Fine antique silver shone at Tennants Auctioneers, when their Fine Jewellery, Watches and Silver Sale saw exceptional prices for rare pieces and confident bidding from buyers joining the sale remotely from across the world. Indeed, silver has performed extremely well at Tennants this November, with almost 500 lots offered across multiple sales to achieve a total hammer price of nearly £550,000 and only 14 lots going unsold.
The sale was led by a collection of ecclesiastical gold and silver dating from the 17th to early 20th, which was sold on behalf of the Joint Administrators of Mount St Mary’s College and Barlborough Hall School, Derbyshire. After considerable interest, 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, sold for £78,000 (all figures exclude buyer’s premium). Two of the most eagerly sought-after lots were good examples of early Irish silver; the two George II Irish Provincial Silver Chalices by Richard Joyes of Galway, dated 1730 and 1731, were presented by Edmond Bourk, Parish Priest of Killereran to religious houses. One example was presented to the Convent of Kinalehin, which sold for £27,000, and the other presented to the Convent of Rafran, which sold for £22,000.
With good provenance, too, was a Set of Four Charles II Silver Stacking Beakers, perhaps made by John Ruslen of London in 1679, which sold for £11,000; the beakers were one of two sets that Nicholas Tufton, 3rd Earl of Thanet presented to his attorneys John Coates and Roger Coates for their assistance in reclaiming his estates in Craven. The other set is now held in the collection of the Fogg Art Museum in Harvard. Further interesting lots included a Louis XIV or Louis XV Silver Butterfield Dial, made in Paris in the late 17th or early 18th century (sold for £2,800), and a Matched Pair of Silver Dessert Stands, made by George Jensen in the early 1920s (sold for £4,200).
Fine antique jewellery continues to be much in demand, and the top lot of the jewellery section was an exquisite En Tremblant Emerald, Opal, Ruby and Diamond Butterfly Brooch. Extremely popular during viewing and highly contested on sale day, it sold for almost double the top estimate at £13,000. A circa 1880-1900 Hinged Bangle with a micro mosaic depicting Romulus and Remus exceeded expectations too, selling for £9,000.
In a buoyant diamond market, the sale saw enthusiastic bidding for high quality stones such as those found in a stunning 18 Carat Gold and Platinum Diamond Two Stone Ring, certified at the highest colour grade of D and very good clarity VS1 (sold for £9,500). Diamond-set jewellery continued to sell well, with a fantastic Diamond Bracelet achieving a hammer price of £8,500.
Pieces from esteemed jewellery houses are always keenly contested, and a large selection of jewels from Tiffany & Co. sold well, with a Leaf Necklace achieving a strong price of £8,800 and a Diamond Atlas Necklace selling for £4,500, both aided by good provenance. Jewels by Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels were subject of enthusiastic bidding too.
Coloured gemstones continue to perform well, and auctions are becoming a popular source of gemstones. A selection of superb emerald jewellery was on offer, and an 18 Carat White Gold Emerald and Diamond Cluster Ring saw the highest price for an emerald in the sale after selling for £7,000. Other interesting lots incorporated coloured gemstone included an Early 20th Century Sapphire, Ruby and Pearl Necklace, which sold for £6,000.
A rare and highly collectable 1979 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona “Big Red” (ref: 6265/6263) led the watch section of the sale, with a hammer price of £29,000. The watch was an unusual “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, made it a highly appealing piece for serious collectors. Rolex continues to perform well on the secondary market, and a 1988 Rolex GMT Master with a ‘Pepsi Bezel’ (ref: 16700) sold well, too at £7,000. Selling for £5,200 was a Jaeger LeCoultre Master Calendar (ref: 140.8.98.S, and a 1987 Cartier Lady’s 18 Carat Gold Mini Panthere sold for £4,800.
The Fine Jewellery, Watches and Silver Sale realised a total hammer price of £831,160 for 423 lots, and a 92% sold rate.
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