Latest News Articles by Roland Arkell
Sealed and delivered to auction: the Matrix collection
05 June 2023Collector and author bought pieces for their historical interest as well as beauty
Representative of heavenly virtue
05 June 2023This 15th century ring, set with a rhomb-shaped table-cut sapphire, is engraved with lilies and other flowers issuing from a crescent bowl.
Fruitwood box finds its sense of plaice but spoon bids stay selective
05 June 2023Treen boxes and silver caddy spoons were sold as part of the Fine Silver sale at Anderson & Garland
Pocket watches that pack a punch
05 June 2023Portable timekeepers full of collectable appeal need not be just those worn on the wrist
The remarkable Mrs Newman
05 June 2023The professional goldsmith and jewellery designer was not the first woman in such a role but received significant prominence in the Victorian era under her own name
Dealer recognises Victorian value in a stone that could be broken up
05 June 2023It’s not unusual for an antique jewel containing a particularly high-quality stone to be broken up after its purchase – the intrinsic value greater than the value of the whole.
Rolex taken from £200 original purchase to £45,500 at auction
05 June 2023This Rolex Cosmograph Dayton is proof that some branded wristwatches have become an exceptional investment
Well done, driver Doug - here's a 1970 Heuer Autavia Chronograph
05 June 2023This 1970 Heuer Autavia Chronograph was awarded to rally driver Doug Harris for finishing the 16,000-mile London to Mexico World Cup Rally in 1970.
Not quite in Stuttgart but Germany’s leading book event returns
05 June 2023The Stuttgart Rare Book Fair, Germany’s leading fair for the rare book and prints trade, is returning after the pandemic for an anniversary event from June 16-18.
Objects that underline Ann Sutton's keen eye for new talent
05 June 2023A group of design objects consigned by British textile artist and designer Ann Sutton (b.1935) was offered as part of the Lyon & Turnbull Modern Made sale.
Aquamarine appeal of less expensive post crash pieces
05 June 2023In the years after the Wall Street Crash in 1929, some of the less expensive gemstones became popular in jewellery manufacture.
'Beautiful example' of Horace Minns work
05 June 2023The Fine Jewellery auction at Fellows in Birmingham on June 15 includes this Arts & Crafts silver blue gem and bluster pearl foliate pendant.
Doulton delights packed in floor to ceiling
03 June 2023A remarkable Nautilus Clock sold for £7000 when Sworders (25% buyer’s premium) offered the first part of the Ann Turner collection of Doulton pottery.
Miniature masterpiece gold stater retakes title of the most expensive classical coin
29 May 2023A Panticapaeum gold stater, struck in present day Crimea c.350-300BC, has regained the rank of the world’s most expensive classical coin.
Stoclet Buddhist stele in high demand at auction
29 May 2023This 2ft 7in (78cm) high white marble stele depicting the Buddhist goddess Guanyin on a lotus throne between two bodhisattva was carved in the Northern Qi dynasty.
Silver Tompion clock is the ‘best in private hands’
29 May 2023Horology dealership Carter Marsh is bringing to market what it calls the most important English table clock it has ever handled.
Pick of the week: Cheesy does it for £45,000 Elizabethan manuscript at auction
29 May 2023Leading the sale at Dominic Winter on May 17 was a highly unusual Elizabethan manuscript treatise on cheese and cheese making.
Get a taste of silver from the Colman collection coming to auction in Essex
29 May 2023Sworders’ next Fine Interiors sale includes a collection of Norwich 17th century silver assembled by one of East Anglia’s best-known families.
Latest Jennifer Lee top price at auction pushes studio potter close to Rie and Coper levels
29 May 2023Mallams regained the record for a pot by Jennifer Lee (b.1956) on May 18 when a large asymmetrical vessel from c.1990 sold at £40,000 (plus 25% buyer’s premium).