Early Irish Ecclesiastical Silver & Fine Jewels and Watches

Important silver is set to star in the Fine Jewellery, Watches and Silver Sale at Tennants Auctioneers on 15^th November, when a collection of ecclesiastical gold and silver dating from the 17^th to early 20^th century go under the hammer. The items are being sold on behalf of the Joint Administrators of Mount St Mary’s College and Barlborough Hall School, Derbyshire, and the 32-lot collection is estimated to sell for £150,000-220,000. The collection includes an Important George V Irish ‘Gem’-Set Gold Chalice by Edmond Johnson Ltd., Dublin, 1918, which was given to the College in honour of the former students who fell during the First World War, and whose names are engraved on the base (estimate: £70,000-100,000 all figures exclude buyer’s premium). Several examples of early Irish silver are also on offer, Including a George II Irish Provincial Silver Chalice by Richard Joyes, Galway, 1730, which was presented to the Convent of Kinalehin by Edmond Bourk, Parish Priest of Killereran (estimate: £5,000-8,000), and an Elizabeth I Parcel-Gilt Silver Ciborium and Cover, unmarked but likely made in Ireland in the late 17^th century, which is thought to have been presented to Mount St. Mary’s College by Mrs Powtrell of Westhallam before 1658. Mrs Powtrell provided the funds for one of the buildings at the College (estimate: £4,000-6,000).

Further lots of good period silver include those with aristocratic connections. A private collection of George III Silver Dinner Plates made by John Romer in London in 1764 will be sold in five lots; each lot will offer twelve plates and will be sold with an estimate of £5,000-8,000 each. The plates come with provenance from John Crewe, 1^st Baron Crewe (1742-1829) and his wife Frances Anne Greville and have since been passed by descent. Notable, too, is a Queen Anne Silver Dressing Table Mirror, which was made by Isaac Dighton of London in 1702 (estimate: £7,000-10,000). On the back of the mirror is an engraved plaque which states the mirror was given to Lady Helena Cook and Philip Davies Cook by Andrew Warde of Hooton Pagnell, Yorkshire, before being used by H.R.H. Alexandra Princess of Wales when she visited Christopher Sykes M.P. at Brantingham-Thorpe in 1869. 

A rare and highly collectable 1979 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “Big Red” (ref: 6265/6263) heads the watch section of the sale with an estimate of £30,000-40,000. The watch is an usual “Floating” Big Red variant, referring to the positioning of the red writing on the dial. This, combined with good condition of the watch and the inclusion of the original box and paperwork, make it a highly appealing piece for serious collectors. Other good watches by Rolex in the sale include a 1997 Rolex Steel and Gold Cosmograph Daytona (ref:16523/16500) (estimate: £8,000-12,000), and a fine 1985 Rolex 18 Carat Gold Day/Date (ref: 18038/18000) with the rare Saudi National Aviation Services Dial (estimate: £10,000-12,000).

On offer with an estimate of £12,000-15,000 is a fine limited-edition DeWitt Titanium and 18 Carat White Gold Twenty-8-Eight, made in 2010, and is number 7 of an edition of 99. DeWitt was founded in Switzerland in 2003 by Jérôme de Witt, and the present watch model was dedicated to his ancestor Napoleon Bonaparte and was designed on the anniversary of his elevation to Emperor of France. Lady’s watches in the sale include a Cartier 18 Carat Gold Mini Panthere (estimate: £4,000-5,000) and a rare Gold and Enamel Pair Cased Cylinder Pocket Watch by Justin Vulliamy, made in London in 1773 and sold with a 19th Century enamel watch chatelaine (estimate: £4,000-5,000). An interesting selection of military watches includes a 1952 IWC Royal Air Force Issue Pilot’s Mark XI Watch with the rare ‘Hooked 7’ dial (estimate: £3,500-4,500), and a Lemania Royal Air Force Military Issue Watch issued in 1965 (estimate: £2,000-3,000).

The jewellery section of the sale includes an array of diamonds, headed by a Diamond Cluster Ring, which boasts a principal central stone with an approximate 3.34 carat diamond weight and accompanying GIA report (estimate: £12,000-15,000). Another fine example is a Platinum Diamond Ring in the ever-popular Art Deco style, which has a central stone weighting approximately 3.30 carat. More unusual diamond rings come in the form of an 18 Carat Gold and Platinum Diamond Two Stone Ring, which is a fine example of a ‘moi et toi’ ring in which two central stones sit side by side on a central band; the ring comes with accompanying GIA reports confirming excellent colour and clarity of the diamonds (estimate: £5,000-7,000). Coloured diamonds include a Loose Fancy Orangy-Pink Pear Brilliant Cut Diamond (estimate: £800-1,200).

In the centenary year of the legendary International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, a number of good Art Deco and Art Deco style pieces are offered in the sale, such as a Diamond Bracelet (estimate: £5,000-7,000), and a delicate Art Deco Emerald and Diamond Brooch (estimate: £2,000-3,000). Emeralds are noticeably in demand at present, and interesting examples in the sale include an 18 Carat White Gold Emerald and Diamond Cluster Ring with features an impressively sized stone in excess of 11 carat (estimate: £7,000-10,000). Intricately wrought is a circa 1900 En Tremblant Emerald, Opal, Ruby and Diamond Butterfly Brooch; of substantial size, elements of the brooch are held on wires and designed to tremble and move in a mesmerising manner when worn (estimate: £5,000-7,000). Also on offer are jewels by iconic jewellery designers, such as a Leaf Necklace by Tiffany & Co. (estimate: £6,000-8,000).

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