Jewellery

Serpent jewels, symbols of eternity and exoticism, are ever popular and two good examples are on offer this autumn.

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).

The September 12 Important Jewellery auction at Hindman in Chicago includes this Art Deco diamond, jade, cabochon emerald and enamel brooch mounted in platinum.

Jewellery from the estate of Ella Naper (1886-1972) was offered at Lay’s (21% buyer’s premium) in Lanner, Cornwall on August 10-11.

The Cartier Love Bracelet – the plain gold band with screwheads to lock it around the wearer’s wrist – has become one of the most recognised pieces of modern jewellery.

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.

The best-known type of Maori jewellery is the pounamu (greenstone) hei tiki pendants, the figural carvings representing ‘the first man’ that were typically worn by women.

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.

A spate of jewellery-related crimes was reported in the last month, sparking further concerns for those in the trade.

A Camden Passage jewellery dealer suffered a devastating loss of his entire stock after a theft from his stand at the London market.

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

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

A necklace composed of nine ‘Stuart crystal’ memorial slides comes for sale at Sworders’ auction of Fine Jewellery and Watches on June 27.