Jewellery

This 19th century, c.1850, archaeological revivalist 22ct gold necklace by Carlo Civilotti of the Civilotti family of jewellers in Rome will feature in Thomaston Place Auction Galleries’ wide-ranging three-day auction taking place in Maine on July 8-10

A look ahead to auction house and dealer highlights this summer.

The sale at jewellery auction house Elmwood’s (25% buyer’s premium) in London on May 19 included a remarkable family archive of antique items.

Sotheby’s is holding a month-long programme of exhibitions and events to mark the platinum jubilee.

A presentation diamond brooch given by Queen Elizabeth II to the Duchess of Norfolk for assistance prior to her coronation in 1953 is to be offered by Mayfair auction house Noonans on June 14, estimated at £4000-6000.

This Georgian enamel and rock crystal mourning ring was formerly owned by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon.

The Marine Sale at Bonhams (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) included a very rare gold and enamel ring marking the death of Admiral Lord Nelson in 1805.

The Islamic and Indian Art sale at Bonhams (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) on March 29 was topped by a diamond and emerald set gold pendant from the collection of Maharani Jindan Kaur (1817-63).

The story of the Poniatowski gems provided one of the great art scandals of its day.

Toadstones are understood to be the button-like palatal teeth of lepidotes, an extinct genus of ray finned fish from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

Provenance adds cachet to a varied selection offered in regional sale after London first dibs

Marriage or betrothal rings of the Byzantine period depict the bride and groom with Christ who performs the marriage rite.

With the discovery of the intact tomb of Tutankhamun in 1923, an Egyptian revival swept through the decorative arts. Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels were among the first to design jewels that mixed Egyptian motifs with the geometry and bold colours of the Art Deco era. But other French, British and US ateliers soon followed.

The Art by Four Women exhibition held at the Walker Gallery, London, in 1935 was something of a break-through event for Birmingham-trained goldsmith Dorrie Nossiter (1893-1977).

A sale of royal memorabilia at Colchester saleroom Reeman Dansie (20% buyer’s premium) on February 15 included items from the estate of Miss Beryl Poignand (1887-1965), governess and confidante to HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

The jewellery department at Woolley & Wallis has built up something of a reputation for selling cameos and intaglios.

Aided by the skills of the Alsatian jeweller Georges-Frédéric Strass (1701-77), the boundaries of what could be achieved with paste jewellery were pushed back in the 18th century.