10/12/2021
Mallams’ November Jewellery, Watches and Silver Sale, hosted by the Oxford saleroom, saw some really robust bidding, especially for jewellery, and achieved sales of over £406,000, almost 22% above top estimate, with a selling rate of 93%.
A conservatively estimated lapis lazuli-set bracelet (lot 200) proved highly popular, with a bidding battle taking the hammer to £13,000, the winning bid coming from a UK buyer. Of gaspipe-link design and with a fringe of yellow precious metal beads with conical lapis lazuli terminals, it was estimated at £500-£700.
Lot 37, an antique gold seal ring with dog’s head crest, was also much admired, soaring way above its £500-£700 estimate to sell for £11,000. Louise Dennis, Mallams’ jewellery specialist, says “It is likely that this seal ring was of considerable age, possibly 17th or 18th century in date, and therefore quite a rare piece, which resulted in competitive bidding on sale day”.
A late Victorian diamond heart pendant (lot 265), achieved a hammer price of £4,400, more than double top estimate, and a late 19th century amethyst demi-parure (lot 272), comprising a rivière necklace, a pair of bracelets and a cross brooch/pendant, also sparked interest, selling for £5000 against an estimate of £2000-£3000.
Causing quite a stir amongst bidders, a pair of cultured pearl cufflinks (lot 282), reputedly once owned by James Bond creator Ian Fleming and featuring a seemingly unsolved secret code to the reverse, achieved close to four times top estimate with a hammer price of £4400.
Also featured on day one of the sale was a duo of jewel-encrusted Art Deco evening bags (lot 224), one by Cartier and the other possibly by the same maker. These had a solid estimate of £3500-£4500 but outperformed expectations, with the hammer eventually falling at £9000.
Day two of the sale focused on silver and objets de vertu and the highest price was achieved by a set of twelve George IV silver plates by Philip Rundell, London 1821 (lot 751) which sold for just under top estimate at £7600. However, one of the top performing lots was an early Victorian silver vinaigrette (lot 530), engraved to the top with a view of Cheltenham College. Estimated at just £150-£200, it was highly contested, with a final bid of £2400 securing the lot.
Lot 773, a late 17th century German silver gilt cup and cover, standing an impressive 50cm high, and with a Nuremberg town mark and maker's mark ‘HB’, achieved a hammer price of £6600 against an estimate of £3000-£5000 and a George III silver tea caddy with urn finial (lot 762), sold for almost double top estimate at £2,200.
Mallams is now accepting entries for its next Jewellery, Watches & Silver Sale on 23 March 2022. If you have any items of interest, please call 01865 241358 or email Mallams' jewellery and watches specialist, Louise Dennis at louise.dennis@mallams.co.uk or Alicia Rogers, silver specialist at alicia.rogers@mallams.co.uk
All prices are subject to a 30% buyers' premium (VAT inclusive).
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