Bonhams recently announced the appointment of Brett O'Connor as Senior International Jewellery Director and Senior Vice President, US. O'Connor will also join the US Executive Team, the auction house said.

O'Connor, who is slated to take up his new role at the start of November 2018, will be based in Bonhams New York office.

O'Connor, a globally renowned auctioneer and leading senior specialist in the jewellery sector with more than 24 years' auction experience, has worked extensively in Asia, North America, Europe and the Middle East.

His previous appointment was with Sotheby's; and he was based in Geneva for the last 16 years.

“He was one of the lead auctioneers for the company's major jewellery sales in Geneva, Hong Kong, London and New York and was responsible for sourcing jewellery globally, liaising with the company's top clients and advising on their collections,” Bonhams said.  Prior to moving to Geneva, O'Connor was Head of Jewels in Hong Kong for Sotheby's.

His tenure in Geneva has been termed impressive: O’Connor was closely involved in the collections of Maria Callas, Gina Lollobrigida, Henckle von Donnersmarck and the forthcoming Jewels of Marie Antoinette to name a few; and he is said to have been instrumental in making Geneva “the auction destination of choice for consignors and buyers.   

O'Connor was also involved in bringing to market some of the most valuable and important diamonds and gemstones ever to appear at auction including the Beau Sancy diamond, the Sunrise ruby and the Apollo and Artemis coloured diamond earrings, Bonhams noted.

Having attended the Gemological Institute of America in the early 1990s, he graduated from the institute in the top one per cent of his class with a GJG (graduate jeweller gemologist). O’Connor then went on to work for Christie's and Phillips in New York and Los Angeles before moving to Hong Kong and Europe for Sotheby's.

Bonhams Global Head of Jewellery Jean Ghika said: "I am delighted to welcome Brett to the team. He has an excellent track record and is extremely well regarded within the industry. I am particularly looking forward to working with him to further build our presence in the US and Asia, which are some of the most important and fastest growing markets for jewellery."

Brett O'Connor said: "I am pleased to be joining Bonhams at an important point in the company's long history and excited to be returning to the US with a view to expanding the jewellery department's global presence."