1 Getting Started
The AltFinance Search Engine gives you access to over 2.7 million auction lot records across jewelry, gemstones, watches, and works of art, spanning 2005 to the present day.
Signing in
When you first visit the search engine, you'll see a welcome overlay with a Get Started button. Clicking it redirects you to our secure login page where you can sign in or create a free account.
- Click Get Started on the welcome screen.
- Sign in with your email on the login page. New users can register directly.
- After signing in, you're redirected back to the search engine with your API key provisioned automatically.
2 Keyword Search
The search bar at the top of the results area lets you search across nine fields simultaneously: item title, designer, vendor, gem type, primary gem, origin, color, model, and sale title.
How multi-word search works
Each word you type is matched independently, then combined with AND logic. This means every word must appear somewhere across those nine fields.
Typing cartier ruby 5ct finds lots where one field contains "cartier", another contains "ruby", and another contains "5ct". All three conditions must be met.
Synonym expansion
The search bar automatically expands common terms into multilingual synonyms. Searching "ruby" also matches "rubis" (French) and "rubino" (Italian). Origin names are also expanded — "Burma" matches "Myanmar" and "Birmanie". This happens transparently for all major gem types and origins.
Searches are case-insensitive. Press Enter to execute your search, or click the blue Search button that appears at the bottom left whenever your filters change.
3 Data Categories
Use the Data source dropdown in the left sidebar to choose which categories to search. All four are selected by default.
| Category | Description | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Jewelry | Designer pieces, branded jewelry, signed collections | |
| Gems | Loose gemstones, certified stones, unmounted gems | |
| Watches | Luxury timepieces, vintage and modern | |
| Works of Art | Decorative arts, objets d'art, sculptures |
Each result card has a thin color bar along its top edge indicating which category it belongs to.
4 Filters
The left sidebar contains collapsible filter groups. Open any group by clicking its header. Active filters appear as removable pill tags above the results.
Sidebar filters
| Filter | Type | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Date Range | Date pickers | Set a start and end date to narrow by sale date. |
| Sale Price (USD) | Range slider + text | Drag the slider handles or type exact values. |
| Item Type | Multi-select dropdown | Filter by category: Rings, Necklaces, Bracelets, Earrings, Brooches, Pendants, and more. Compound types like "diamond ring" are automatically grouped under their parent category. |
| Designer / Brand | Multi-select dropdown | Filter by maker: Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari, Tiffany, and 15+ more. Alias-aware (e.g. "Bvlgari" matches "Bulgari"). |
| Auction House | Multi-select dropdown | Search and check/uncheck from 200+ vendors. Alias-aware — searching "Hotel de Ventes" finds Piguet, "Drouot" finds Drouot Estimations, and city names like "Geneva" or "London" show relevant houses. |
| Lot Status | Multi-select dropdown | Filter by Sold, Unsold, Upcoming, or Withdrawn. Each option groups related sub-statuses (e.g. Unsold includes BoughtIn, ReturnToOwner, and Closed). |
| Repeat Lots | Toggle | Show only items that have appeared at auction more than once, with links to their full sale history. |
Click Reset all filters at the top of the sidebar to clear everything and start fresh.
Refine by Gem Details
The Refine by Gem Details button (above the results grid) opens a dedicated popup with gem-specific filters arranged in a two-column layout:
| Gem filter | Example values |
|---|---|
| Primary Gem | Diamond, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire, Pearl, Spinel, Alexandrite |
| Gem Types | All stones in a lot. Multilingual — selecting "Ruby" also matches "Rubis" (French), "Rubino" (Italian), and plurals. |
| Gem Origin | Kashmir, Burma, Colombia, Ceylon, Mozambique, Madagascar |
| Carat Weight | 0 to 700+ ct (slider + text inputs) |
| Size (L x W mm) | Min/max length and width |
| Treatment | No Heat, Heated, Oiled, Minor Oil, Moderate Oil, Significant Oil, Natural, Synthetic, Treated |
| Shape / Cut | Round, Oval, Cushion, Pear, Emerald, Marquise, Cabochon |
| Certificate / Lab | GIA, Gubelin, SSEF, AGL, Lotus, GRS, IGI, HRD |
| Colour | Pigeon blood, Royal blue, Cornflower blue, Padparadscha, Fancy vivid |
| Gemstone Clarity | FL, IF, VVS1, VVS2, VS1, VS2, SI1, SI2, I1, I2, Eye Clean, Transparent, Translucent, Opaque |
| Primary Color | White, Silver, Gold, Blue, Red, Green, Pink, Black, Multi-Color, and more. Based on image analysis; available for jewelry and gems. |
| Gold Karat | 8K, 9K, 10K, 12K, 14K, 18K, 22K, 24K. Available for jewelry and watches. |
When you have active gem filters, a numbered badge appears on the Refine button showing how many are set. Click Done to close the popup, then hit Search to apply.
5 Understanding Results
Each auction lot appears as a card in the results grid. Here's what each part of a card means.
Images
Cards display the lot's auction image when available. For lots without an image (common with older or text-only catalogs), a subtle placeholder icon is shown instead, keeping the card layout consistent.
