Phillips Expands Global Jewelry Team

RAPAPORT… Phillips has hired two executives for its international jewelry department in an effort to broaden its expertise in the sector.

Sara Payne Thomeier will join the auction house as senior vice president and head of jewels for the Americas, Phillips said last week. She will be responsible for leading the New York jewelry department, deepening client relationships and sourcing material for jewelry auctions in New York and Hong Kong. Thomeier was previously executive vice president and jewelry specialist at art appraisal and advisory group Gurr Johns International and has worked at wholesaler Provockative Gems.

Phillips has also appointed Cristel Tan as international jewelry specialist for southeast Asia. She will focus on developing Phillips’s client base and profile in the region as the auction house looks to broaden its reach there. Additionally, she will support the Hong Kong jewelry team and help with auctions in Hong Kong and New York, the company explained. Tan most recently worked as head of jewelry sales for Sotheby’s Hong Kong.

“Over the past few years, our team has established Phillips’s exceptional reputation in the field of 20th-century and contemporary jewelry and defined our role in bringing emerging jewelry makers to the fore,” said Graeme Thompson, worldwide head of jewelry for Phillips. “With Sara and Cristel joining our dynamic international team, we will continue to provide best-in-class service to our dedicated and expanding community of collectors.”

Tan will be based in Singapore, while Thomeier will work out of the New York office, Phillips added.

Images: Sara Payne Thomeier (left) and Cristel Tan (right). (Phillips)