Etrusca Auctions Ltd. – Hatton Garden, London
Full-Time | On-Site
Etrusca Auctions Ltd. is a specialist jewellery auction house based in the heart of London's Hatton Garden.
We are looking for an ambitious, highly capable individual to join our team and work closely alongside the Director of the auction house.
This is not a narrowly defined assistant role. We are looking for someone who can become a genuine right-hand person to the Director, learning all aspects of the business and gradually becoming capable of taking responsibility for the day-to-day running of our auctions when required.
The long-term objective is simple: if the Director is away from the office, the business and its auctions should continue to operate as normal.
For the right person, this represents an excellent opportunity to gain substantial hands-on experience in the jewellery and auction industry and develop into a position of significant responsibility.
The Role
You will work directly with the Director across the complete jewellery auction process, from the moment an item arrives through to cataloguing, photography, auction publication, sale and post-sale administration.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Jewellery research and cataloguing – examining jewellery, researching pieces and preparing accurate, professional auction descriptions.
- Database management – ensuring jewellery descriptions, measurements, weights, images, estimates and other information are entered correctly and consistently into our auction database.
- Building auctions – preparing auctions using the information and descriptions held within our database and checking that lots are presented correctly.
- Jewellery photography – producing attractive, accurate and consistent photographs suitable for professional auction listings.
- Photography quality control – reviewing images produced by yourself and other members of the team, identifying problems and arranging corrections where necessary.
- Auction publishing – preparing and uploading completed auctions to the relevant online auction platforms.
- Client communication – handling pre-sale and post-sale enquiries professionally by email and, where necessary, telephone.
- Pre-sale requests – assisting clients with condition questions, additional photographs, measurements and other information required before bidding.
- Post-sale administration – helping resolve client enquiries and ensuring transactions progress smoothly after an auction.
- General auction-house operations – assisting with stock, jewellery handling, shipments and other tasks whenever required.
A Multi-Skilled Team
We operate differently from businesses where every employee performs only one specific function.
At Etrusca Auctions, we believe that everyone should understand how the entire auction process works.
Although individual team members naturally develop particular strengths, our aim is for staff to become competent across multiple areas of the business. You should therefore be comfortable moving between jewellery, photography, cataloguing, administration, client communication and practical auction-house tasks as required.
No two days are necessarily the same.
Who We Are Looking For
We are particularly interested in finding someone who is ambitious, energetic and keen to develop a career within the jewellery and auction industry.
The ideal candidate will be:
- Intelligent and quick to learn
- Highly organised and accurate
- Reliable and trustworthy
- Practical and hands-on
- Comfortable taking responsibility
- Able to work independently once trained
- Calm when dealing with multiple tasks and deadlines
- Confident using computers and learning new systems
- A strong communicator
- Interested in jewellery, gemstones, antiques or auctions
- Willing to help wherever needed rather than saying, "that's not my job"
- Someone with a genuine can-do attitude
Attention to detail is particularly important. Jewellery auction cataloguing involves valuable objects where incorrect measurements, descriptions, photographs or information can have significant consequences.
We therefore want someone who naturally checks their own work and takes pride in getting things right.
Jewellery Knowledge
Previous experience with jewellery, gemstones, auctions, antiques or luxury goods would be a significant advantage.
However, we are also interested in candidates who may not yet have extensive professional jewellery experience but demonstrate exceptional ability, curiosity and willingness to learn.
You will be working closely with experienced people and handling a large variety of jewellery, giving you the opportunity to develop practical knowledge very quickly.
An interest in antique and period jewellery – including Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau and Art Deco pieces – would be particularly welcome.
Photography
Jewellery photography forms an important part of this position.
You do not necessarily need to arrive as a professional jewellery photographer, but you should have a good visual eye and be willing to learn how to photograph jewellery to a consistently high standard.
Our photographs must both present jewellery beautifully and represent it accurately.
The Person We Hope to Find
Ultimately, we are not simply looking to fill a vacancy.
We would like to find someone who wants to become an important part of the business.
Initially, you will work closely alongside the Director, learning our systems, standards and methods. As your knowledge and experience develop, you will be given increasing independence and responsibility.
The successful person should eventually be capable of overseeing much of the auction preparation process independently and ensuring that the operation continues smoothly when the Director is unavailable.
For someone with the right attitude and ability, there is considerable scope for the role to develop.
What We Offer
- Direct, hands-on training within a specialist jewellery auction house
- Daily exposure to a large and varied volume of jewellery
- Experience across the entire auction process, rather than one narrow department
- The opportunity to develop jewellery identification, research, cataloguing and valuation skills
- Practical jewellery photography experience
- Significant responsibility as your abilities develop
- Direct involvement with the Director and decision-making within the business
- Genuine potential for progression into a senior role within the auction house
Application
Please apply with your CV together with a short introduction explaining why you are interested in the position.
We are particularly interested in hearing about practical experience or interests that demonstrate your suitability, whether these relate to jewellery, gemstones, antiques, auctions, photography, research, luxury goods or another relevant field.
More than anything, we are looking for someone who is capable, dependable, eager to learn and willing to take responsibility.
Job Types: Part-time, Freelance
Pay: £30,000.00-£40,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
