Jane Austen’s Ring Attracts the Attention of Kelly Clarkson, An English Museum and the British Government

A gold and turquoise ring once owned by Jane Austen and purchased by Kelly Clarkson. Photo credit: Sotheby's

In July, 2012, American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson successfully bided for a gold and turquoise ring once owned by the famed novelist Jane Austen at Sotheby’s London auction. She paid dearly for the ring, spending 152,450 pounds ($235,654), approximately five times the high estimate of approximately $45,000. The sale seemed legal and binding but then the British government swooped in, suddenly declaring it a national treasure and refusing to release the ring until the Jane Austen's House museum can raise enough money to match Clarkson’s winning bid, according to the Associated Press.

The museum at Austen's former home in Chawton, southern England, said Monday it has raised 103,200 pounds ($160,000), nearly all of it from one anonymous benefactor. It has until December to raise the remaining funds, according to the AP. Clarkson has agreed to sell the ring if the museum raises the funds. The museum did try to purchase the ring at the Sotheby’s auction but lost to the singer.

The ring’s origins are somewhat mysterious, according to reports. Some Austen fans suspect it was a gift from Tom Lefroy, an Irishman who may have been romantically involved with Austen. Austen corresponded with Lefroy during the time that she wrote her most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice. Some speculate — as dramatized in the 2007 film Becoming Jane – that Lefroy was the inspiration for Austen’s most memorable character, Mr. Darcy. However, at least one literature expert, Gabriel Heaton, believes that it may have been a gift from Austen’s brother Henry, who acted as her literary agent. The ring is found in a box from a jeweler in the City of London, where Henry worked as a banker.

Austen left the ring to her sister Cassandra and it remained in the family until the auction.

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was one of as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, as the author of several romantic novels revolving around Regency-era families of the lower English gentry. 

The British government’s heavy handling of this situation is reminiscent of this scene from the movie Pirate Radio. 

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The Famed and Mysterious ‘Cheapside Hoard’ Jewels to go on Display at Museum of London

Bloodstone carved into the form of a strawberry leaf. Photo Credit: Museum of London

The Cheapside Hoard, considered the world’s largest and finest collection of jewelry from Britain's Elizabethan and early Stuart periods, will go on display at the Museum of London, beginning October 11.

Emerald, diamond and enamel Salamander brooch. Photo Credit: Museum of London

The items were found accidentally by construction workers 101 years ago hidden in a London cellar near St. Paul’s cathedral. Even though many of the pieces have been exhibited at different times and at different venues, it will be the first time that the entire collection of 500 pieces will be placed on display.

Colombian emerald watch. Photo Credit: Museum of London

The pieces include cascading necklaces, Byzantine cameos and jeweled scent bottles. Highlights include a cabochon emerald and yellow gold salamander brooch, a watch mounted in a single large emerald with a translucent green enamel dial, and enamel and gem-set Elizabethan necklace chains decorated with floral motifs.

Gold and enamel chain with floral links. Photo Credit: Museum of London

An oval gem engraved with the heraldic badge of William Howard, the first and only Viscount Stafford, (1612-1680), was the latest datable item in the collection. This and other clues led researchers to conclude that the treasures were buried between 1640 and 1666.

Carnelian intaglio with Stafford heraldic badge. Photo Credit: Museum of London

“The Cheapside Hoard has been swathed in mystery, rich in questions that had been left unanswered for too long,” said Hazel Forsyth, exhibition curator. “The Stafford intaglio has been absolutely vital in shedding new light on the collection, providing crucial dating evidence for the deposition of the Hoard between 1640 and 1666, and making a specific link to an individual who had international connections and a penchant for collecting gems and antiquities.”

Cabochon emerald ring. Photo Credit: Museum of London

The name, cheapside, was the name of the main shopping street in London during the 17th Century—cheap actually meant market. There were jewelers who worked on the street.

Byzantine amethyst cameo depicting St George and St Demetrios, 6th century AD. Photo Credit: Museum of London

There is still plenty of mystery that surrounds the Cheapside Hoard. For example, researchers are fairly certain that the hoard represents a goldsmith-jeweler’s stock-in-trade. However, no one knows who this person was and why he hid the items and never returned for them.

Onyx cameo depicting Aesop's Fable, The Dog and the Shadow. Photo Credit: Museum of London

The exhibition will consider these questions and others and will present the pieces within its historical context that will reflect the craftsmanship, taste and fashion of the period. It will also look at London’s role in the international gem trade in its age of global conquest and exploration.

Gold and enamel pendant set with two sapphires and an irregular polished spinel. Photo Credit: Museum of London

The exhibition will run till April 27, 2014. Sponsors of the event are luxury jewelry house, Fabergé, and its owner, colored gemstone miner and marketer, Gemfields.

