Auction alert: Jewellery & Watches

An exciting Jewellery & Watches auction takes place at Roseberys in London on Tuesday 13^th September 2022, from 11am.

Regular readers will know that I’m a massive jewellery fan – especially antique & vintage jewellery. I love the Art Deco period, Georgian & Victorian mourning jewellery and brutalist Scandinavian pieces. My favourite colour is purple, so amethyst is a favourite stone. The item of jewellery that I most covet is an antique baguette or step-cut, channel set, full eternity diamond ring in white gold or platinum. Many of these can be found in this upcoming sale… now, if only I had a spare few quid sloshing about!

There are some famous jewellery and watch-makers represented at this sale; including Asprey, Cartier, Chaumet, Hermès and Mappin and Webb.

One of the of advantages of researching auction lots is you often learn the meanings of words and terms. Today, I found out that parure is a matching set of jewels and a surete (or more correctly, sûreté) pin is a safety pin. Calibré cut gems, popular in Art Deco jewellery, are often square or rectangular shaped and channel set very close together. A navette cut is a gem in the shape of a boat – unless it’s a diamond, then it’s referred to as marquise cut – shaped to resemble the lips of the Marquise (or Madame) de Pompadour – a lover of King Luis XV. Oh, the blackholes you can fall into while blogging!

If you’re planning on bidding, don’t forget added charges; their buyer’s premium is 25% + VAT (30% inclusive of VAT) which will be added on to the final hammer price of each item. You’ll need to register with Roseberys to bid live online. Alternatively, bidding is available on the Invaluable, Live Auctioneers and Saleroom sites.

Roseberys is unable to pack and ship items in-house, but they recommend a number of delivery companies.

Lot 1: A Georgian, rose-cut diamond comet brooch
Designed as an openwork circle of rose-cut diamonds with engraved scroll surmount and rose-cut diamond terminal. c. 1830, length 2.6cm This brooch is one of many different types produced in the early 19th century to commemorate Halley’s comet. Halley’s Comet is arguably the most famous comet in history. it was first recorded in 1705 by the astronomer Edmund Halley. As a “periodic” comet, it returns to Earth’s vicinity about every 75 years, making it possible for a person to see it twice in their lifetime. It was last here in 1986, and it is projected to return in 2061
Estimate: £200 – £300

Lot 68: A group of six gem-set and diamond eternity rings
Set with brilliant- and single-cut diamonds and calibre-cut sapphires, rubies and emeralds respectively. (6)
Estimate: £1,000 – £1,500

Lot 112: A pair of emerald and diamond ear clips
Each of scroll design centring on a cut-cornered square emerald, within a scroll surround of brilliant- and single-cut diamonds, clip and post fittings. c.1960 Accompanied by a gemmological report from Amsterdam & Sauer.
Estimate: £2,000 – £3,000

Lot 114: A pair of Art Deco, aquamarine and diamond dress clips
Each of palmette design set with oval-shaped and step-cut aquamarines, framed by single-cut diamonds. c.1930, length 2.5cm
Estimate: £800 – £1,200

Lot 125: A sapphire and diamond Maltese cross brooch
Designed as a central claw-set circular-cut sapphire with brilliant-cut diamond-set openwork arms, stamped 750, width 5.5cm
Estimate: £2,000 – £3,000

Lot 160: A suite of cultured pearl and diamond jewellery
Comprising: a ring; pendant ; and pair of ear clips, each set with a single grey cultured pearl accented with marquise and square diamonds, ring size J, clip and post fittings.
Estimate: £1,500 – £2,000

Lot 164: Asprey & Co, an amethyst and diamond flower surete pin
By Asprey, composed of four navette-cut amethyst cluster flowerheads each with a brilliant-cut diamond centre, to a navette-cut diamond and diamond cluster keeper, signed Asprey, length, 7.5cm, stamped 18K
Estimate: £300 – £500

Lot 180: A gold, diamond and hematite parure
By Deakin & Francis, comprising a collar, bangle and pair of ear clips, the collar and bangle of gas pipe design, each accented with hematite cabochons and brilliant-cut diamond detail, the ear clips of matching design, British hallmarks for 9-carat gold, steel spring to collar and bangle.
Estimate: £600 – £800

Lot 206: Chaumet, a diamond eternity ring
By Chaumet, set with princess- and brilliant-cut diamonds, signed Chaumet, numbered, ring size L.
Estimate: £800 – £1,200

Lot 247: An amethyst and gem necklace
Composed of large cabochon gems including: amethyst, lemon citrine, citrine and smokey quartz, to chain-link connections, length 43cm
Estimate: £2,500 – £3,000

Lot 268: Cartier, an 18ct gold, diamond band ring
By Cartier, pave-set with brilliant-cut diamonds, signed Cartier and numbered, 626961, European convention hallmarks, French assay and maker’s marks, ring size M.
Estimate: £3,000 – £5,000

Home remodelling ideas that will make your house cooler

You love your house but it’s a bit of a nightmare place to live. The leaky roof is a constant annoyance, the mouldy bathroom is embarrassing and those draughty windows let in cold air at night. And the dated kitchen? Well, uh…yeah! You get it. Home renovating doesn’t have to be an expensive process. The home remodelling thoughts we’ve set out below don’t require any major structural changes or even external renovations. You can renovate your home entirely from the inside out with minimal time and cost! Read on for some great ideas for home remodelling that will make your house cooler.

