{"id":159175,"date":"2025-11-29T13:37:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-29T13:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/159175\/"},"modified":"2025-11-29T13:37:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-29T13:37:10","slug":"elegant-cocktail-watches-a-kashmir-sapphire-ring-and-a-tiara-that-turns-into-a-necklace-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/159175\/","title":{"rendered":"Elegant cocktail watches, a Kashmir sapphire ring and a tiara that turns into a necklace \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

As purchases of jewellery and watches peak at this time of the year, auctioneers have been busy selecting antique pieces for their pre-Christmas auctions. But, before we go there, it\u2019s interesting to note how Courtville Antiques<\/a> is drawing in potential customers by offering classes in the history of jewellery design. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are classes on how to make jewellery, or how to grade gemstones, but we are keen to run courses looking at how jewellery styles evolved through historic fashion icons and how jewellery featured in portrait paintings,\u201d explains Matthew Weldon, owner of Courtville Gallery in Dublin\u2019s Powerscourt Townhouse Centre. <\/p>\n

This columnist was one of the 42 attendees last week at the pilot courses, which Weldon hopes to develop through Courtville Academy in 2026. Each two-hour class offered a whistle-stop tour through the jewellery styles from Victorian to Art Deco and Art Nouveau to Edwardian eras.<\/p>\n

For instance, did you know that Victorian jewellery often had a secret language coded into the design of the piece? A brooch with consecutive ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby and diamond stones spells regard, indicating the esteem the giver held for the recipient. <\/p>\n

During the suffragette movement, a brooch with stones in green and violet had the hidden meaning \u201cgive votes to women\u201d.<\/p>\n

And did you know that the introduction of platinum in Edwardian times enabled jewellery designers to create more delicate, yet still strong necklaces, brooches and rings?<\/p>\n

In the classes, Paris-based jewellery historian V\u00e9ronique Goguen, and Courtville\u2019s jewellery historian, Efthymia Sigkoudi, explained the historical context of jewellery designs, while participants tested their new knowledge to identify brooches, necklaces, rings and bracelets from the different periods. <\/p>\n

But back to the auctions: Adam\u2019s<\/a> Fine Jewellery and Ladies\u2019 Watches auction on Tuesday December 2nd has an intriguing collection of watches from the late 1800s through to the 1970s. <\/p>\n

This single-owner collection offers us another short history lesson in the origins of wristwatches, worn more by women initially than men. From the late 1800s onwards, robust wrist watches became more practical than pocket watches for men at war planning synchronised battle attacks. And it was a Brazilian pilot, Alberto Santos-Dumont, who first commissioned his friend, French watchmaker Louis Cartier, to design a wristwatch for him for use during flying.<\/p>\n

\"AA 1940s Vacheron & Constantin retro secret bracelet watch (\u20ac8,000-\u20ac12,000) at Adam’s <\/p>\n

In contrast, ladies\u2019 watches were first designed as bracelets \u2013 often with the watch itself concealed in the design. The 1940s Vacheron & Constantin retro secret bracelet watch (\u20ac8,000-\u20ac12,000) is one example of this style, as is the Kutchinsky Jaeger-LeCoultre cocktail bracelet with its tiny watch hidden inside a shell-like shield (\u20ac6,000-\u20ac8,000). The Cartier Art Deco-style pearl, diamond and onyx cocktail watch (\u20ac12,000-\u20ac18,000) is a more subtly stylish watch, also for sale as part of this single-owner collection. <\/p>\n

\"KashmirKashmir sapphire in a sapphire and diamond ring (\u20ac100,000-\u20ac150,000) <\/p>\n

Adam\u2019s director of jewellery, Claire Mestrallet, is also very excited by the inclusion of another Kashmir sapphire in a sapphire and diamond ring (\u20ac100,000-\u20ac150,000). It is for sale on behalf of a member of the Guerlain family, owners of the famous French perfume house. <\/p>\n

This will be the fourth Kashmir sapphire for sale at Adam\u2019s in 2025; the first sold for a record \u20ac660,000 in May, and another two Kashmir sapphire brooches sold in September for \u20ac1.36 million. Kashmir sapphires are particularly valuable, because they were excavated from a small mine in the Indian province for only about five years in the 1880s. <\/p>\n