Tags
Cards display colored tags based on available data. Each color represents a different attribute:
| Tag color | Attribute |
|---|---|
| Blue | Gem type (e.g., Diamond, Ruby, Emerald) |
| Yellow | Carat weight |
| Purple | Gem origin (e.g., Kashmir, Burma, Colombia) |
| Pink | Designer or maker (e.g., Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels) |
| Green | Item type (e.g., Ring, Necklace, Bracelet) |
| Gray | Color, clarity, or cut description |
| Black border | Certification lab (e.g., GIA, Gubelin, SSEF) |
Status badges
Each card has a status badge in the bottom corner:
Pricing information
For sold lots, cards show up to three pricing layers:
- Local currency price — the hammer price in the original sale currency (e.g., CHF, GBP, HKD).
- USD equivalent — converted using the nearest-date exchange rate, shown in a shaded row with the FX rate used.
- Price per carat — calculated automatically when both carat weight and USD price are available.
For unsold or withdrawn lots, the estimate range is displayed instead (e.g., "Est. $80,000 – $120,000").
Repeat lots
Some lots appear at auction more than once. When a lot has prior sales history, you'll see an underlined link like "2 prior listings" on the card. Click it to open a modal showing every appearance of that item across sales, with prices and dates — useful for tracking how a piece has performed over time.
6 Statistics Cards
Four summary cards appear above the results, showing aggregate statistics across the database:
When no filters are active, the stat cards show precomputed database-wide totals that load instantly. When you apply filters, the stats update to reflect your filtered subset using live aggregation queries. Stats are refreshed twice daily.
7 Charts
Two interactive charts appear between the stats cards and the result cards. Both update with each search to reflect your current filters.
Trend chart — Average $/ct by year
The left chart shows a line graph of average price-per-carat over time. It has five tab views that auto-cycle every 5 seconds:
| Tab | Shows |
|---|---|
| By Gem | Separate trend line for each gem type |
| By Origin | Separate trend line for each origin |
| Combined | Lines for every gem+origin combination |
| Top Gems | Highest-value gem types only |
| Top Origins | Highest-value origins only |
Click any tab to pin it and stop the auto-cycle. Click the expand icon in the top-right corner to open the chart in a fullscreen modal for closer analysis.
Scatter chart — Every stone
The right chart plots every individual lot as a dot, showing price-per-carat on the Y axis and year on the X axis. Dots are colored by gem type or origin.
Single-click a legend item to focus on that group — all other groups are dimmed. Double-click to restore all groups. This is useful for isolating a specific gem type in a dense scatter plot.
Hover over any dot to see the lot's details: title, gem, carat weight, price, and sale date.
8 Saved Searches
Click the ★ Saved Search Views button in the header to open the saved searches panel on the right side of the screen.
Saving a search
- Set your desired filters, date ranges, and search terms.
- Open the Saved Searches panel.
- Type a name for your search in the text field (e.g., "Kashmir sapphires over 5ct").
- Click Save. Your current filter state is captured.
Click any saved search to instantly restore all its filters and re-run the query. Click the delete button next to a saved search to remove it.
Featured Collections
At the top of the saved searches panel, you'll find Featured Collections — curated views maintained by AltFinance. These are pre-built queries highlighting notable subsets of the data, such as:
- Top 50 World Records — famous lots that hold or formerly held auction world records
- Same Stone, Multiple Sales — gems with documented multi-sale provenance
Featured Collections are available to all users and cannot be deleted.
9 Sorting & Views
Use the sort dropdown above the results grid to change the order of results:
| Sort option | Description |
|---|---|
| Most recent | Newest sale date first (default) |
| Oldest first | Earliest sale date first |
| Highest price | Most expensive lots first (USD) |
| Lowest price | Least expensive lots first (USD) |
| Largest carat | Highest carat weight first (gems/jewelry only) |
Grid vs. List view
Toggle between two layouts using the view buttons next to the sort dropdown:
- List view — compact horizontal rows, ideal for scanning many results quickly.
- Grid view — larger cards with images, ideal for visual browsing.
10 Settings
Click the gear icon in the header and choose Account to open the settings panel.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Account info | Your name, email, and API key (click "Show" to reveal). |
| API Base URL | Advanced: change the API endpoint (default is the production server). |
| Results per page | How many results to load per page (default: 48). |
Click Save & Reload to apply changes. All settings are stored locally in your browser.
Dark mode
Switch between light and dark themes from the Settings dropdown — click the gear icon, then Switch to Dark mode. Your preference is saved between sessions.
11 Tips & Shortcuts
| Tip | Details |
|---|---|
| Enter to search | Press Enter in the search bar to trigger a search without clicking the button. |
| Remove individual filters | Click the × on any active filter tag above the results to remove just that filter. |
| Fullscreen charts | Click the expand icon on any chart to open it in a larger modal view. |
| Pin a chart tab | Click a chart tab to stop the auto-cycle and stay on that view. |
| Infinite scroll | Results load automatically as you scroll down — no need to click "next page". |
| Search within dropdowns | Multi-select dropdowns (Auction House, Item Type, Designer, Primary Gem, etc.) have a search field at the top — type to filter the list. |
| View original listing | Click "View listing →" on any card to open the lot's original auction page in a new tab. |
| Data freshness | Results are refreshed daily. The total lot counts and statistics shown in the header cards are updated twice daily. |
| Guided tour | Click Replay Tour in the header for a step-by-step walkthrough of the interface. |
If you have questions or run into issues, contact the AltFinance team at support@altfndata.com.