In collaboration with Joyce Drijver - Jewellery Expert
How well do you know our experts? Every week at our Catawiki blog, we introduce a Catawiki expert and learn a bit about what their life looks like. This week we have spoken with our expert Joyce Drijver, an enthusiastic expert in modern jewellery. "Every day is different if you are an expert at Catawiki!", Joyce confirms. We couldn't agree more, but before we delve into Joyce's world, we would like to give you a quick overview of what being an expert at Catawiki means.
What is an Expert at Catawiki?
The most important responsibility of our experts is to research and approve the lots that sellers at Catawiki want to put online. When the lots are approved, and an estimated price is set, experts compile the (themed) auctions of their particular field. A daily task is to answer a range of questions from buyers and sellers referring to special objects or their auctions as a whole. Their selection of 'wow' lots, as we like to call them, is also part of their daily job.
Joyce's Average Day
What Joyce likes the most about her job as a Catawiki expert is that no day is the same! "I'm constantly looking for new, unique and beautiful objects to compile for my auctions, which makes the hunt for the best lots even more exciting."
Joyce begins her day by looking at the lots sellers would like to offer up for auction and seeing if the items are suitable. "If there is any lack of clarity about a certain lot, I usually contact the seller again. Furthermore, I answer all sorts of jewellery related questions. The questions are often related to the quality or what the backstory of certain jewellery is. Some jewellery, for instance, were a family heirloom and are now available to be auctioned. The rest of the day is made up of visiting sellers or potential sellers in the market of modern jewellery. I like to visit sellers and potential sellers", Joyce says, "because every weekly auction should contain as much as exciting jewellery as possible. Knowing which jewellery is hot right now takes a lot of research."
Special objects
Joyce has only worked at Catawiki for a couple of weeks, so she is a real Catawiki newbie. "That doesn't mean however that I'm new in the field. For a long time I worked as an appraiser", Joyce says. "A while ago, before I worked at Catawiki, I did an appraisal for an elderly lady. She came to me with an old shoe box. Inside the box was a beautiful necklace from Lalique, in perfect condition! This kind of necklace doesn't come around that often, which made the appraisal extra special. The lady received it as a gift and had no idea how valuable the necklace really was."
The expert's tip that Joyce would like to give to all readers is to visit Catawiki every day because the auctions change daily, which means that you will never know what you will find in the future! Excited about Joyce's work? Take a look at her weekly Jewellery auction on Catawiki.