2024 rating and value of Sèvres porcelain services

If you own a porcelain service or part of a service from the Manufacture de Sèvres, or after, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will offer you their appraisal services. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your piece, and provide you with a precise estimate of its value on today's market. Then, if you wish to sell your work, we'll guide you towards the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Rating and value of Sèvres porcelain  

Sèvres porcelain is known and appreciated throughout Europe. It was one of the first royal manufactures, founded by Louis XV in Vincennes. Today, the price of certain pieces continues to rise under the auctioneer's hammer. Sèvres porcelain services or service elements are highly prized, particularly by French buyers, and the price at which they sell on the art market ranges from €40 to €410,000, a considerable delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to Sèvres services. In 2014, a plate from the "quartiers généraux" service, with painted enamels and gilding, sold for €410,000, whereas it was estimated at between €60,000 and €80,000.

Order of value from simple porcelain to the most prestigious

Style and technique of Sèvres porcelain  

Sèvres porcelain developed hard porcelain, but originally produced soft porcelain, invented by Louis-François Ier Gravant. After the discovery of French kaolin, Sèvres porcelain became hard and was marketed from 1773. The factory produces vases, services and cookies.

History of the Sèvres factory

The history of the Meissen Royal Manufactory began in 1740 thanks to the Marquise de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV, with the aim of having a royal production able to compete with the Meissen Manufactory, which already possessed the formula for hard porcelain as well as various deposits of kaolin.

Initially based in Vincennes, it was moved to Sèvres in 1756, hence its name for several centuries. In the same year, Louis XV became the owner of all the shares, giving him total control over the factory. Four years later, the factory was bought out by the Domaine de la Couronne (today's public domain).

Bertin, Louis XV's minister, became a commissionaire for the Sèvres factory and set out to find the formula for creating hard porcelain.

Using models acquired from the German factory in Frankenthal, the Sèvres chemists tried to find the formula, which was finally given to them by Pierre-Antoine Hannong with the help of a notary.

However, even with the formula, France lacked the kaolin deposits to use it. The first kaolin deposit was discovered in 1765.

The Sèvres factory set itself apart with the creation of a pigment: Sèvres blue, obtained by incorporating cobalt oxide into the paste.

In the 19th century, ceramist Ambroise Millet modernized the porcelain firing process, installing new kilns.

Prior to 2009, the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres was a national department. On that date, it became a public establishment by decree.

Auction prices for Sèvres porcelain services

Sèvres porcelain is highly prized at auction. It sells more or less well, depending on its state of preservation, the age of the piece and the artist who may have signed it.

The services are sometimes very substantial sets, containing up to 200 porcelain pieces. Originally created for the nobility and as diplomatic gifts, these objects are now highly prized by collectors of all kinds.

These included the Service des arts industriels, marketed in 1820, with an ambitious iconographic program designed to depict the beginnings of industrialization in France. The agronomy department was also very popular.

The artisans at the Manufacture de Sèvres were able to adapt to the various historical events and subjects that were popular at the time. 

Recognizing a Sèvres piece

Pieces produced by the Sèvres factory are generally signed and hallmarked. The signature may have varied over the centuries. Here's an example:

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a piece of Sèvres porcelain or an "après" piece, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using the form on our website. A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the market value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it. If you're thinking of selling your work, our specialists will also be on hand to offer you alternatives for selling it at the best possible price, taking into account market trends.