There was the celebrated sale in 2011 of jewelry from The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor. Following robust bidding spread across several countries, the final price of $144.1 million set a world-record price as the highest total ever achieved for a single-owner collection of jewelry. Some years later, in December 2019, Daphne assisted the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with the sale of two significant pieces to benefit future acquisitions: the “Dupont Emerald,” which sold for $1.64 million, and the “Dupont Ruby,” for $8.96 million, both from the collection of Mrs. Jessie Ball Dupont. Other notable sale highlights include jewelry belonging to Ellen Barkin, the Blair Family Collection, Doris Duke, Noreen Stonor Drexel, Margaret Adderley Kelly, Peggy and David Rockefeller, Ann Getty, Anne Eisenhower, and the Rothschild Family.

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Throughout her years at Christie’s, she has evaluated jewelry from the major jewelry houses, and from the Georgian period to the present. Spectacular stones, icons of the field, and exquisite craftsmanship have shaped her discerning eye for quality and authenticity. Complementing her experience is her natural warm manner. As a native Midwesterner, she puts clients at ease and establishes enduring relationships built on trust and care.

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Widely interviewed about the international jewelry market, Daphne has appeared in numerous publications such as the New York Times, Town & Country, Elle Décor, W magazine, and The Financial Times. She has also appeared on national television programs, including CBS Sunday Morning. She is a frequent lecturer and has appeared at the Bruce Museum, Greenwich; the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; the Georgia Historical Society, Savannah; the GIA Alumni Association; Museum of the City of New York, New York School of Interior Design, and the 92nd Street Y with Stellene Volandes, all New York; at Winterthur; and online talks with GemX.

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In 2023, Daphne left Christie’s and moved to the Charleston, South Carolina area, with her husband. There she established her jewelry appraisal and advisory firm, Daphne Lingon LLC. A native of Ann Arbor, MI, Daphne graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Denison University and earned a Graduate Gemology (G.G.) certificate from the Gemological Institute of America. She is a certified member of the Appraisers Association of America and is USPAP compliant.