Q&A: Christie’s Head of Jewelry

“Moving and booming.” That is how Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry at Christie’s, describes the sale of jewelry at auction, with individual pieces routinely crossing the eight-digit barrier. “A decade ago, you’d only hear these numbers in pictures sales; a Picasso sold for $10 million, a Van Gogh for $20 million,” he says. Robb Report sits down with Kadakia to break down the trends. (christies.com)

Robb Report: What have been the past year’s most significant jewelry sales?

Rahul Kadakia: Last…

Joseph Phelps Vineyards Uncorks New Exceptional Wine Experiences in Napa

As if sipping fine wine in Napa Valley was not memorable enough, the new Joseph Phelps Vineyards Exceptional Wine Experiences will leave an indelible impression on the senses. Five unique opportunities for oenophiles have been designed to educate the palate and explore the winemaking process—from terroir to tasting room—from Joseph Phelps’ newly renovated winery in St. Helena.

With the Insignia Blending experience, guests combine all of the varietals—from six estate vineyards—found in Insignia, Joseph Phelp…

Janis Joplin’s Porsche Set to Top the Charts at RM Sotheby’s Auction

On December 10, a colossal and colorful relic of rock-and-roll history will become available as Janis Joplin’s 1964 Porsche 356 C 1600 SC Cabriolet by Reutter will headline RM Sotheby’s Driven by Disruption auction in New York City. Purchased by the raspy-voiced rock legend in 1968, Joplin’s beloved car came with its original pearl-white paint, but she quickly customized it to match her more psychedelic sensibilities. She commissioned friend Dave Richards (who was also the road manager for her band, Big Brothe…

Jewelers Like Amedeo and Hemmerle Refresh Traditional Cameos [SLIDESHOW]

Carved from stone, shell, coral, or mother-of-pearl, cameos date to 18th-century Naples, where a community of artisans began carving the Greco-Roman–inspired portraits, eventually devoting an entire school (L’Istituto Statale d’Arte di Torre del Greco) to the craft. Today, a handful of contemporary designers are reimagining the centuries-old accessory using fresh materials and modern subject matter.

The Hatteras 70 Motor Yacht Is a Flybridge Beauty, Born to Entertain

The new Hatteras 70 Motor Yacht from North Carolina–based boatbuilder Hatteras Yachts has the same enticing combination of alluring beauty and sophisticated hospitality as any Southern belle. The 70-foot pleasure craft is crowned with a Mediterranean-style flybridge containing a navigation station, large lounge space, a bar, and aft lounge chairs. The main deck invites entertaining with a generous saloon and dining area surrounded by tinted glass and backed by a galley that Katie Button (executive chef of Nort…

Panerai Repairs a Priceless Clock in the Famed Florence Duomo

While time and tide may wait for no man, the same cannot always be said for historic timepieces. Such was the case of the famed 15th-century clock of Paolo Uccello, which was restored by horologists at Officine Panerai. Housed in the Duomo in Florence, Italy, since 1433, the seemingly timeless timepiece was beginning to show its age. Panerai, the Florentine watchmaking house founded in 1860, was tasked with the delicate detailing of the Italian treasure by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiora, a centuries-old or…

The Azimut Benetti Group Goes Big and Launches Three New Yachts at Cannes

One of the largest private boatbuilders in the world, the Azimut Benetti Group proved Goliath at the Cannes Yachting Festival earlier this month, launching three new yachts during the weeklong exhibition: Azimut Magellano 66, Azimut 72, and Benetti Vivace 125′ Ironman. Not content to rest on over 40 years worth of laurels, the company—with founder Paolo Vitelli still at the helm—continues to manufacture over 40 different yachts and megayachts, a prodigious level of production made possible with six shipyards d…

This Suit Is So Comfortable You Can Perform Gymnastics While Wearing It [VIDEO]

In the perfect combination of power and grace, the British gymnast Max Whitlock effortlessly rotates around the pommel horse in a sequence of masterful maneuvers. It is no surprise that the 22-year-old athlete—who nabbed the bronze medal for his pommel horse routine at the 2012 Olympics—executes the exercise flawlessly. But there is one unusual detail: Whitlock completes the entire routine in a two-piece suit, with his performance documented in a short video celebrating the unmatched flexibility and comfort of…

This Private Boeing Business Jet Cabin Design Offers Feng Shui at 41,000 Feet

The Chinese design firm Haeco Private Jet Solutions has created a private-jet interior concept inspired by the ancient philosophy of feng shui, which celebrates harmony between people and their environment. The Xiao Yao jet interior design (in Mandarin xiaoyao means “at ease, leisurely, spontaneous” and implies a serene life in a natural and beautiful setting) was created for a Boeing Business Jet 2, giving the firm 1,025 square feet of cabin space with which to work. The Boeing Business Jet 2 is based on Boei…