September 2026

IN THIS ISSUE

• Featured Story: Darwin, Cartier, Piaget, and standout results from Q3.
  

• Educational Corner: What should happen to your collection? Four estate-planning questions to consider now.

• Expert Voice: Meet the people who guide a collection from arrival to auction.

• Market Pulse: What we're curating now -- and how to submit your items.

• Fine & Important Watches: Now accepting individual timepieces and entire collections.
  

(Stories below ↓)

FEATURE STORY

Q3 Auction Highlights

Darwin, Cartier, and Other Standout Results

A first edition of Darwin's On the Origin of Species sold for $156,250. A Cartier panther pendant brought $27,500. See these and other highlights across fine art, jewelry, watches, and designer furniture from July through September.

Have something similar at home? These results offer a starting point for a conversation about your own pieces and their possibilities at auction.

Sold prices include buyer's premium.

EDUCATIONAL CORNER

Estate Planning for a Collection

4 Questions to Consider Now

You know your collection's history and what you hope will happen to it. Have you put those wishes in writing?

Estate-planning attorney Julie Sandler, founder of Sandler Life & Legacy, discusses how to communicate your intentions, plan for a collection that keeps changing, and help the people who will eventually make decisions about it.

EXPERT VOICE

From Arrival to Auction: Behind the Scenes at Ripley

What happens after a collection arrives at Ripley?

Elizabeth Ripley Horn and Natalia Latham of our Fine Arts & Antiques team discuss receiving, researching, cataloging, and staging the pieces entrusted to our care.

Along the way, they share the care that goes into preparing a collection for its next chapter.

MARKET PULSE

What We're Curating

🔥 Now Accepting Consignments in These Categories

Fine Art & Prints • Rare Books & Manuscripts • Vintage Costume, Designer & Fine Jewelry • Native American Arts & Artifacts • Wine & Spirits Collections • Fine & Important Watches • Humanitiques & Pop Culture 

We also welcome inquiries about designer furniture, decorative arts, and specialty collectibles. If you’re unsure where your items fit, send a few photos and tell us what you know.

CONSIGNMENT SPOTLIGHT

Fine & Important Watches

Your Next Consignment Could Be Sitting in a Watch Box

We're accepting individual watches and entire collections for an upcoming Fine & Important Watches auction.

Makers we're seeking include: Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Cartier, A. Lange & Söhne, Breguet, Blancpain, Omega, IWC, Zenith, Tudor, Breitling, Heuer, Panerai, Grand Seiko, Universal Genève, and other important makers.

We're especially interested in vintage and modern wristwatches, sport models, complications, rare references, and precious-metal watches. Original boxes, papers, and documented service history are welcome.

Have a watch you're considering selling? Send photographs and any available ownership or service information for a confidential, no-obligation auction evaluation.

Thinking of consigning?
For time-sensitive consignments, email Bridgette at bridgette@ripleyauctions.com with photos and details to expedite review.