LOS ANGELES, CA.- Phillips announced the expansion of its Jewelry team in the Americas with the appointment of Alexis Vourvoulis as Senior Specialist and Vice President in Los Angeles. The move reflects the growth of the Phillips Jewelry Department and the increasing importance of California to the company’s expansion.

Ms. Vourvoulis joins Phillips from Bonhams, where she was a Jewelry Specialist in Los Angeles, sourcing material for both Los Angeles and New York and providing appraisals and estimates for collectors. Before joining Bonhams, Ms. Vourvoulis was the owner of Bijoux Society in Paris, which offered clients private sales, consulting services and historic jewelry education. She also served as Managing Partner at the Worth Collection in Palm Beach, Florida, responsible for all sales and jewelry buying.

Ms. Vourvoulis reports to Susan Abeles, who joined Phillips last year as Head of Jewelry for the Americas and Senior International Specialist. She will work closely with the entire jewelry team to design and implement a strategy for Phillips’ jewelry business in the Americas, a growing segment in the auction market. In addition, she will partner with the company’s existing Los Angeles team, led by Blake Koh, and the company’s regional representatives and specialists in the Americas to increase Phillips’ presence in the region. She will be responsible for working with new and existing clients on consignments and creating cross-marketing opportunities with Phillips’ teams in 20th Century & Contemporary Art, Design, Photographs, Editions, and Watches.

“Alexis has a deep understanding of the jewelry market and a commitment to putting clients first,” Ms. Abeles said. “A well-respected expert in the industry having worked in Florida, California, New York and Paris, she is passionate about estate jewelry, possesses extraordinary personal skills and is actively working with a number of charitable organizations. She’s a great addition to our team.”

Graeme Thompson, Global Head of Jewelry at Phillips, added, “We are delighted to have Alexis join our team as we’re building a world-class jewelry department around the world. California is a key target for our development efforts and I believe Alexis is perfectly positioned to increase our activities and visibility in the region. She will spend a great deal of time with collectors on the West Coast and throughout the Americas as we build on our strategy of engaging with clients across the globe so we can continue to grow our market share.”

The development of the Jewelry department is part of Phillips’ significant expansion of recent years, adding a complementary category to the company’s fast-growing areas of focus in the 20th and 21st centuries, which includes 20th Century & Contemporary Art, Design, Watches, Design, Photographs and Editions.