Soundproof your rooms

If you live in an area with lots of noise pollution, you can drown out the sounds of traffic and sirens with wall soundproofing. If you live near a busy road, train station or airport, you probably know all about this problem. Soundproofing your rooms can help you get some peace and quiet, which you’ll definitely appreciate. This can be a really effective way to reduce noise pollution penetrating your home, and thereby improving the quality of your life and perhaps your sleep. You can choose from a range of products, including acoustic paint, soundproof curtains and acoustic wall panels. In addition, soundproofing your rooms is a great way to make your house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter months.

Add awnings

Awnings are an excellent way to cool your house during the summer. They come in many different materials, colours and styles which makes them easy to integrate into any home. Choose from a range of different fabrics including cotton, polyester, acrylic and even bamboo. If you’re worried about your awning being too hot, you can always opt for a material that’s designed to repel the sun’s rays. Awnings are also incredibly easy to install and repair if necessary, which makes them an excellent investment. You can find affordable awnings at most home improvement stores.

Add new doors and windows

If your old doors and windows aren’t energy-efficient, they’re probably making your home significantly more expensive to heat or cool. There may be gaps and cracks that make it hard to reach and maintain the desired room temperature. You can improve the effectiveness of your doors and windows by swapping them for new, energy-efficient models. Replacement doors and windows are an excellent way to reduce your energy costs and make the temperature of your home more comfortable at the same time. Some doors and windows are manufactured with built-in UV protection and soundproofing, too, which makes them an even better investment.

Add a solar panel system

A solar panel system can add value to your home and, at the same time, you save money on your energy bills – which at the moment, every penny can help. They look awesome on your roof and come in many shapes and sizes, helping blend in with your property. If you’re worried about the installation process, don’t be. Installing a solar panel system isn’t as difficult as you may imagine.

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Get their look: Retro Jo’s home

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Retro Jo (@retrojo5)

Retro Jo is an Etsy jewellery shop owner and Instagrammer (she’s a host of #RetroHauls) and this is her whistle-stop tour of the ground floor of her home.

I love her use of colour blocking; something you’ll also find evident in her jewellery making. I’m also in awe of her sewing skills, her bright pink quilted seat covers are amazing – I just want to run the palms of my hand over those chair backs!

I’ve zeroed in on Jo’s stunning kitchen area in this post – we may revisit other rooms sometime in the future. The kitchen was made by by a company called Plykea (see what they did there?). They create custom doors, drawers and counter-tops for good old basic IKEA METOD carcasses to give you a one-of-a-kind space.

I really need to up my Insta-skills – I’ve still not embraced video and don’t make the most of stories and reels. I may steal Jo’s method of vari-speed, stop-motion film editing… if I can figure out how to do it… and only once our house has had a tidy!

Get their look

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Year planner

Cerise pink velvet quilted fabric

Vintage Finn Ostergaard ‘Albert’ lounge chairs

Orla Kiely ‘Oval’ oilcloth – grey

Intu instant boiling water tap

Kitchen units

Year planner

Cerise pink velvet quilted fabric

Vintage Finn Ostergaard ‘Albert’ lounge chairs

Orla Kiely ‘Oval’ oilcloth – grey

Intu instant boiling water tap

Kitchen units

Year planner

Cerise pink velvet quilted fabric

Vintage Finn Ostergaard ‘Albert’ lounge chairs

Orla Kiely ‘Oval’ oilcloth – grey

Intu instant boiling water tap

Kitchen units

6 tips for home renovations from planning to execution

There’s a lot of excitement that comes with renovating your home. Finally, you can make all of the changes you’ve been dreaming about! But before you get too carried away, there are some things you need to keep in mind. In this blog post, we’ll share six tips for home renovations, from planning to execution. We’ll touch on everything from budgeting to choosing the right contractor. So whether you’re just starting to plan your renovation or you’re already in the thick of it, read on for helpful advice!

Start with a plan

The first step to any successful renovation is to have a plan. This means knowing what you want to achieve and how you’re going to go about it. Do some research, set out a schedule, make some sketches and figure out what your budget is. Once you have a clear picture of what you want, the process will be much smoother.

Set a budget

Budgeting is key when it comes to home renovations. You don’t want to start the process and then realise you can’t afford it. So take some time to figure out how much money you have to work with. Then, create a budget for each individual aspect of the renovation. This will help you stay on track and avoid overspending.

Choose the right contractor

One of the most important decisions you’ll make during a home renovation is choosing the right contractor. This person will be responsible for bringing your vision to life, so it’s important to take your time and find someone you trust. Get recommendations from friends and family, and then meet with potential contractors to get a feel for who they are and what they do.

Get permits

Depending on the scope of your renovation, you may need to get permits from your city or county. This is usually the case for major structural changes, like adding a new room or knocking down walls. So before you start any work, be sure to check with your local council to see if you need a permit or permissions.

Self-storage units

If you’re planning a big renovation, you may need to move some of your belongings out of the way. Self-storage units are a great option for this. They provide a clean, safe and convenient place to store your things while the work is being done. Just be sure to choose a unit that’s close to your home so you can easily access it at short notice when needed. You can learn more at StorageArea.com.

Schedule some downtime

Renovating your home can be a stressful process. There’ll be noise, dust and general chaos in your house for weeks or even months. So it’s important to schedule some downtime into your renovation. This means taking some time off from work, hiring a babysitter and just generally making sure you have some time to relax. Otherwise, you’ll likely end up feeling overwhelmed.

Hopefully, these tips have given you a better idea of what to expect when renovating your home. Just remember to take things one step at a time, and you’ll be well on your way to having the home of your dreams!

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