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Diamond jewellery and premium Swiss watches grabbed the headlines as Halls Fine Art recorded a £225,000 – including buyer’s premium - auction success in Shrewsbury last Wednesday.
11/06/2025
One collection of 30 lots from an Oswestry vendor sold for £32,500, with the highlights being a £13,500 three stone ruby and diamond ring and a £4,800 Blancpain gentleman's 18ct gold perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch.
A Wirral vendor also enjoyed a successful day at the auction as a collection of designer jewellery sold for £24,000, including a £12,000 18ct white gold Wellendorff twisted silk rope necklace and a £5,100 18ct gold star ruby and enamel bracelet by Leo De Vroomen.
Another leading price was £10,000 for a pair of brilliant cut diamond earrings from a Telford vendor.
On a day when gold jewellery and watches were again in high demand. An entwined link chain necklace sold for £4,400, a byzantine chain necklace mounted with beads made £3,000, two bracelets made £2,900 and £2,440 and an 18ct snake link chain necklace found a new home for £2,100.
The Shrewsbury saleroom again proved a happy hunting ground for collectors of Swiss watches. Two Girard-Perregaux gentlemen's chronograph watches sold for £4,000 and £1,200, an Omega gentleman's stainless steel Speedmaster chronograph bracelet watch, purchased by a British fighter pilot in 1973, made £2,500 and a Blancpain gentleman's 18ct gold triple calendar wristwatch sold for £1,850.
Gold pocket watches were also in demand, as a 9ct open face example with a 9ct Albert chain and double sovereign fob realised £2,600, an 1835 Moricand & Degrange 18ct cylinder example made £1,500 and a lady's 18ct open face example sold or £1,150.
In the silver section, a collection from Cheshire sold for £4,000, including a £750 Edwardian graduated set of three silver gilt bowls.
Other leading prices were £1,350 for a 1973 cased set of six commemorative silver goblets by Garrards, £1,250 for a Russian silver and cloisonne enamel purse, £1,050 for a matched set of George III silver Fiddle pattern flatware, £800 each for a George II silver tankard and an Arts and Crafts coral mounted silver bowl and £700 for a George III siler mustard pot.
Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley, Halls Fine Art’s silver and jewellery specialist, was delighted with the auction result. “Designer and quality period jewellery, stones of a good colour and gold pieces continue to sell particularly well.
“We were delighted with the prices achieved for collections, including the silver pieces from Cheshire.”
Alexander Clement, the company’s watches specialist, added: “It’s clear that watches are still a popular commodity to invest in. My advice to owners of vintage, gold watches that are sitting in a drawer at home is that now is the time to dust them off and get them valued because there are buyers for them.
“Premium brands are selling well and it’s pleasing to note that good, under represented watch makers are also achieving strong prices.”
For more information about valuations and consigning items or collections to the auction, contact the fine art team on Tel: 01743 450700.
+44 (0)1743 450 700
fineart@hallsgb.com
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