Summer Jewellery, Silver and Watches Review
The summer Jewellery, Silver, Watches and Pocket Watches auction at Wessex Auction Rooms was a huge success. The department, headed up by Izzie Balmer, is going from strength to strength. With demand so high, an additional sale has been added to the year with a total of five specialist Jewellery, Silver, Watches and Pocket Watches auctions this year.
The highlight of the auction was a Gents Rolex Oyster Perpetual chronometer wristwatch. With the market for Gents’ luxury watches remaining strong there was significant interest in this lot. Rolex are considered one of the top watchmakers by collectors and any serious collector will have at least one Rolex in their collection. As well as being collector’s pieces, Rolex’s are purchased as both investment pieces and to wear. With luxury watch collecting becoming fashionable amongst the twenty-something social media influencers, Rolex is regularly one of the names worn by these young and wealthy people, increasing the demand for the already highly popular watch brand. The Rolex watch in the auction came with its original box and paperwork and sold for £3,000.
A 2005 Gents’ Omega Seamaster 300 Professional chronometer drivers watch, also with its original box and papers sold for £1,600.
Another well-known luxury watch brand sold well at Wessex Auction Rooms: a gents IWC Schaffhausen Portofino automatic watch sold for £1,000.
A stunning ruby and diamond 18ct white gold ring saw lots of pre-auction interest. The central ruby was of a beautiful rich pink-red colour with a good hue and saturation. The two diamonds each weighed 0.75 carat and 0.65 carat, with assessed clarities SI and assessed colours K-L. A simple yet classic three stone style in the ever-popular white gold sold for £2,000.
A mid Victorian 18ct yellow gold open face pocket watch, signed David Gill of Aberdeen, hallmarked for 1862, with 9ct gold Albert chain sold for £1,200. Peaky Blinders saw the rise in status of pocket watches. The mainstream BBC drama saw the look of the show being emulated by men of all ages, including the wearing of pocket watches, particularly for special occasions such as weddings. This is only good news for the survival of silver and gold pocket watches. With so many of us relying on our phones to tell the time, pocket watches were for a time only bought by collectors, but now they are admired by a wider reaching audience.
Diamond solitaire stud earrings are always in high demand, especially those of a good size, clarity and colour. At Wessex Auction Rooms a pair of round brilliant cut diamonds earrings were of a good size, each weighing 1 carat, but at the lower end of the scale regarding colour and clarity. This did not deter bidders, with the hammer falling at £1,150.
Georgian jewellery is always popular and always in demand, its scarcity ensuring there is always strong interest, especially those pieces in good wearable condition. A George III paste, gold and silver set ring saw huge interest. Rock crystal is often used as a substitute for diamonds but here, the cheaper paste option has been used. This may in part be why the ring has survived being re-fashioned into something else because the paste stones were not worth removing and resetting into a more fashionable design as the jewellery fashions of the late 18th century evolved. With bids flying from the room and from the internet the gavel fell at £700.
George V silver salver, the circular design with pie crust border raised on three feet, and without the standard engraved personalisation sold for £650. So often, good quality expensive items of silver are personalised, but to resell, this engraving detracts from the value. Those without any engraving carry a premium and sell for a higher price.
Wessex Auction Rooms are consigning now for their September specialist jewellery, silver, watches and pocket watches auction. To consign items call the office on 01249 720888 or email enquiries@wessexauctionrooms.co.uk