Lea Koonce Ogundiran is the Midwest Regional Advisor and a Jewelry Specialist at Doyle. Based in Chicago, she works with collectors, families, advisors and fiduciaries throughout the Midwest providing Doyle’s full range of auction and appraisal services.
Mrs. Koonce Ogundiran is the owner of Lea Koonce Ogundiran, LLC, a jewelry appraisal firm located in Evanston, Illinois. Prior to moving to Chicago, she was an estate jewelry buyer, jewelry appraiser, and diamond wholesaler in Charlotte, NC for fifteen years. She is a GIA graduate gemologist with over 25 years of experience, working with luxury jewelry firms such as Harry Winston and Tiffany & Co.
She began her career in the Jewelry department at Christie's, first as a cataloguer, and later as an Associate Specialist and Assistant Vice President. In this capacity, her responsibilities involved appraising and collecting jewelry for auction, drafting insurance and estate tax appraisals, preparing condition reports for jewelry, lecturing, auctioneering at charity events, and organizing jewelry exhibitions.
Mrs. Koonce Ogundiran is a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America in New York, where she earned both Diamond and Colored Stone certificates and a Graduate Gemologist diploma. She is a licensed auctioneer in the state of North Carolina. She also holds a bachelors of arts in Biology with a specialization in Marine Science from Boston University.
She has appeared as a Jewelry Appraiser on the PBS series, Antiques Roadshow.
Jewelry from the Estate of Sydney Roberts Shuman features exceptional pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels, Verdura, Hermès, David Webb and Andrew Clunn.
Doyle is honored to auction property from the Estate of Elaine and James D. Wolfensohn in select auctions this season.
Join us in our Palm Beach gallery for an afternoon with style luminaries Annette Tapert, Amy Fine Collins and Pamela Fiori on March 26.
Doyle welcomes Lea Koonce Ogundiran as Regional Advisor and Jewelry Specialist serving Chicago and the Midwest.
During their 62-year marriage, legendary songwriter Irving Berlin gave his wife Ellin gifts of exquisite jewels as expressions of their lasting love. Doyle is honored to auction one of these treasured pieces.
The legendary collaboration between the French designer Jean Schlumberger and Tiffany & Co. produced some of the most iconic jewelry of the 20th century.
Join us for the Grand Opening of our newly renovated gallery in Charleston, South Carolina!
Doyle is honored to auction jewelry from the Estate of Renee Meyers as a feature of the Important Jewelry sale on June 22.