Auctions

A spectacular parure of sapphires and diamonds, from the collection of Napoleon’s adoptive daughter, Stephanie de Beauharnais, Grand Duchess of Baden (1789-1860), is for sale at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva on May 12.

Kingham & Orme’s (23% buyer’s premium) first-ever specialist auction of Jewellery & Watches took place on February 19 with just over 200 lots.

This particular form of English delft puzzle jug, with its distinctive knopped neck, seems to be peculiar to the second half of the 17th century.

It is often said there is a strict hierarchy for the prices of game bird pictures by the great ornithological artist Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935).

The popularity of the tiara, that reached its peak in the decades before the onset of the First World War when diamonds from South Africa were in plentiful supply, has fluctuated across the 20th century in line with prosperity and fashion.

Tennants offered a well-received 70-lot sale dedicated to views mostly of Yorkshire from a private collection last month.

A recent Fine Jewellery sale at Fellows (23% buyer’s premium) in Birmingham included an unusual Victorian necklace.

Dawsons’ (23% buyer’s premium) dedicated Jewellery, Watches & Silver auction in Maidenhead on March 11 included two unusual signed pieces by flavour-of-the-month Andrew Grima (1921-2007).

Oil bought by the vendor directly from the artist Lucy Harwood features a still-life on the reverse

In today’s world of modern communication, it is inevitable that several Chinese collectors would discover a 16th century Ming Dynasty ritual vessel in the catalogue of a saleroom in a small town on the edge of the Black Forest in the south-west corner of Germany.

In 1935, Swiss designer Paul Fuller, who had emigrated to the US after the First World War, joined the Rudolf Wurlitzer Company as their chief designer.

Although in his day Walter Schulz-Matan was regarded as an important representative of Neue Sachlichkeit and Magic Realism, his market value with today’s collectors is way below the level of many of his colleagues.

Sotheby’s sold the collection of Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma at the end of last month.

Better late than never, Woolley & Wallis will get to hold its January jewellery sale this month – on April 29.

Depiction of one McNeill sister sets a record while portrait of her sibling also appears at another auction

When designing his wellknown chairs, the Italian-American designer Harry Bertoia drew on his early experience as a jeweller and sculptor.