Auction round-up: January's prized lots
Ring in the new year by investing in a classic car, a valuable work of art or a piece of exquisite diamond jewellery
Birmingham-based Fellows ended 2017 on a high, breaking a house record by selling a Fancy Intense Yellow diamond ring from Graff Diamonds for £1,307,600 (including buyer's premium) at its Antique & Modern Jewellery sale on 7 December. This is the first seven-figure bid to be taken by a regional saleroom since 2012, and has shone a spotlight on smaller auction houses, proving that high-value, significant lots can be found outside the big-name London salerooms.
Fellows' next Antique & Modern Jewellery sale, on 18 January, may not be hitting the same heights, but it nonetheless features some interesting pieces, such as a stylish Hermes Kelly "Double Tour" diamond bracelet (£12,000-£18,000) and a Kutchinsky 1960s gold diamond and gem-set bracelet featuring a circular turquoise cabochon (£3,000-£4,000). Later in the month, on 30 January, the auction house is holding a Watch Sale that will feature a World War 2 Panerai "Dive" watch, said to have been "acquired" from a German frogman at the Battle of Nijmegen in September 1944. This extremely rare watch comes with an estimate of £30,000-£40,000.
Those in the market for some fine vintage jewellery or timepieces should also head to Woolley & Wallis in Salisbury on 25 January. Key pieces in its Jewellery & Watches auction include a French Art Deco sapphire and diamond ring featuring a sugarloaf-shaped sapphire (£25,000-£30,000), and a pair of clip earrings featuring circular-cut and baguette-shaped diamonds from Van Cleef & Arpels (£15,000-£20,000) – one of a collection of lots from the French haute joaillerie house that also includes a vintage engraved gold lipstick holder (£1,000-£2,000).
Cheffins in Cambridge has some particularly notable lots at its Connoisseur's Sale on 18 January. This is a regular sale for the auction house, and always features a wide range of collectors’ items, from coins and medals to classic cars. This month's sale sees two classic examples of the latter – a 1967 Austin Healey BJ8 3000 MKIII finished in Healey Blue (£30,000-£50,000) and a 1971 Jaguar E-Type Series III Roadster in British Racing Green (£50,000-£70,000).
Finally, in Edinburgh, fine art auctioneer Lyon & Turnbull is holding a Modern British & Contemporary Art auction on 17 January. Highlights include "Paper Pools", a limited-edition lithograph by David Hockney (£7,000-£10,000). Signed and dated '80 and numbered 524/1000, the artwork is sold with the accompanying book, also signed by the artist. Also in the auction is an untitled watercolour comprising bold curves from circa 1975/6 by Sir Terry Frost (£3,000-£5,000) and "Insignia for the Little White Horse", a 2007 signed oil painting by Scottish artist Alan Davie (£7,000-£10,000).
