Skinner Names April Matteini, GG, Regional Director for Florida

Internationally Renowned Auction House Expands with Florida Office in Coral Gables

BOSTON, MA – January 7, 2014 – Skinner, Inc. has named April L. Matteini as the regional director for Florida. In this role, Matteini will be responsible for developing new business, providing appraisal services, and managing client relations with individuals, fiduciaries, not-for-profit organizations, and museums in Florida and the Southeastern United States. April will be located in the new Skinner regional office in Coral Gables, which will provide Floridians with convenient access to the full range of Skinner consignment and appraisal services.

Matteini, a graduate gemologist, brings more than twenty years of appraisal expertise to her role with nearly a decade spent in the Miami area. She was the founder and managing member of A. Matteini & Co. LLC, an independent jewelry appraisal service specializing in modern and antique fine jewelry, diamonds, gemstones, and watches. In this role, she provided comprehensive appraisal and gemological services to leading retailers, attorneys, trust and estate professionals, and private collectors throughout South Florida.

Prior to managing her own firm, she served in a variety of capacities for companies in her home town of Boston. Beginning her career at Skinner in 1993, April started in the appraisal department, handling prospective client inquiries pertaining to all types of material. She subsequently served as the assistant to the director of the Fine Jewelry Department, launching her career as a fine jewelry appraiser. From Skinner, she moved on to J. & S.S. DeYoung, Inc. where she served as an antique jewelry specialist.

A graduate of Saint Lawrence University, April later attended the Corso di Antiquariato e Mercatistica, a professional program in antiques and marketing, at the Istituto per l’Arte e il Restauro in Florence, Italy. She also earned her Graduate Gemologist degree from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in 2000, later completing extra certifications in pearl and cut grading.

“Skinner has seen tremendous growth in Florida,” said Karen Keane, Skinner CEO, “so it was a natural next step that we would open an office in the state.” Keane continued, “We’re extremely pleased to welcome April back to Skinner. She has an outstanding track record as an appraiser, as well as deep connections within the cultural and financial services communities of South Florida.”

Skinner will be inaugurating the opening of its Florida office with a series of events:

• January 13th  through January 18th: The University of Miami School of Law Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, Orlando
• January 29th: Consignment Day at the Coco Plum Woman’s Club, Coral Gables
• February 1st: Appraisal Day at the Original Miami Beach Antique Show, Miami Beach Convention Center
• February 11th: Consignment Day at Artis-Naples, Naples
• February 13th: Consignment Day at The Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach

For more information, to rsvp for one of these events, or to schedule an auction evaluation, contact April at 305-503-4423 or amatteini@skinnerinc.com, or Jessica Turner at 508-970-3240 or events@skinnerinc.com.

About Skinner

Skinner auctions draw international interest from buyers and consignors alike, with material regularly achieving record prices. The company’s auction and appraisal services focus on fine art, jewelry, furniture, and decorative arts from around the globe, as well as wine, fine musical instruments, rare books, clocks, Judaica, and more. Monthly Skinner Discovery auctions feature a breadth of estate material. Widely regarded as one of the most trusted names in the business, Skinner appraisers have appeared on the PBS-TV series Antiques Roadshow since the show’s inception. Skinner has auction galleries in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts, and attracts an international audience of bidders participating in person, by phone, and online through the SkinnerLive! online bidding platform. For more information and to read our blog, visit the website at www.skinnerinc.com, find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/skinnerauctions, or follow us on Twitter @Skinnerinc.

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Contacts

April Matteini
Regional Director, Florida
130 Miracle Mile, Suite 220
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305-503-4423
amatteini@skinnerinc.com

Kate de Bethune
Director of Marketing
press@skinnerinc.com