Mestrallet says that each Kashmir sapphire has been a \u201cdiscovery\u201d. When she suspected she had another Kashmir sapphire set in to a ring by French jeweller Boucheron, her fellow directors and even the laboratory technicians doubted her instincts. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the lady brought me in her jewellery for sale, I thought it was a Kashmir sapphire, but I didn\u2019t say anything. I told the directors we should have it tested and they laughed at me,\u201d explains Mestrallet. <\/p>\n

However, her instincts were correct and she now expects potential international buyers to arrive in Dublin to view the ring. <\/p>\n

\u201cI had people flying in from India, Hong Kong and Australia for the earlier auctions with Kashmir sapphires,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\"LateLate 19th century diamond tiara which converts to a necklace (\u20ac5,000-\u20ac7,000) <\/p>\n

A late 19th-century diamond tiara, which converts to a necklace (\u20ac5,000-\u20ac7,000), is another exquisitely made piece. Adam\u2019s is also holding an auction of men\u2019s watches on December 3rd, with highlights including an extremely rare Longines Sommatore chronograph wristwatch (\u20ac40,000-\u20ac80,000) and a Rolex Submariner Date (\u20ac10,000-\u20ac15,000). <\/p>\n

\"CartierCartier Panthere de Cartier watch (\u20ac1,200-\u20ac1,400) at Adams Blackrock \"AnAn 18-carat gold nurse\u2019s brooch\/watch (\u20ac350-\u20ac450) at Adams Blackrock <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Adams of Blackrock<\/a> is hosting an online jewellery and watches auction, which ends on December 3rd. With a wide variety of rings, pendants, earrings and bracelets, with estimates starting from around \u20ac150-\u20ac450, this auction has many pieces that would make for more affordable Christmas presents.<\/p>\n

There is also a good range of antique watches, including a Cartier Panth\u00e8re de Cartier (\u20ac1,200-\u20ac1,400), and an 18-carat gold nurse\u2019s brooch\/watch (\u20ac350-\u20ac450). More unusually, the auction also has a kimono-style dress worn by the late Irish singer S\u00ednead O\u2019Connor<\/a>, designed by Joanne Hayes (\u20ac600-\u20ac800). Designer handbags also feature, including a black Chanel quilted flap bag (\u20ac1,800 \u2013 \u20ac2,000) and a Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 bag in damier azur canvas (\u20ac500-\u20ac600).<\/p>\n

\"KimonoKimono style dress worn by the late S\u00ednead O\u2019Connor, designed by Joanne Hayes (\u20ac600-\u20ac800) What did it sell for?On the Bog, Camille Souter\"OnOn the Bog by Camille Souter <\/p>\n

Estimate: \u20ac6,000-\u20ac9,000<\/p>\n

Hammer price: \u20ac6,000<\/p>\n

Auction house: deVeres<\/p>\n

Paysages aux Arbres, Roderic O\u2019Conor\"PaysagesPaysages aux Arbres (Landscape with Trees) by Roderic O\u2019Conor <\/p>\n

Estimate: \u20ac200,000-\u20ac300,000<\/p>\n

Hammer price: \u20ac340,000<\/p>\n

Auction house: deVeres<\/p>\n

Dundrum, Co Down, Colin Middleton\"Dundrum,Dundrum, County Down by Belfast-based artist Colin Middleton <\/p>\n

Estimate: \u20ac14,000-\u20ac18,000<\/p>\n

Hammer price: \u20ac26,000<\/p>\n

Auction house: deVeres<\/p>\n

Totem Mars, Sonja Landweer\"TotemTotem Mars by Sonja Landweer (1933-2019) <\/p>\n

Estimate: \u20ac3,000-\u20ac5,000<\/p>\n

Hammer price: \u20ac4,000<\/p>\n

Auction house: deVeres<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As purchases of jewellery and watches peak at this time of the year, auctioneers have been busy selecting…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":159176,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[95934,95937,95935,95933,146,85,46,95936],"class_list":{"0":"post-159175","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-adam-s-fine-art-auctioneers-valuers","9":"tag-camille-souter","10":"tag-cartier","11":"tag-deveres","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-il","14":"tag-israel","15":"tag-sinead-oconnor"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159175"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159175\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}