Ring

Dawsons’ (25% buyer’s premium) Fine Jewellery, Watches & Silver sale included this Art Nouveau gem-set foliage panel ring by Henri Dubret (1872-1947).

Kashmir sapphires have acquired a near-legendary status, due to their lustrous cornflower colour, soft velvety texture and extreme rarity.

The north European Mannerist bronze sold for £550,000 against a guide of £250-350 was not the only spectacular sleeper in the August 8 sale at Reeman Dansie (22.5% buyer’s premium).

Metal detectorists continue to be the best supply of ancient and medieval jewels onto the market.

A favourite ring of Sammy Davis Jr sold at Fellows (25% buyer’s premium) in Birmingham on August 24.

The precursor to the Woolley & Wallis Fine Jewellery sale on October 25 is a single-owner catalogue devoted to the collection of Jean Louis Chameroy (1946-2020).

This 15th century gold ring, set with a rhomb-shaped table-cut sapphire, is engraved with lilies and other flowers issuing from a crescent bowl.

Oscar Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas were probably members. So too Charles Robert Ashbee.

This 18ct gold ring demonstrating French portrait photographer René Dagron’s (1819-1900) invention of microphotography quadrupled its estimate at Bonhams in Paris.

This 15th century ring, set with a rhomb-shaped table-cut sapphire, is engraved with lilies and other flowers issuing from a crescent bowl.

A 1920s-30s platinum and 18ct gold french diamond and emerald bracelet and a ring said to have been given by Edward VIII to Wallis Simpson sold for £42,000 (guide £25,000-35,000).

A garnet intaglio ring was bid to 450-times estimate at an auction in Birmingham after speculation that it could be one of the ‘lost’ Marlborough gems.

Myanmar (Burmese) sapphires, renowned for a deep blue colour, are highly prized for reasons of scarcity, quality and history

A hugely romantic 18th century enamel, ruby and diamond ring sold for £16,000 at Woolley & Wallis (£25% buyer’s premium) in Salisbury on February 1-2.

A collection of Georgian gold and enamel mourning rings with aristocratic pedigrees comes for sale at Woolley & Wallis on April 20.

For many years signet rings served a very practical as well as a decorative and symbolic function.