Jewellery

Found by head of department Catriona Smith in a box of mixed jewellery, this rare 16th or 17th century gold ‘toadstone’ ring came for sale at Sworders (25% buyer’s premium).

Tennants’ jewellery specialist, Jessica Fall, has not only passed her Gemmological Association professional qualifications with flying colours but has also won the Bruton Medal for best candidate of the year, and the Deeks Diamond Prize for the best results in the theory examination.

Chiswick Auctions (25% buyer’s premium) was another of the London salerooms that held a designated sale in Islamic week.

A rare 16th or 17th century gold ‘toadstone’ ring comes for sale at Sworders in November 23 with expectations of £3000-5000.

Dreweatts’ November 23 sale includes jewels from the collection of Renée Louise Marie de Rothschild (1927-2015).

A look at upcoming jewellery auction lots

Queen Victoria gave many gifts to family, friends and servants, often commemorating notable events in her life.

Natalie Smith owns Woodbridge Antiques in Suffolk and specialises in silver and jewellery.

Charles de Temple is much admired as a key figure in the British 1960s modernist movement – one of the designers who ushered bold and abstract jewellery to the forefront of fashion.

Literally the highlight of Halls’ (23% buyer’s premium) Autumn Sale was a hall lantern demonstrating showy high Victorian taste at its most confident.

With the added lustre of having been worn by a Fifties aristocratic supermodel, two jewellery items entered by her grandchildren were the stars at Bellmans’ (22% buyer’s premium) sale of items from a Shropshire manor.

A selection of upcoming lots from auctions taking place around the UK and Ireland.

A selection of eight upcoming lots from auctions taking place around the UK and Ireland.

Percy Thomas Tibbles, born in Hampstead, London, in 1881, was destined to become famous for cutting women in half.

Although, thanks in part to Bram Stoker’s Dracula (first published in 1897), bats have acquired a reputation as ‘creatures of the night’ in many cultures they are viewed as symbols of luck or reincarnation.

The owl had been a symbol of wealth and wisdom since the days of ancient Greece and inspired designers such as Lalique.