Say ‘I love you’ with jewels and watches

With Valentine’s Day approaching, two upcoming jewellery sales may be of interest.

First up is Damien Matthews live online sale on Sunday, February 11th. With more than 539 lots, the auction consists of jewellery, gold and silver from executor sales, private vendors and unredeemed pawnbroker pledges.

Highlights include a Rolex Submariner (1984), in working order with warranty card and extra links (lot 417, €8,000-€12,000); a Cartier Santos 18ct gold unisex wristwatch in good original condition (lot 418, €8,000-€12,000); and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust bimetal watch (lot 419, €3,500-€5,500).

Taking place on February 21st – so a little after Valentine’s – but still well worth visiting is O’Reilly’s of Francis Street’s live online auction.

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Highlights include a whopper of a Colombian emerald ring. With a central rectangular emerald weighing 6.5 carats, it is flanked on either side by triangular diamond shoulders weighing about a carat each, and set in 18ct yellow gold (lot 305, €28,000-€32,000).

Two watches stand out: Lot 333 is a gents 18ct gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day and Date with a champagne face and original certificate and box (€16,000-€18,000); while lot 334 is a gents gold Universal Genève 50 Pesos gold wristwatch with a crocodile strap. Dating from the 1990s, it is boxed with booklet (€1,800-€2,200).

Swiss luxury watch maker Breitling has recently purchased Universal Genève, already a collectable brand, so it will be interesting to see how this affects prices on the secondary market.

Elsewhere, Mullen’s of Laurel Park Classic and Contemporary Sale ends tomorrow Sunday February 11th. Included in the 850 lots is a good collection of 19th and 20th century furniture, along with clocks, china, bronze, silver and garden statuary. About 100 of these lots in the timed online sale come from The Gresham Hotel, and will be sold in conjunction with Bryan Greene of Adam’s in Blackrock.

Of interest is lot 523, a cast bronze figure modelled as a siren from 1997 by Linda Brunker. Estimated at €1,000 to €1,500, Brunker’s work is composed of flowing shapes, “to echo the rhythms of fire water and wind”, according to the artist, and are sited at 40 public locations worldwide.

Two incredible oil on board paintings by British artist David Denby also feature: Head and Shoulder Portrait of a Young Boy and Head and Shoulder Portrait of a Young Girl. Both of these are listed at €600-€800, and are excellent examples of Denby’s photorealism. The artist, born in Guildford, England in 1946, studied under Peter Blake, William Scott, Patrick Caulfield and one of the UK’s leading figurative artists, Fred Dubery.

There’s a good furniture selection, including a pair of 19th century mahogany pedestals, that could work as bedside lockers (lot 65, €100-€200), and a 19th century mahogany three tier dumb waiter (lot 81, €100-€200).

Should you be on the hunt for a well-priced mirror, there’s lots to choose from, including a Victorian gilt over mantle (lot 118, €200-€300); a simple Edwardian mahogany framed offering (lot 274, €200-€300); and an ornate 19th century gilt wood and gesso compartmented over mantle (lot 377, €200-€300).

See mullensoflaurelpark.com, matthewsauctionrooms.com and oreillysfineart.com for more information

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