Open Bid — Daily Morning Briefing on Auctions, Luxury & Markets

June 10: Christie's Magnificent Jewels Hits $49.7M; India Pulls Ahead in Asian Art Market; CPI up 4.2%
A $49.7M white-glove jewels sale at Christie's, two upcoming lots worth watching, a hard data read on Asia's splintering art market, and where the luxury names and metals opened this morning.

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Jewelry — Auction Results
- Christie's Magnificent Jewels, New York: $49.7M total, 100% sold by lot, 149% of the low estimate, led by a stone called The Azure Blue
- Buyers: 58% Americas, 21% Asia-Pacific, 21% Europe

Coming to the Block
- 1985 Lamborghini Countach (1 of 300 of the most powerful version): RM Sotheby's, August, est. ~$1.1M
- Christie's announces the Collection of the Hon. Patrick and Lady Amabel Lindsay: 6 specialist sales, June–October; first group (5 Old Master paintings + 2 Italian illuminations) on June 30

Art Market — Asia Data Dive (Artnet)
- Asia's fine-art auction market: $2.2B in 2025, down from a $5.4B peak in 2021
- Average hammer price fell from $81,000 to $36,000; lot volume steady at ~61,000 works/year (a repricing, not a retreat)
- India strongest of the 5 core markets: median hammer ~$11,000, 89% sell-through (region's highest); Mumbai house AstaGuru grew revenue 138% and opened a London outpost
- Measured against 2016 prices: China −37% (held back by its property downturn), Japan −50%; South Korea climbed 26% above 2016 by 2021, then fell 88% the next year

High Jewellery
- Chanel names Marie-Laure Cérède (ex-Cartier and Harry Winston) to lead its jewellery design

Markets
- May CPI: US consumer prices +4.2% year-on-year; core inflation (excludes food and energy) came in below forecasts
- Luxury stocks at today's open (vs Tuesday's close): LVMH (MC) 496 EUR +0.8%, Kering (KER) 257 EUR +0.9%, Hermès (RMS) 1,674 EUR +0.5%, Richemont (CFR) 168.25 CHF +0.3%, Watches of Switzerland (WOSG) 715p +3%, Burberry (BRBY) 1,124p +1%, Ferrari (RACE) $354 −1.1%, Signet (SIG) $86 −0.4%
- Metals at the open: gold ~$4,276/oz, +0.4% vs Tuesday's close; silver ~$65, roughly flat

Collectibles — Quick Hits
- Elijah Craig 21-Year-Old Single Barrel bourbon returns, first release of that age statement in over a decade
- Porsche unveils 3 one-off 911s inspired by Toy Story 5, to be sold for charity

Also Noted
- The Economist: a bidding war for Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the world's oldest bank

Week Ahead
- Bonhams London Fine Watches + Christie's first London sale of South Asian modern & contemporary art in 7 years — June 11
- Christie's Important Watches, New York + Christie's Paris Hermès handbag sale (online, through June 24) + Sotheby's Gem Drop — June 12
- Bonhams sells ~100 cars from the National Automobile Museum, Reno — June 13

Also from ALT/FNDATA:
- Closing Price — Mon/Wed/Fri at 5 PM ET
- Luxury Spending — Wednesdays

Creators and Guests

Host
Sharon Obuobi

What is Open Bid — Daily Morning Briefing on Auctions, Luxury & Markets?

Open Bid is your weekday-morning briefing on the world of luxury and collectibles. In under five minutes, host Sharon Obuobi covers the biggest stories across fine art, jewelry, watches, handbags, and collector cars — the record auction results, the moves inside the luxury houses, and what the markets are doing that morning — all backed by proprietary data from ALT/FNDATA. Whether you collect, invest, or just love this world, it's the fastest way to start the day informed.

Learn more at www.altfndata.com.

OPEN BID — Wednesday, June 10, 2026

[INTRO]

Good morning. It's Wednesday, June 10. I'm Sharon, and this is Open Bid from ALT/FNDATA.

[CHRISTIE'S MAGNIFICENT JEWELS — 100% SOLD]

The Christie's Magnificent Jewels in New York sale yesterday totaled $49.7 million, and every lot found a buyer. Two blue diamonds each sold for more than $8 million, and the sale was led by a stone called The Azure Blue. The total reached 149% of the low estimate — in other words, about 50% above what the low end of the estimates had suggested. According to Christie's, with 58% came from the Americas, and 21% each from Asia-Pacific and Europe.

