Art Recovery International marks first 2026 recovery with return of stolen Tarpin earrings

Art Recovery International announced its first recovery of 2026 on Wednesday, securing the return of a pair of high-end “Foxglove” earrings that vanished in Miami more than three years ago and later surfaced at a Sotheby’s jewelry sale.

The roughly $17,500 earrings, designed by French jeweler Emmanuel Tarpin, were reported missing in 2021 after being left inside a case in the back of an Uber. Art Recovery International said the driver returned the case, but the earrings were gone.

“And here we go…the first RECOVERY of 2026,” the firm said in a statement announcing the case resolution.

According to Art Recovery International, the earrings were consigned for sale at Sotheby’s in London in November. The auction house withdrew the lot while a dispute was resolved between the original theft victim and a New York dealer who had purchased them without knowing they were stolen.

“The uninsured property is being returned to the theft victim later this week,” the firm said.

The withdrawn Sotheby’s listing, reviewed by Urgent Matter, described the earrings as rubellite and aluminium, modeled after a foxglove flower. Each earring features a pear-shaped rubellite stamen set within fluted aluminum petals.

The earrings measure approximately 72 by 41 millimeters and have a combined gross weight of about 27 grams. They are signed “ET” for Emmanuel Tarpin.

Sotheby’s described the rubellite stones as a “vibrant purplish pink colour with some internal inclusions and light surface wear.” The aluminum settings were listed as being in good condition, showing only light superficial wear consistent with use.

Tarpin launched his jewelry brand in 2017 after studying at the Haute École d’Art et de Design in Geneva and spending three years working in the Parisian workshops of Van Cleef & Arpels. His early designs were inspired by a vegetable patch he kept growing up in Annecy, France, according to the auction catalogue.

In Paris, Tarpin maintains a rooftop garden where he studies flora and fauna that later become jewelry designs. His floral earrings have become a signature of his work and have appeared on red carpets worn by celebrities, including Rihanna and Mandy Moore, Sotheby’s said.

Art Recovery International said the earrings were withdrawn before sale and did not change hands at auction. No legal proceedings were referenced in the recovery announcement.

“On to the next case,” the firm said.

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