Brooch

A gilt metal cloak clasp taken from the apartment of Napoleon Bonaparte after his death on St Helena in 1821 has sold at auction for £10,000.

According to tradition, supported by handwritten documents, this 19th century, gold-mounted micromosaic brooch was given by Prussian King Frederick William III to his second wife Auguste von Harrach, Princess of Liegnitz.

Walter Child (1840-1930) and Harold Child (1848-1915), the sons of an East End pawnbroker who left a fortune of £30,000, opened as art jewellers in 1880 at 1 Seville Street, Belgravia.

Just a month after a rare Christian Dior (1905-57) musical brooch was sold Tajan in Paris, two more examples appeared for sale at Fellows’ (30% buyer’s premium inc VAT) Handbags & Accessories auction in Birmingham on June 24.

Antique and vintage jewellery remains a strong suit across a broad range of styles, periods and values.

A Chaumet Art Deco white gold, rock crystal, diamond and ruby lapel clip brooch seen in a 1990s episode of Antiques Roadshow reappeared at a recent Roseberys (26/25/20% buyer’s premium) jewellery auction in West Norwood, London.

Cartier’s aquamarine jewellery appears to have been predominantly produced from the London workshop starting in 1932.

This large diamond, sapphire and emerald peacock feather brooch was the highlight of a recent Fine Jewellery sale held at Fellows (25% buyer’s premium) in Birmingham.

Metal-detecting finds, properly reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme and since disclaimed as Treasure, are increasing significantly the supply of pre-Georgian jewels. Some fine examples have appeared at auction of late.

Two Cartier brooches commissioned by Sir Stephen Courtauld for his wife have gone on display at Eltham Palace, eight months after they were sold at auction by Dreweatts in Newbury.

The influential 20th century jewellery designer Suzanne Belperron (1900-83) had a wide-ranging clientele during her lifetime spanning royalty, artists and people from the worlds of fashion and entertainment.

London dealership Wartski has donated a collection of jewellery made by the Arts & Crafts silversmith Frederick Partridge to the Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft.

Eighty-seven lots from the collection of Britain’s best-known metal detectorist are on offer as part of TimeLine Auctions’ mammoth sale in Harwich, Essex, from September 3-8.

Anthea AG Antiques is run by Anthea Gesua with the help of Gaby Ruthven and has been in Grays Antiques Centre, London, since the early 1980s.

Two fine Art Deco jewelled pendant brooches featuring miniature fob watches achieved strong results at Bonhams’ (28% buyer’s premium) London Jewels sale.