More women are buying jewellery at auction than ever before, data from Christie’s auction house has revealed.
Between 2014 and 2025, the number of female buyers and bidders increased by 567 per cent. While buying jewellery for oneself was historically associated with glamour and extravagance – figures such as Marie Antoinette and Elizabeth Taylor exemplified this – today it is increasingly seen as a form of financial empowerment.
The financial impact of more women buying jewellery at auction has been palpable. Total spending by female buyers at Christie’s has risen 284 per cent, from $30.3 million in 2014 to $116.7 million in 2025.
On average, total female spending at Christie’s rose 56 per cent from 2024 to 2025. Some cities saw exceptional growth, with spending up 114 per cent in London and 184 per cent in Geneva. Christie’s upcoming sale, Christie’s London Jewels, will feature many pieces likely to appeal to female buyers.
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Other auction houses, including Bonhams – which holds regular jewellery sales worldwide – have seen an increase in women buying jewellery at auction too.
‘Over the past 10 years there has been a perceivable shift in women collecting and purchasing jewellery for themselves at auction’ said Jean Ghika, Bonhams global head of jewellery. ‘Women with coveted roles and disposable incomes have changed buying habits where self-purchasing including jewellery is considered the norm. There is no longer the expectation that jewels will only be purchased by a partner.’
Alongside this gender shift in bidding, there has also been a generational change in the number of Gen Z and Millennial women buying jewellery at auction. In 2025, these two groups accounted for 38 per cent of female buyers at Christie’s, up from 31 per cent in 2024.
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According to the Altrata World Ultra-Wealth Report 2025, the number of UHNW women is rising across generations. Women make up 17.2 per cent of Gen Z and Millennial UHNW individuals, compared with 11.2 per cent of Gen X and 10.5 per cent of Baby Boomer ultra-wealthy. With greater disposable income at this level, more women can purchase notably expensive items for themselves, such as high jewellery from auction houses.
Outside the auction room, fine and high jewellery is also being promoted to Millennial and Gen Z women on social media. Rebecca Ma, known as ‘Becca Bloom’ on TikTok, frequently shares videos to her 4.7 million followers of rare pieces she has purchased from Van Cleef & Arpels and Bulgari. Her parents, Simon Yiming and Heidi Chou, founded the multimillion-dollar IT company Camelot Information Systems, which was valued at $146.7 million in 2014, according to a Nasdaq report.
‘It is thrilling to see the rising influence of Millennials and Gen-Z collectors, who bring fresh energy and curiosity to the market.’ Said Christie’s Head of Jewellery EMEA, Max Fawcett, who will be Global Head of Jewellery from 1 January 2026. ‘Of course, we still have the traditional buyers purchasing gifts for their other halves but it is always great to see clients treating themselves as well.’
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