Wealden Times | WT265 | June 2024 | Education Supplement inside

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Past lots, from top to bottom:
1. Flower-head gold ring with
European cut diamond and
emeralds, sold for £2,900
2. 14ct White Gold Ruby Set
Dress Ring, 20th Century,
with synthetic white stones
and faceted rubies
3. Ruby and diamond cluster
ring sold for £820
Past lots, from top to bottom:
1. Late 19th/Early 20th century
French Mahogany Bureau unsold
January 2020 guide price £250-£350
2. Victorian Parquetry Inlaid Walnut
Hexadecagonal Top Occasional
Table Sold September 2022 £220
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JEWELLERY
David Parker, Managing Director
at Canterbury Auction Galleries
tells us about the benefits of buying
jewellery through auctions
“
When choosing a ring or a special
gift that comes in one of those
precious small packages, many of
us now value more than ever, something that
is eco-aware, unique and easy on the pursestrings.
There’s only one place to go to find
that perfect sparkling something that ticks all
the boxes and it’s your local auction house.
New diamonds involve mining that is often
environmentally destructive, and lab-grown gems
are not as eco-friendly as one might assume,
releasing greenhouse gases for every manufactured
carat, with the diamonds produced then not
holding their price quite like natural stones, either.
So we say re-sparkle! A pre-loved gem is not
freshly mined and, at auction especially, is a
“
FURNITURE
Alan White FNAVA, Partner
and Auctioneer at Ibbett
Mosely talks furniture
One can still buy a good Georgian chest
of drawers for less than £100 at auction.
The younger generation seem to have
realised this now, and some are starting to buy
more traditional furniture, enjoying the auction
process (in the saleroom or bidding online) and
picking up some very good quality pieces for much
less than they used to cost. Bargains can still be
had as many sales will include pieces from as little
as £50. Many pieces of furniture, though of quite
considerable age, can outlast much of the furniture
produced today if looked after. It can even be seen
as a form of recycling, and so it’s good for the
environment too.
The market for Antique Furniture has been
going through a poor patch for some 12 to 15 years
now. Values have been quite low, especially for
Georgian and Victorian “Brown Furniture”. Pieces
such as chests of drawers, dining tables and chairs,
card tables, and work tables, have sold for quite
modest sums, or struggled to sell first time round.
Really good quality English and Continental pieces
from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries are
still in demand. Two such pieces passed through
our Auction Salerooms in Sevenoaks in the last
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lot more affordable than new as there are no
manufacturing costs. Plus of course they come
with an enviable aura of vintage romance and
a huge array of beautiful, unusual settings.
The Canterbury Auction Galleries are
seeing some excellent jewellery prices at the
moment, especially in precious stones like
emeralds, rubies and solitaire diamonds. As
long as you go to a reputable source, you
can rest easy in the knowledge that gems at
auction measure up in the 4 essential Cs (cut,
colour, clarity and carat). Canterbury Auction
Galleries’ specialists bring to bear many years’
experience and professional testing techniques
when they grade stones and Gemology
certificates can be available on request,
”
too.
You try before you bid too – every auction will
have viewing days where you’re welcome to browse
and try on the huge variety of jewellery on offer.
Lastly, bidding at auction is thrilling: give it a go!
Check out the gorgeous range of
gems of all kinds in the next sale at
thecanterburyauctiongalleries.com
year. The first one was an Early 18th century
walnut card table. It was un-restored and heavily
used, but was a beautiful English piece and it sold
for £6,000, to one of the top London dealers.
The second example was a mahogany writing
table from the Regency period (about 1780 to
1840, when some of the best quality furniture
was produced) which came from a general house
clearance. It had certainly seen better days but its
superior quality was still apparent. It saw some
competitive bidding, between both private and
trade buyers, eventually selling for £4,700 to a well
established locally based dealer.
Auctions are normally open for viewing at least
two days before the sale, and you can purchase
a catalogue with descriptions and price guides of
the lots. You could also see the catalogue online,
via the auctioneer’s website, or an online bidding
platform, such as “Easylive”, or “The Saleroom.
com”. You can also register to bid using these
methods, live in the Auction Room, or the
auctioneers can be instructed to bid on your
behalf. Added to the hammer price is the buyer’s
premium, which might range from 15% to 25%,
plus VAT.
”
Buying at auction can be enjoyable and
atmospheric, and I would recommend anybody to
try it at least once, to see if you get the bug. For
more information telephone us on 01732 456731 or
visit ibbettmoselyauctions.co.uk