£240,000 Shrewsbury auction success as buyers invest in silver, jewellery and watches
A bumper £240,000 auction in Shrewsbury on Wednesday saw buyers turn to silver, jewellery and watches as a safe investment amidst global uncertainty
Auctioneers Halls Fine Art recorded a 92% sale rate, with highlights in each of the sections.
“Silver, jewellery and watches are small, portable and a safe haven for investment,” said Alexander Clement, the company’s watches specialist.
Diamonds sparkled, with two platinum single stone rings from a Telford owner selling for a combine £27,000. A pear cut 4.01 carats diamond ring sold for £15,000 while a 5.52cts diamond ring found a buyer at £12,000.
A charity antiques valuation event held by Halls Fine Art in Kington produced a £9,000 windfall for a local resident. Highlights of the vendor’s small collection were £6,500 for an 18ct gold Boucheron bracelet and earring suite and £1,100 for a late 19th century turquoise and diamond brooch.
A similar success was repeated following the company’s first valuation event in Wilmslow, held earlier this year, which produced a Jaeger-LeCoultre Albatros gentleman's 18ct gold bracelet watch that sold for £7,000.
Top priced watch was a Jaeger-LeCoultre Duometre Quantieme Lunaire gentleman’s 18ct pink gold calendar wristwatch from the estate of a late Shropshire man which sold for £11,000 to an Irish buyer.
Leading the way in the silver section were two canteens of flatware by Henry Atkins, Sheffield and Elkington and Co, which sold for £7,800 and £5,200, respectively.
A five-piece silver tea and coffee service sold for £2,500, a large silver salver made by Barker Brothers Silver Ltd, Birmingham in 1963 sold for £1,850 and a Chinese mug made £1,800.
Of local interest, a 1921 silver trophy cup and cover, presented at Shrewsbury Horse Sales May Prize Show and Sale, sold for £1,180.
Other highlights of the jewellery section were £3,600 for a 9ct gold elongated link Albert chain, £3,000 for an 18ct gold bracelet, £2,800 for a 19th century diamond cluster ring and £2,300 for an Art Deco seed pearl, diamond and ruby tassel pendant brooch.
In the watches, an 18ct gold open face pocket watch with a 9ct gold Albert sold for £4,800, an 18ct gold half hunter pocket watch by Thomas Russell of Liverpool made £4,100 and an Omega gentleman's stainless steel Seamaster Memomatic alarm and Constellation bracelet watches sold for £1,400 and £1,250, respectively.
“The auction shows the strength of the buoyant silver, jewellery and watches market which continues to produce very competitive bidding,” said Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley, Halls Fine Art’s silver, jewellery and bijouterie specialist.
Alexander added: “The strong results for collectable watches show that it’s not just about the value of gold - rare and interesting watches are making money in their own right.”
Halls Fine Art is now accepting consignments for its next silver, jewellery and watches auction on June 10, with entries closing on May 8.
