PHOTO CALL: BONHAMS JEWELLERY SALE. 2ND DEC, THE DOME, EDINBURGH. FEATURES JEWELLERY COLLECTION LOST FOR 70 YEARS
A LOCKED CASE, A MISSING KEY AND HIDDEN TREASURE
A PHOTO call for Bonhams Jewellery sale will take place at The Dome, 14 George Street, Edinburgh on Monday 2 December at 08.00 (note time).
The star of the show is a £55,000 collection of jewellery which has lain forgotten in an attaché case for 70 years.
A model draped in the jewellery will pose against the Dome’s fabled seasonal decorations.
Coffee and croissants will be served. The event will end at 09.00 sharp to allow the venue to prepare for opening.
Says a spokesperson: “The attaché case was thought to contain old family documents but the key had been lost and it remained unopened for 70 years.
“When the owner decided to throw it out she forced the lock to check on the contents and was astonished to discover 22 pieces of family jewellery which had belonged to her grandmother and two maiden aunts.
“The collection spans a wide range of styles and gemstones, pearls and diamonds and gives a snapshot of 19th century jewellery and design.”
The head of the Jewellery Department at Bonhams Edinburgh, Clare Blatherwick said: “This has all the ingredients of a fairy story – a locked case, a missing key and hidden treasure. It must have been a wonderful moment when the case was opened and the jewellery saw the light of day for the first time in 70 years.”
The spokesperson added: “The vendor’s grandmother was Austrian, which explains the presence of some Continental pieces in the collection, and her grandfather was British. They met in Switzerland and, as he was serving in the Highland Light Infantry, they travelled extensively.”
The pieces include a pair of diamond single-stone earrings, weighing approximately seven carats, estimated at £15,000 – £20,000; a 19th-century Indian enamelled necklace with a Footprint of Vishnu (Vishnupada) pendant, estimated at £2,000 – £3,000; a French cameo brooch, estimated at £700 – £900, as well as a variety of natural pearls, diamond necklaces and gemset brooches.
The jewellery sale takes place at Bonhams 22 Queen Street on Wednesday 4 December.
Ends
Notes for Editors
For further press information please contact Andrew Currie on 0207 468 5871 or andrew.currie@bonhams.com or press@bonhams.com
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale.
In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America.
Today, Bonhams offers sales through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland.
Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas.
For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to www.bonhams.com.
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