Originally a gift to Angela Scott-Nicholson on her 21st birthday in 1931, it had passed by descent to new owners through four generations on each of their 18th birthdays. It was valued by jewellery specialist John Benjamin at £10,000-15,000.
The piece, in its original fitted box with the Falcon Studio printed logo, comprises seven graduated gold discs, five set with natural saltwater half-pearls within stylised swirling leaf and spiral motifs and a twisted wirework borders. It comes for sale at Woolley & Wallis of Salisbury on July 15 with an estimate of £8000-12,000.
Back in July 2018, the firm set a record for Murphy when a circular pendant centred by an oval cabochon blue sapphire within borders of enamel, gold strapwork rubies and emeralds sold at £56,000.
This latest piece, from a cache of items from the Murphy family was chosen as the front-cover illustration to Paul Atterbury and John Benjamin’s The Jewellery and Silver of HG Murphy (2005) where the original drawing for the gold and pearl necklace, c.1930, is illustrated.
