Trevanion Auctioneers are celebrating following the huge success of their recent jewellery auction which was the largest offering of jewellery in the nine year history of the firm.
‘The market for antique jewellery continues to be very buoyant and we were thrilled with the results from our August auction which proved to be incredibly successful’ said head of the jewellery department Amelia Tomkinson. Amelia, an old Moretonian and Fellow of the Gemmological Association has worked hard to expand the jewellery department since her arrival at the beginning of 2023, so much so that the August auction at the auctioneers had to be made a two day event to accommodate the volume of jewellery in the sale.
The auction included over 1200 lots in total, 470 of which were silver and jewellery proving that Trevanion Auctioneers is the market leader for jewellery and silver sales in the area. Bidders from across the country and around the globe battled it out to secure some of the most popular lots, and whilst diamond set and gold jewellery dominated the top results on the day, some of the most surprising results came from the most unexpected places.
Indeed, a Cheshire vendor received a lovely surprise when Amelia assessed her ‘Junk bracelet’ and explained that it was actually a rather lovely paste set Georgian choker, converted to a bracelet. Amelia discovered the bracelet amongst a collection of ‘dressing up jewellery’ and, much to the vendors delight, estimated the bracelet at £300-£500. Following a ferocious bidding battle, the piece was secured by the successful bidder at £1,800. But the bracelet was not the only piece of paste to catch the bidders eye, as it was swiftly followed by a Georgian past set riviere necklace, discovered in a plastic bag of costume jewellery by Managing Partner of the firm Christina Trevanion at a routine house visit in South Shropshire. ‘The seller just assumed that because it wasn’t diamonds that it would be worthless, but early paste set jewellery is incredibly sought after’ explains Christina.
Indeed, ‘paste’ is essentially faceted glass and therefore a less expensive alternative to natural diamonds and coloured stones, but it was appreciated, both then and now for having an appeal and artistry all of its own. In fact paste set pieces were ‘de rigueur’ for aristocratic women of the period and first became a popular material during the Georgian period 1714-1837, when it was used to simulate the appearance of diamonds. ‘Original pieces continue to be incredibly appealing to the market today and are often overlooked’ explains Christina, ‘The vendors assumed the riviere necklace was worthless, and were delighted when it sold for £1,600’.
‘I am incredibly proud of how Amelia has expanded the jewellery department here at Trevanion Auctioneers, she is not only an excellent valuer but is passionate about keeping up to date with current market trends and values, and it shows in the fantastic results she has achieved at our most recent auction. Amelia is not only building strong relationships with our clients from across Shropshire, Cheshire, Wales and beyond but she is also forging excellent working links with our buyers from across the globe’ said Christina Trevanion.
If you are curious about the value of your jewellery, silver and watches, you can book a free no obligation auction valuation appointment on 01948 800 202 or info@trevanion.com.
