Biography
As Head of Sale for Magnificent Jewels, Catharine Becket oversees New York’s marquee auctions, bringing the most significant jewels to market to achieve record-breaking prices. With a particular passion for jewelry history and legendary provenances, she has shepherded rare and remarkable objects to sale, from a seventeenth-century reliquary cross found in a utility drawer to a heart-shaped diamond once owned by the Duchess of Windsor. Catharine has been involved with numerous prestigious collections including those of Estée and Evelyn Lauder, Mrs. Jayne Wrightsman, Delores Bosshard and Mary Duncan Sanford. Knowing that not all great jewels come from boldface names, she enjoys meeting with clients throughout the country, helping them discover the value of long-forgotten pieces.
Catharine began her career at Sotheby’s in the Silver and Russian Works of Art departments where she developed a love of precious objects and the stories behind them. After holding positions at the Bridgeman Art Library and the European Furniture Department at Phillips auction house, she returned to Sotheby’s in 2005 as a member of the Jewelry Department.
Ms. Becket is frequently interviewed as an authority on jewelry by publications including VOGUE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Antiques Trade Gazette and The New York Times, and regularly lectures for both private groups and institutions. She is a GIA certified gemologist and obtained her undergraduate degree at Colgate University and an M.A. in Victorian Art at the Courtauld Institute in London. She is a USPAP Compliant Appraiser.
