Pendant

A rare Anglo-Saxon pendant found in Norfolk by a metal detectorist has been voted Britain’s favourite work of art bought by a museum.

A pearl and diamond pendant from the French Queen Marie Antoinette’s personal collection has set a record price at auction for a natural pearl at Sotheby’s Geneva.

Items with royal connections have extra cache for buyers when it comes to desirability and price. Here are four objects with direct connections to noble owners that are currently for sale across dealerships and auctions.

Two Russian diamond necklaces, with links to Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in Geneva next month with a $10m estimate.

A selection of natural pearl jewellery will be included in Woolley and Wallis’ designated sale on July 19 in Salisbury.

THIS locket, believed to contain the hair of Admiral Lord Nelson to one side and Lady Emma Hamilton to the reverse, was previously unknown to Nelson experts but it turned up at Woolley & Wallis of Salisbury after being consigned by a vendor in Australia who has family connections to Portsmouth.

ANOTHER giant two-day sale on March 25-26 put together by David Lay (15% buyer's premium) saw the familiar rapid selling of two and three-figure lots, the cheaper ones mainly accounting for the unsolds, peppered with lots of more quality and wider interest.