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DOUBTLESS unique, but in its way typical of the sort of success enjoyed at Robert Finan’s sale, was this Russian 18th century emerald, ruby and diamond cross, right, mounted in silver and gold.

As celebrations abound for the most famous of all seamen, another great British admiral was being remembered in spectacular fashion at the Nottingham auction rooms of Mellors & Kirk on June 16. The subject of a fierce engagement between collectors was the so-called Rodney Jug.

Few will be unaware that 2005 is the bicentenary of Nelson’s death at the Battle of Trafalgar, given the number of celebrations and exhibitions commemorating the event.

LIKE so much material where the name is so much part of the game, the exquisite objets d’art fashioned in the Russian workshops of Carl Fabergé have attracted copyists, repro-producers and outright forgers.

THIEVES escaped with £10,000 worth of furniture and antiques in a raid on a dealer in Staffordshire.

IT was just three weeks into the First World War when British destroyers engaged the enemy off the Heligoland Bight near Denmark.

A student has discovered a five-volume inventory of the possessions of Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, while cataloguing in the National Archives at Kew.

CLASS-action legal specialists Garden City Group (GCG) believe compensation cheques linked to the Sotheby’s/Christie’s collusion case will be sent out by August.

Non-EU imports and exports rise, with surges for Switzerland and others SLIGHT rises in UK art and antiques import and export totals for 2004 hide far more dramatic swings when assessed on a nation-by-nation basis.

ATG have now updated the search capability of the price guide on www.antiquestradegazette.com, and it is infinitely faster than before.

Horners Auctioneers in Acle, near Norwich lost half the lots for their auction when thieves broke in the night before the sale.

Dealers are being warned to be vigilant following a suspected cheque fraud at the Summer Olympia Fine Art and Antiques Fair.

The July sales of Asian art will be notable for bringing two newly discovered pieces to the market, one in London and the other in Salisbury.

London turned up the heat in the market for Contemporary art when both Sotheby’s and Christie’s achieved outstanding results at their June evening sales.

Scottish auctioneer Paul Roberts has been awarded a coveted business honour in recognition of his outstanding personal achievement in business.

IT was a family occasion on Friday June 9 at Bonhams when chairman Robert Brooks invited his father Bill to unveil a plaque for the lecture theatre in their Bond Street HQ in front of a small gathering of family members and senior staff from the auction house.

FOUR people linked to a £30m crime spree have denied selling hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of art and antiques.

JUNE has been quite a month for record-breaking results in 20th century design.

“The world of enamel signs is like football and this sign is like Manchester United. It's in near-perfect condition and is a remarkable survivor. What were once considered scrap metal are now being seen as the works of art they really are.”

The natural desire of a woman to wear the dress of her dreams on her wedding day may be an element of vanity even a Quaker bride cannot completely suppress.