Q & A with Victoria Bratberg of Skinner, Inc.

Skinner Auction House features some incredible pieces of jewelry in which they put up for auction at their Boston location.  September 11th is an exciting day at Skinner because their Fine Jewelry Sale begins at 10am and it will showcase jewelry from the collection of Joan Sonnabend, owner of the New York gallery Sculpture to Wear. Joan Sonnabend influenced numerous people with her insight and passion, and helped many artists begin their careers.  She showed how jewelry is truly an artform of adornment which at times could be very sculptural.  

I caught up with the Director of Fine Jewelry at Skinner, Victoria Bratberg, to ask a few questions for Gem Gossip readers:

After graduating from college I moved to NYC to complete the graduate gemologist in residence program at the Gemological Institute of America. After finishing I began working at Sotheby’s auction house where I worked for eight years in the jewelry department. I then left Sotheby’s and started designing my own jewelry which was a fun departure from the auction world. Then about a year and half ago I accepted the position of director of fine jewelry at Skinner in Boston.

Every work day is different which keeps things interesting and exciting.  Working at an auction house you see everything, it is a wonderful education.  I am constantly learning something new and after being in a business for over ten years that is refreshing. 

I am excited for our upcoming September Fine Jewelry Sale, we are in the midst of putting the sale together and there are some great signed pieces in the auction. The sale features jewelry from the collection of Joan Sonnabend.

A woman came in with a bag of costume jewelry she had bought at a garage sale for $10.  I found in the bag a platinum, diamond and sapphire brooch by Louis Comfort Tiffany worth $25,000.

A vintage gold bracelet from the 60’s given to me by my mother.