Albert was many things to me: a colleague, a mentor, a friend.  He was the one who inspired me to make the fateful decision in 1969 to change course from studying law in Paris to the auction industry in London. This move continues to excite me 52 years later.
 
Albert taught me the nuts and bolts of the business, showed me by example how to work smart, and enthused me with his wisdom and understanding of precious stones and jewellery, from Art Nouveau to Art Déco, Rétro and very modern creations. It was him who expanded auctions beyond Great Britain. In an era when auctioning was mostly considered a British phenomenon, he initiated in 1969 Christie’s first jewellery auction in Geneva, propelling our auction house into the driver seat of the international jewellery universe. To this day, our Geneva Jewellery sales still lead the world in prestige and revenue. And if, internationally, the Jewellery department at Christie’s is as successful as it is today, it is greatly due to Albert who trained and taught many colleagues: Humphrey Butler, Simon Teakle, Hans Nadelhoffer, Raymond Sancroft-Baker and David Warren, just to name a few.
 
I remember vividly, in the 70s, a few years into my then budding career, I thought I already learned everything and left the company to conquer the world.  Albert did not stop me, but left the door open expecting me to return after a brief sojourn.  Of course I did, after three months, tail between my legs. In those years of apprenticeship he would allow me to make mistakes and learn from them. What a keen observer of human nature, and what a forgiving and generous teacher. For many years, after he retired, we talked frequently, and continued to chat long after his retirement. 
 
In our profession, Albert and I handled many precious gems. He was the one who taught me the intricacies of the jewellery trade and to this day, I value the time we spent together, the conversations we had and these priceless moments that I will always miss.
 
François Curiel
Christie’s