Meet the Man Behind Christie’s Diamond Auctions
Francois Curiel has spent 55 years on the auction block, selling the world’s rarest natural diamonds.
When you ask Francois Curiel, one of the leading auctioneers of our time, if he still feels a thrill stepping on the block for Christie’s diamond auctions after 55 years in the game, he answers with a knowing smile. The charming Frenchman compares the job to a doctor entering the surgery room. “Once there, you’re not scared, You’re not thirsty, hot, or cold. You’re caught up in this energy, adrenaline pumping at full speed. To be absolutely sure not to miss someone raising their hand in the room, you must stay alert,” the Chairman of Christie’s Europe and International Senior Director of the Jewelry department relates.
He points out that the logistics of Christie’s diamond auctions have dramatically changed, with bids coming remotely through phones and online. Curiel has brought down the gavel on some of the most prestigious collections of the 20th and early 21st centuries and has embraced the challenge with the professional grace he is famous for.
The most illustrious sales he conducted include the jewels once owned by Doris Duke, Princess Margaret, Elizabeth Taylor, and Lily Safra. In addition to iconic pieces such as Princess Margaret’s Poltimore Tiara and Taylor’s spectacular engagement ring gifted by Richard Burton, Curiel has sold other extraordinary collectibles, from the skeleton of a 15,000-year-old Siberian mammoth to the record-breaking Yves Saint-Laurent collection.
Christie’s Diamond Auctions: Famous Sales
Of all the fascinating items that have gone under his hammer, diamonds hold a special place in his heart.
“Diamonds are dreamers’ stones — synonymous with engagements, weddings, and even protection,” he notes. “If something happens in life, you can always sell a diamond anywhere in the world. If you ever need to leave your country or face a family issue where you need money, a diamond gives you little liquidity. Diamonds represent protection, quality, future happiness, and only positive vibes.”
Among the remarkable D color, Type IIa that made headlines during Curiel’s distinguished tenure are the 76.02-carat Archduke Joseph Diamond that sold for $21.4 million and the 101.73-carat Winston Legacy for $26.7 million.
Christie’s Diamond Auctions: Colored Diamonds
Private collectors’ enthusiasm for colored diamonds is certainly noteworthy, the auctioneer remarks. The color craze started in 1987 when Christie’s New York sold a 0.95-carat, fancy purplish red diamond for $880,000 – or $926,315 per carat. The sale sent shockwaves through the market.
“When we saw that a small diamond barely larger than a cherry pit was selling for nearly a million dollars, it sent a strong message to the industry. It made people realize that colored diamonds might not be as undervalued as they had been until then,” Curiel explains. “It triggered a whole movement, like snails coming out after the rain. Suddenly, colored diamonds emerged from dealers’ inventories and private collectors’ safes, where they had been sitting unnoticed.”
The increased demand pushed prices up accordingly, and it’s not rare to see colored diamonds reach $2 million per carat at Christie’s diamond auctions. Conversely, colorless diamonds in the top categories sell for around $200,000 per carat.
Christie’s Diamond Auctions: Stones with Extraordinary Provenance
The desire for perfectly cut, fine-quality diamonds without graining or fluorescence will continue to command strong prices, Curiel predicts. “The price of Golconda or Type IIa gems will remain vigorous. Diamonds with extraordinary provenance — such as the Marie-Antoinette bracelets, the Wittelsbach or any stone belonging to a distinguished collector, a noble family or a famous person known for their good taste- will continue to be sought after,” he says.
One of the most discerning collectors Curiel worked with was Elizabeth Taylor. He fondly remembers how the Hollywood legend could describe a Kashmir sapphire as looking more like a Ceylon, something only a connoisseur with an intimate knowledge of gemstones can do. Once, during one of their annual inventories of her collection, Taylor proudly showed him a pair of earrings by a designer she was sure he hadn’t heard of, “someone with a tiny boutique on Place Vendôme.” The savvy collector had discovered JAR (Joel Arthur Rosenthal) when he was still the jewelry world’s best-kept secret, Curiel says.
Christie’s Diamond Auctions: Curiel’s Journey
The France-born auctioneer has many more stories worthy of a memoir, having worked at Christie’s for over half a century. The son of a Parisian silver and jewelry dealer, Curiel started as an intern at Christie’s London in 1969 and abandoned his law studies in Paris when offered the chance to work full-time at the venerable auction house, where he has held leadership positions in the US, Europe, and Asia.
Last year, the sale of the Aga Kahn Emerald offered a full-circle moment. He saw the brooch set with a 37-carat Colombian gem from Nina Dyer’s collection when it was sold for $200,000 at the inaugural auction of Christie’s in Geneva in May 1969. In November 2024, he was the one on the phone with the highest bidder, who paid $8.8 million for the stunning jewel. Things have changed since 1970 when a $100,000 jewel was considered extremely expensive, whereas the portrait by Velasquez of his assistant, Juan de Pareja, sold for $6 million at Christie’s, Curiel notes. A shift in perception he has tremendously contributed to throughout his career.
