There may have been an ongoing dispute over whether or not one required a bag during lockdown (I did), but when it came to jewellery the answer was unanimous: wear it. 

The two categories recently came together for Christie’s latest summer Jewels & Handbags Online: The London Edit auction, which achieved a total of £4,733,375 and a sell-through rate of 100 per cent by value, and 117 per cent hammer above low estimate. Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Garrard, alongside Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton were among the names on offer, with bidders from 47 countries tuning in. 

Among the jewellery lots that shone through (at the private preview there were plenty that caught out eye): a group of three graduated natural saltwater pearl necklaces, which were formerly in the collection of Lady Ludlow, and surpassed the pre-sale estimate of £175,000-£200,000, selling for £375,000. Meanwhile, a sugarloaf cabochon sapphire and diamond brooch by Cartier reaslied £325,000 and a parure by Van Cleef & Arpels sold for £325,000. Zoom or no Zoom, these are surely pieces for wearing and treasuring.