[COMING TO THE BLOCK]

In August, a fully restored 1985 Lamborghini Countach will be offered through RM Sotheby's for the Monterey auction in California. It is one of 300 examples of the most powerful version of the car. The estimate is around $1.1 million.

Christie's has also announced the Collection of the Honourable Patrick and Lady Amabel Lindsay. It will be sold across 6 specialist sales between June and October. The first group consists of 5 Old Master paintings and 2 Italian illuminations which will be offered on June 30.

[ASIA'S ART MARKET]

According to recent findings from Artnet, the fine-art auction market in Asia generated $2.2 billion in sales last year. That is down from a peak of $5.4 billion in 2021. Over the same period, the average hammer price fell from $81,000 to $36,000. Lot volume held steady at about 61,000 works a year, which Artnet describes as a repricing rather than a retreat.

The picture varies widely by country. India was the strongest of the 5 core markets, with a median hammer price of just under $11,000 and an 89% sell-through rate, the highest in the region. The Mumbai house AstaGuru grew its revenue 138% over 2 fiscal years and has opened a London outpost.

The declines are steeper elsewhere though. Each of these markets were measured against where prices stood in 2016. On that basis, China's price index is now down 37%, held back by the country's property downturn, and Japan's is down 50%. South Korea experienced the sharpest swing of all: prices there climbed 26% above the 2016 level in 2021, then fell 88% the very next year.

[CHANEL JEWELLERY DESIGN]

Chanel has named Marie-Laure Cérède to lead its jewellery design. She previously ran the studios of Cartier and Harry Winston, working across both jewellery and watchmaking.

[MONTE DEI PASCHI]

The Economist reports that Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the world's oldest bank, has become the target of a takeover battle in European finance.

[QUICK HITS]

Here are 2 quick hits from around the collectible market.

In spirits, Elijah Craig has brought back its 21-year-old Single Barrel bourbon. It is the first time the distillery has released a bottling that old in more than a decade.

In the auto market, Porsche has unveiled 3 one-off 911s inspired by Toy Story 5. The cars will be sold for charity.

[MACRO NOTE]

US consumer prices in May 2026 were 4.2% higher than they were in May 2025. Economists also track a measure called core inflation, which leaves out food and energy because those prices swing sharply from month to month. In May, it came in lower than expected. After the inflation report, technology stocks fell and oil prices rose.

[LUXURY STOCKS AT THE OPEN]

Let’s take a look at the luxury at open this morning.

LVMH, ticker MC on Euronext Paris, opened at 496 EUR, up about 0.8% from Tuesday's 492.

Kering, ticker KER on Euronext Paris, opened at 257 EUR, up about 0.9%.

Hermès, ticker RMS on Euronext Paris, opened at 1,674 EUR, up about 0.5%.

In Zurich, Richemont, ticker CFR on the SIX Swiss Exchange, opened at 168.25 Swiss francs, up about 0.3%.

In London, Watches of Switzerland, ticker WOSG on the London Stock Exchange, opened at 715 pence, up about 3%. Burberry, ticker BRBY, opened at 1,124 pence, up about 1%.

In New York, Ferrari, ticker RACE on the NYSE, opened at 354 dollars, down about 1.1%. Signet, ticker SIG, opened at 86 dollars, down about 0.4%.

[METALS]

In metals, gold opened at about 4,276 dollars an ounce, up about 0.4% from Tuesday's close of 4,260. Silver opened at about 65 dollars, roughly flat.

[WEEK AHEAD]

Tomorrow, the 11th, Bonhams holds its London Fine Watches sale, and Christie's holds its first London sale of South Asian modern and contemporary art in 7 years.

On Friday the 12th, Christie's will hold the Important Watches sale in New York and its Paris Hermès handbag sale online, while Sotheby's runs its Gem Drop.

On Saturday the 13th, Bonhams sells roughly 100 cars from the National Automobile Museum in Reno.

[OUTRO]

That’s it on Open Bid for today, Wednesday, June 10. Closing Price publishes this evening at 5 PM Eastern, and Luxury Spending publishes later today.

I'm Sharon Obuobi, from ALT/FNDATA. Subscribe for notifications, give us a five star rating on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. I’ll talk to you in the next episode. Thank you for listening.