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PARIS — François Curiel, who has spent 48 years with Christie’s, returned to Europe over the summer to take up a role as chairman for Europe and Asia. He is now based in Geneva, after seven years in Hong Kong. During an interview in Paris in October, he spoke about the evolution of Christie’s business, the untapped Asian market and the preview popularity of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi” (which, on Nov. 15, sold for a record-breaking $450.3 million.) This interview has been edited and condensed.

What has kept you at Christie’s for 48 years?

I was lucky to be given great opportunities. I started in 1969 as an intern in the jewelry department in London. In 1976, I went to New York to open our jewelry department. For 30 years, our motto had been that jewelry sells better in Geneva. When, in 1977, we put ads in the paper for our first New York sale, consignors would ask that we sell in Europe. It took us a lot of time to reverse the trend.

In 1989, I returned to Europe as managing director for Central Europe and international head of the jewelry department. In 2000, the law changed in France, and foreign auction houses were allowed to operate here. On Dec. 5, 2001, the 235th anniversary of James Christie’s first auction in London, we held our first sale in Paris.

What was the reason for your move to Hong Kong in 2009?

My main mission was to find new buyers in China and make it easier for Chinese clients to buy in auction. In 2009, Hong Kong represented 3 percent of our global sales, about $200 million. Last year, it was our third salesroom after New York and London, with $700 million, about 10 percent of sales.

I am most proud of having increased sales to Asian clients to 31 percent from 3 percent during my tenure.

What is your new role in Europe?

Guillaume Cerutti (Christie’s chief executive) asked me to return to Europe as chairman of Europe and Asia. I will be involved in the general management of the firm, and will look after those clients who like to deal with me.

I am happy to be back. I was born here, my family is here and this is my town.

How has Christie’s changed since you joined the company?

Christie’s is a completely different business today. Once we were fine-art auctioneers and valuers. Today, we are global private dealers. With 56 offices around the world, who is more global than Christie’s?

When I first started, we had 200 employees. Today, we are 1,800, with more Americans than Britons and a team of 250 in Asia.

There has also been a shift in the products we sell. Half of our business in 1969 was old masters pictures and furniture. Today, those departments combined represent 5 percent to 7 percent. The Contemporary and Impressionist departments make up about 50 percent of sales. If we were still selling “brown furniture,” we would be a small auction house and no one would know who we are.

Is Asia still a growth center for Christie’s?

Asia is still an Eldorado. Last February, 41 percent of our Impressionist and Modern art sales went to Asia. In jewelry, our Top 10 sales are made to Asian clients. The anticorruption campaign in China has affected some luxury brands, but we sell unique objects and we have not suffered.

The Asian market is an untapped reservoir of new buyers. We are familiar with the majority of our client base in Europe and New York, but not in Asia. In 2015, Liu Yiqian from Shanghai bought Amedeo Modigliani’s “Nu Couché” for $170.4 million. Our preview in Hong Kong of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi” brought in 4,000 people, with 10,000 logging onto our website.

What about in jewelry auctions?

Jewelry auctions represent $600 million, or 12 percent of annual sales. Our biggest jewelry clients, especially for colored diamonds, are Asians.

It was not a coincidence that we first presented the 163-carat D-flawless diamond by De Grisogono in Hong Kong. We thought that both the buyer and the underbidder could come from that region. We sold it in Geneva because De Grisogono is based there and because Geneva sales still rank No. 1 for jewelry and watch sales.

Is contemporary high jewelry a good investment today?

Jewelry by JAR (Joel Arthur Rosenthal) sells for more at auction. But he only manufactures 80 pieces per year and has a waiting list. In my 40 years in this business, I have not seen another phenomenon like JAR.

When you buy a piece of contemporary jewelry, it could take a long time to recoup the purchase price depending on the added VAT (value-added tax). If you hold on to a quality piece of contemporary jewelry long enough, chances are it will be a good investment.

What is the importance of online jewelry sales for Christie’s?

Our first jewelry sale online was the Elizabeth Taylor auction. She had so much jewelry that we had 250 lots in the main auction, and 2,000 lots online. We expected to sell $2.5 million online, but actually sold $7 million. Since then, our online jewelry sales have generated $8 million to $10 million, 1 percent of annual sales, but they are an important source of new clients.

Will Christie’s continue to develop its private sales?

Private sales are a natural evolution of our business. We started them 10 years ago for certain clients who wanted privacy. We are in a unique position to buy and sell, and we have been “valuers” since 1766, which leads to clients coming to us when they are ready to sell.

Last year, private sales represented $800 million of our $5.4 billion in annual sales. It is a business we are absolutely looking to develop. If you are just auctioneers, you don’t survive today.

At age 70, what are you curious and passionate about?

I am curious about the world, the digital revolution and the evolution of our business. My passion is to win the deal. When you make a proposal and get the business, you are on top of the world. If at 70 I have been given this job, it is because I have adapted to the new world.

Do still enjoy your job?

I am a collector’s psychologist. I try to understand how our clients function and what matters to them to customize our service. I am a specialist, ambassador, negotiator, manager, dealmaker and auctioneer. That moment when all your efforts come together in the final hour and a half of auction is what I love in this business.