Specialist Spotlight: April Matteini and the Timeless Allure of Jewels
Join us as we spotlight April Matteini, Senior Vice President, Department Head, Jewelry, ahead of our first Important Jewelry sale of 2025 on March 20 in Chicago. Learn about her journey in the jewelry industry, her notable achievements at Freeman’s | Hindman, her personal collection favorites, and highlights of our upcoming sale.
Freeman’s | Hindman: What was your first memory of handling jewelry?
April Matteini: As a college student, I set out to apply my art history studies to practical applications through internships in museums and galleries. I landed a post as a preview assistant for a jewelry auction, and the rest is history. I always had a keen interest in fashion, (window dressing was also one of my favorite jobs at that same period), decorative arts, and particularly silver. Jewelry tied all my passions together.
FH:What is your favorite piece of jewelry that you own?
AM: A favorite piece in my personal collection is a cameo brooch – of all things! What I love about this brooch is that it tells a meandering story, which is often the case. Not every piece of jewelry, or any antique for that matter, fits neatly into the criteria that define a period or style. The signed onyx cameo depicts a classical male in profile, but the frame is much later, bears French hallmarks, and is set with alternating sections of diamonds and emeralds. Like much of the jewelry we handle, it has a personal, sentimental story!
FH: What drew you to becoming a specialist and translating your passion into your career?
AM: My interest in art began at a very early age while visiting museums with my grandmother in Boston; however, I wanted to be the person allowed to touch pieces and truly examine them up close! I never strayed from that desire and was fortunate enough to secure a position at a Boston auction gallery after college. The fast pace of auctions is certainly different from other areas of the art world, but the history and stories of the objects and the people who have owned them remain my main focus.
FH: Describe a typical workday for you at Freeman’s | Hindman.
AM: No two workdays are ever the same, which is one of the aspects of my job that I love most. That said, a typical day always involves jewelry! I have a kit with the tools of my trade for valuing jewelry, and most weeks I'm on the road meeting collectors in places where they feel comfortable, often at home or in a bank vault. I am also responsible for what we call in the auction world, “selling the sale.” I work with a wonderful team of jewelry professionals, and collectively, we have career-long connections with collectors and potential buyers of the jewelry we bring to market. Connecting these dots, if you will, is truly the value that Freeman’s Hindman adds to selling every object.
FH: Can you describe a collection of jewelry you are proud to have brought to auction?
AM: Last year, Freeman’s Hindman sold the Private Collection of Secretary Madeleine K. Albright, marking a personal career milestone. Secretary Albright was a career diplomat and brilliant political scientist, as well as a well-known and proud jewelry collector. In addition to the many works she authored on diplomacy; she was also the author of Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box. It was a privilege to tell the stories of her collection.
FH: Freeman’s | Hindman’s Important Jewelry auction takes place on March 20 in Chicago. Can you tell us about some of your favorite pieces in this sale?
AM: Our first Important Jewelry auction of 2025 will be taking place next week. This sale features property from various owners, which includes several excellent collections. As my luck would have it, antique jewelry is well represented.
Here are some of my favorites:
Lot 1 | VICTORIAN, PAIR OF HARDSTONE BRACELETS | Estimate: $3,000 - 5,000
I am a bit of a rockhound, so lot one really speaks to me! This Victorian-period hardstone bracelet has a very simple design that lets the unique characteristics and beauty of each mineral take center stage.
Lot 27 | ART DECO, DIAMOND AND EMERALD BRACELET | Estimate: $7,000 - 9,000
Lot 27 is a quintessential Art Deco bracelet. Fine diamonds are juxtaposed with geometric sections of calibre cut emeralds. The bracelet is elegant and bold at the same time, and for lovers of the period there is nothing not to love about this bracelet!
Lot 105 | ALETTO BROTHERS, 9.01 CARAT DIAMOND RING | Estimate: $100,000 - 150,000
Lot 105 is an exquisite 9-carat diamond ring by the Aletto Brothers, who have a long history of making high-quality jewelry from their founding in Italy in the 19th century to South Florida today. The center diamond is a modified cushion cut with an open culet and has the feel of an antique cut diamond. The contemporary platinum setting with fine, underdrawn prongs really lets the diamond sparkle!