AstaGuru Opens London Office, Targets European Diamond and Fine Jewellery Market

When a Mumbai-founded auction house plants its flag in London and poaches the man who once handled the Marie Antoinette pearl, the European fine jewellery market takes notice. AstaGuru, the digital-first platform that commands over 40% of the Indian auction market, opened a permanent London office in late March and immediately signalled its ambitions by recruiting Kristian Spofforth, formerly Head of the Jewellery Department at Sotheby's London, to lead its UK jewellery operation.

Spofforth brings nearly 15 years of specialist experience to the role. At Sotheby's, he shepherded some of the most consequential lots in recent auction history: the Bourbon-Parma collection, which included the Marie Antoinette pearl that sold for $36 million; the CTF Pink Star; and the Farnese Blue. His presence gives AstaGuru immediate credibility in a market where provenance, scholarship, and personal relationships with consignors remain the currency of serious trade.

Founded in Mumbai in 2008 by Vickram Sethi and Tushar Sethi, AstaGuru built its reputation on a platform model that brought Indian art, fine jewellery, and luxury collectibles to a digitally native collector base. The London office represents its first permanent international presence, and the team assembled around it reflects the scale of the ambition. Laryssa Jesse joins as Managing Director UK, while Tim Bourne takes the title of International Director and Global Head of Watches.

The house's inaugural UK auction closes May 27, 2026, and will span fine watches, jewellery, and silverware. Full lot details are expected in April. "London has always been at the heart of the global art and luxury market," said Manoj Mansukhani, AstaGuru's Director of Marketing. "Our clients in the UK and Europe now have local support to engage with curated auctions with transparency and accessibility."

Jesse has been candid about the commercial logic behind the move. The platform's buyers remain predominantly Indian, but the diaspora's deep presence in the UK, combined with European private collections newly available on the market, made London the natural first step. London is not, however, the last. AstaGuru has confirmed that offices in Singapore and New York are planned before the end of 2026, a three-city international push that would give its platform genuine round-the-clock global coverage.

For European consignors of diamonds and fine jewellery, the arrival of a well-staffed digital house with Spofforth at the jewellery desk creates a meaningful new route to market, one that competes not on traditional saleroom theatre but on reach, efficiency, and the credibility of the specialist behind the estimate.