Extraordinary Phygital Ring Designed by Francine Ballard of Metagolden Will Be Auctioned at Sotheby's 'Art as Jewelry as Art'

Sotheby's and Tiffany Dubin will stage their first auction of artist-made jewellery from September 24 to October 4, 2022. The auction will include a "phygital" ring, characterised by its creator as "real and digital at the same time."

This unique 18k gold and emerald ring, conceived by Francine Ballard of Metagolden, will be available in both the real world and the metaverse.

The lone NFT that will be auctioned is the digital counterpart of Metagolden's 'Ethereum Expedition' ring. The sculpture, which resembles a small geodesic dome, is inspired by intercontinental rocket launches that normally last up to sixteen hours but would be shortened to around thirty minutes by future space projects such as Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Metagolden links luxury physical assets to NFTs to verify and attribute provenance to its products, but also to create long-term value in acquiring the "digital twin" of the object. Since 2021, industry leaders such as Doyle Auction House have provided a comparable service for premier goods. Tiffany Dubin, an Artist Jewelry Specialist at Sotheby's, is a pioneer in the new field of "Art to Wear" that is emerging alongside Contemporary Art.

The auction also includes jewellery and art from the twentieth century, including pendants by Picasso, earrings made by Dal, and a piece by Man Ray, which reflect important contemporary art styles from kineticism to surrealism. Tom Otterness and Jean Boggio are examples of current design.

Tiffany Dubin was the Founder and Director of the Fashion section at Sotheby's, where she sold everything from high couture garments to Tom Sachs' Paper Kelly Bag. She was the first individual at Sotheby's to establish collaborations with premium companies such as Chanel, Bombay Sapphire, Chopard, and Cartier. She has been engaged in the sale of various notable collections, such as the Zilkha Collection, Property from the Goldwyn Collection, The Scaasi Couture Collection, To Have and to Hold, Handbags, and Pulp Fashion.

"For customers under 30 years old, digital assets are becoming as significant as physical ones. Now, the luxury industry is waking up to this reality. Here is where our brand resides."

About Tiffany Dubin

Tiffany Dubin is planning Sotheby's gateway sale into a new category, "Art as Jewelry as Art," which is set to debut on September 24, 2022.

Numerous modernist masters of the Bauhaus, Surrealist, Cubist, and Contemporary periods experimented with small, wearable sculptures. This was the final hurdle for them; pieces had to be able to make a statement on a tiny scale and remain faithful to the artist's goal in whichever setting they were worn. This piece of wearable art is similar to an artist's signature. The contact between collector and artist is intimate, and the collector becomes a live canvas that amplifies and reframes the work's significance.

Tiffany is an expert in developing new markets. She was the founder and director of the fashion section at Sotheby's, where she sold everything from high couture gowns to Tom Sachs' Paper Kelly Bag. She was the first at Sotheby's to form alliances with premium companies such as Chanel, Bombay Sapphire, Chopard, and Cartier. She has been engaged in the sale of various notable collections, such as the Zilkha Collection, Property from the Goldwyn Collection, The Scaasi Couture Collection, To Have and to Hold, Handbags, and Pulp Fashion. According to a fashion writer, "what she's done is bring the purchasing, selling, and collecting of vintage apparel out of the obsessive, obscure club and into the mainstream" (Amy Fine Collins, Vanity Fair).

Tiffany earned a BFA in International Relations from Georgetown and studied Appraising Fine & Decorative Arts at New York University. Tiffany started her work as an associate curator for the Art in Embassy Program of the US State Department before joining Sotheby's as a Client Advisor. She subsequently left Sotheby's to begin her firm, Tiffany Dubin's Lair, at New York City's Henri Bendel Department Store. She rejoined Sotheby's Private Client Group as Business Development Director before being promoted to Senior Business Development Executive providing specialised services to high net worth and VIP clientele. Tiffany is also a USPAP-compliant appraiser, speaks French fluently, co-wrote Vintage Style (Harper Collins, 2000), and may be followed on Instagram at @tiffanydubin.