KCR Summer 2025 Mag V2 - Flipbook - Page 23
VICTORIAN SPLENDOUR, ART DECO SPARKLE AND
MID-CENTURY SOPHISTICATION - OLYMPIA AUCTIONS
PRESENTS ITS FIRST SALE OF THE AUTUMN
Olympia Auctions opens the autumn season with its Jewellery &
Watches sale on Wednesday 10 September 2025 o昀昀ering an enticing
array of jewellery from the Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco eras to
mid-20th-century and modern day. The auction follows a
record-breaking spring season for Olympia Auctions’ Jewellery
Department which saw strong prices for period jewels and a notable
appetite for signed and unusual pieces.
Sapphires and emeralds
Coloured gemstones feature strongly in the sale, one of the star lots
being an un-treated Ceylon Sapphire and Diamond Ring lot 460, est.
£7,000–10,000). Most gemstones are heat treated to enhance their
colour but this intense blue stone is in its natural state.
Flaws 昀椀nd favour
With the proliferation of synthetic lab grown diamonds onto the market
there is a growing demand for antique diamonds, hand-cut and with
visible imperfections that make them unique and un-replicable. Examples are a Diamond Cluster Ring, 1890s centring on an old mine-cut
diamond of yellow tint (lot 465, est. £2,000 - 3,000) and a circular-cut
1950s Diamond Ring (lot 466, est. £8,000-12,000).
Statement pieces
Two very di昀昀erent necklaces epitomise the fast-moving fashions of
the1980s. A Sapphire and Diamond Collar (lot 374, est. £7,000–
9,000), designed as a tapering collar of polished hinged panels centring
on a collet set cushion-shaped orange sapphire, stated to weigh 8.45
carats, is bold, modern and brilliantly executed in the “bling” mode.
While a Diamond Demi-parure (lot 442, est. £5,000-7,000) necklace
and pair of pendent earrings in a delicate 昀氀oral design will speak to the
New Romantic.
As signalled by the King
Early 20th century jewellery is also enjoying a current revival of interest
and among several pieces in this sale, none are more quintessentially of
the period than a Gold, Gem-set and Diamond Nautical Flag Bracelet
(lot 440, est. £800–1,200). Edward VII gave such pieces - the 昀氀ags
encoding secret messages - to his mistress Alice Keppel. While this
example does not have any encoded messages, it perfectly represents the
taste and style of the era.
Art Deco dazzle
Art Deco fans will be drawn to a superbly made French Sapphire and
Diamond Brooch, circa 1925 (lot 463, est. £2,000–3,000). Its unusual
triangular-cut diamonds are a sign of the experimentation at that time
with fancy-cut stones and make it particularly stand out. Other Art Deco
treasures include a Diamond Cocktail Watch from the 1930s (lot 462,
est. £2,000–3,000). Its rectangular dial framed by a bezel of circularand baguette-cut diamonds, this geometric bracelet perfectly echoes the
streamlined elegance of the Art Deco period.
Miriam Haskell Collection
A single-owner collection of iconic pieces by 1950s American designer
Miriam Haskell (lots 386–397, est. £40–£300) includes necklaces,
brooches, ear clips and parures in her signature combinations of
imitation baroque pearls, paste stones and antique gilt 昀椀nish, all signed
and in good condition. Haskell (1899–1981) was a pioneering costume
jewellery designer whose hand-assembled creations, sold through
retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Gimbels,
were favoured by style icons including Lucille Ball, Joan Crawford and
members of the Vanderbilt family. Today, her vintage pieces are keenly
collected for their craftsmanship, detail and enduring mid-century
glamour. Image below: Imitation pearl and topaz paste necklace and
pair of ear clips, 1950s, estimate: £200 - £300).
Victorian drama
The Victorian era is represented by an opulent pair of Diamond Pendent
Earrings of the 1870s (lot 467, est. £5,000–6,000). Their elaborate,
articulated tassels are set with old mine- and circular-cut stones in silver
and gold cut-down collets.
Live Auction:
Wednesday 10th September 2025, 11am, precisely
Public Exhibition:
Sunday 7th September, 12pm to 4pm
Monday 8th September, 10am to 8pm
Tuesday 9th September, 10am to 5pm
Location: Olympia Auctions, 25 Blythe Road, London W14 0PD
