REVIEW: JEWELLERY, WATCHES, SILVER & OBJECTS OF VERTU 13 JUNE

With the early summer auction season well under way, Noonans’ auction on 13 June proved to be another strong sale for the Mayfair auction house.

Increasingly gaining a reputation for selling early jewels and detectorist finds, Noonans offered for sale two fine Medieval sapphire rings, which both performed strongly.

 

The 15th century Tarrant Abbey ring, inset with a rhomb-shaped sapphire, a detectorist find in 2019 from Devon, sold for triple estimate at £14,000. A 14th century sapphire ring, set with a cabochon sapphire between chevron decorated shoulders, also a detectorist find from 2019, in this instance from Essex, also trebled estimate, selling for £9,500. An attractive 15th century gold seal ring, engraved with a Popinjay, sold for £13,000 against an estimate of £4,000-6,000.

Fine diamonds also did extremely well, with a 9.03 carat solitaire ring leading the sale, selling over top estimate for £65,000. Classic settings as always proved popular, with an Art Deco octagonal-cut diamond ring, estimated at £6,000-8,000, taking £18,000. A 2.98 carat marquise-cut diamond-set ring, of E colour and VVS2 clarity, sold for £24,000.

Signed jewels performed well with a heavy Bulgari diamond set gold curb-link necklace selling over estimate at £19,000.

Watches are also proving to be a solid contributor to these sales, with this outing offering a good selection of Rolex timepieces. A Rolex lady’s 18ct gold, diamond and mother-of-pearl ‘Pearlmaster’ automatic sold over estimate at £8500 and a Rolex ‘Air King’ Ref. 116900, circa 2017, took £5,000.

Noonans’ new booklet, Royal Treasures, published to celebrate the Coronation, includes a large selection of fine and interesting jewels with Royal connections sold by the company in recent years. Results have been outstanding, most notably the £320,000 achieved for an Art Deco cultured pearl and diamond bracelet that had belonged to the late Princess Margaret.

This sale had two further lots, both formerly the property of Princess Margaret: an Art Deco sapphire and diamond brooch, a gift from her grandmother Queen Mary in 1946, which sold for £11,000 and a Honiton white lace fan, dating from 1902, estimated at £1,000-1,500, achieving £7,000.

The silver section included a fine silver Regimental Scots Greys peg tankard, by Aldwinckle & Slater, retailed by Elkington & Co, London 1883, which doubled estimate with the hammer price of £3,600.

Noonans’ next Jewellery, Watches, Silver & Objects of Vertu sale is on 12 September 2023.