Sotheby’s Monte Carlo–based business has been bustling for years, according to the company. And its new temporary space was designed to enable clients to buy and sell beyond the traditional auction calendar.
Martin Klosterfelde, senior director of Sotheby’s international private sales, said in a prepared statement, “Sotheby’s private sales reached an all-time high last year, and as we continue to expand this area of our business, pop-up galleries have become an important and really popular component of our approach. Our Palm Beach and East Hampton galleries continue to welcome hundreds of visitors each and every week, opening a fresh window into the quality and breadth of masterworks available via a side of business that has historically been kept away from the public eye.”
Top: Glenn Spiro necklace with 180.49 ct. Burmese cabochon sapphire, 560 Tawiz diamonds (179.81 cts. t.w.), and 1,548 round diamonds (5.21 cts. t.w.) (all photos courtesy of Sotheby’s)
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