Jewellery

Oktoberfest, the world’s largest volksfest held annually in Bavaria in September and October, is just one reason to travel to Germany in the autumn. Another is the plethora of auctions held in what is traditionally a busy season for the country’s salerooms

More reliable today than they ever were in their lifetime, the male line of the Stuarts attracted the familiar devoted following at the annual Scottish Silver & Applied Arts sale at Lyon & Turnbull (25% buyer’s premium).

Our weekly selection from salerooms.

Auction house Bellmans has announced the appointment of Samantha Dunn-Davies to head its new London office in Brook Street, Mayfair.

Featuring in Dix Noonan Webb’s Jewellery, Watches, Antiquities & Objects of Vertu sale in London on September 10 is a Hellenistic period single gold earring, c.3rd century BC.

This gold, enamel and diamond tiger orchid brooch offered by Belgian auction house Haynault of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre last month was made by Tiffany c.1890.

This pair of green stained ivory cufflinks offered by Dreweatts (25/20/12% buyer’s premium) of Donnington Priory was made by Child & Child after a design by the eminent Pre-Raphaelite painter and jewellery designer Edward Burne-Jones.

A collection of diamond jewellery attracted international competition at Greenslade Taylor Hunt’s (19.5% buyer’s premium) June sale in Taunton. The cache of pre-war jewels was consigned following a house call by gemmologist and valuer Richard Slater. “It was a wonderful selection of jewellery. The owner had great taste,” he said.

The marathon 12-hour 'Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence' auction of jewellery and works of art from the Al Thani family held in New York last month was a once-in-a-generation event.

A recent sale at Dix Noonan Webb (20% buyer’s premium) included a private collection of antique jewels, gold and enamelled boxes and pocket watches.

Auction house Fellows is holding two special events in July and is offering ATG readers a discount on tickets.

We regret to announce the death of jewellery collector and historian Anne Shannon who died peacefully with her family on May 11.

In the Late Middle Ages the chaplet, made in many materials from boxwood to precious metals, was a commonplace aid to keep count of the repetition of prayers or the chapters read in a Book of Hours.