Gild brass verge watch – the Hoard’s only signed piece, c1600. Photo Credit: Museum of London

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Gold bow pendant set with rose-cut and step-cut foil-backed rubies and table-cut diamonds. Photo Credit: Museum of London

Jewelry Set to Sparkle at Masterpiece London 2013

Attendees at the 2012 Masterpiece London preview.

From its first year, Masterpiece London made its mark as a world-class fair for fine art, antiques and design. The exhibition on the South Grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London is set to begin its fourth year with more than 160 exhibitors showing fine art, jewelry, design, yachts, cars and antiques from the world’s leading exhibitors. It opens June 26 with a preview event and runs till July 3.

I'm interested in the jewelry that will be on exhibit and available for sale. Below are some of the highlights: 

Exclusive jewelry and gem dealer, Siegelson, will be exhibiting a Cleef & Arpels Art Deco platinum, carved ruby, and diamond necklace,

 
London society jeweler and craftsman, Theo Fennell, will present a whimsical Marie Antoinette brooch. 

A gold and silver parure with imperial topazes and diamonds, circa 1820, from Veronique Bamps 

Fred Leighton, will have a gold and diamond retro tassel necklace by Mauboussin, circa 1940.
 

Symbolic & Chase will present a pair of sapphire “Branche” brooches by Suzanne Belperron. 

The iconic David Webb Zebra Bracelet comprised of diamonds, rubies, black and white enamel set in 18kt yellow gold and platinum.  

The jeweler to London royalty, Wartski, will present an antique platinum and diamond necklace in the form of an openwork trellis set with and suspending brilliant cut diamonds, connected with curb link chains, in original silk and velvet lined fitted case. Forty seven diamonds weighing in total approximately 38 carats.

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From A Diamond-Covered Gun to Royal Adornment at Las Vegas Antique Jewelry Show

Diamond covered six-shooter with matching bullets from Ely & Co.

Between the group of tradeshows under the JCK banner at the Mandalay Bay Resort on the South end of the Las Vegas Strip and the Couture Show at Wynn Las Vegas toward the North end, there were seven jewelry- and watch-related tradeshows going on in what is now known as “Las Vegas Jewelry Week.”

Inside the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show

One of those shows was the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show, held May 30 – June 2 at the Paris Las Vegas Convention Center. It’s a low-key event compared to many of the other tradeshows. Decorations are few, exhibitor booths are as simple as can be. But the true excitement and value of this event is in the cases and displays. Everything from a diamond-covered six-shooter with matching bullets to objects belonging to the Sultan of Brunei were on display. Tiaras fit for a queen shared spaces with rare objects of adornment from Bulgari, Boucheron, Tiffany and Graff.

18k yellow gold Victorian Bow Pin with 30 cts. of natural blue sapphires and 5 cts. of rose cut diamonds from Vivid Diamonds & Jewelry.

Rare colored diamonds and gemstones set in platinum and works by some of the world’s best-known independent jewelry designers were in abundance. These are pieces that are not only rare and beautiful but have provenance and stories that add even more value and intrigue to what was already seen as extremely valuable.

Fully Hinged 18k Yellow Gold Bangle by late 19th Century jewelry designer, Carlo Giuliano. The piece is set with square sapphires, rubies and trimmed in diamonds. There’s also a pair of shell like images set with mine cut diamonds and a square ruby curl. White enamel with powder blue enamel Etruscan forms also adorn the bracelet along with a touch of black enamel to remind the wearer of Queen Victoria's loss of her husband, Albert. Giuliano was a personal friend and private jeweler to the Queen. The piece is available through Joden World Resources.

The selected group of images shows just some of the highlights of this event.

Graff Diamond Necklace from Eric Originals & Antiques.

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A 6.23-ct. Fancy Colored Diamond and Platinum Necklace with a 2.04-ct. fancy yellow pear-shaped diamond and a 0.52-ct. fancy intense orangy pink diamond and 3.67 carats of white round brilliant and marquise-shaped diamonds from Vivid Diamonds & Jewelry. This item was sold at the show.

Heart formed hair locket by Carlo Giuliano. The face of the cherub is created with powder blue and pink enamel surrounded by a pattern of complex blue and white enamel in the revival style of the Art of Hans Holbein. Threads of gold run through the hair of the cherub. The piece is available through Joden World Resources.

A 9.89-ct. Diamond and Platinum Bracelet with 5.98 carats of mixed shaped fancy yellow diamonds and 12 pear shaped diamonds (1.92-cts.) surrounded by 1.3 cts. of round brilliant cut diamonds. A 1-ct. fancy brownish orangy pink-shaped diamond is on the center stone of this piece from Vivid Diamonds & Jewelry.

A display case showing various pieces belonging to the former Sultan of Brunei from Ely & Co.

A 7.41-ct. Set of Fancy Colored Diamond Earrings with two pear-shaped fancy deep yellowish orange diamonds weighing 2.75 cts. accented by D S12 Marquise-shaped diamonds weighing 3.12 cts. and 0.50 cts. of round brilliant cut diamonds from Vivid Diamonds & Jewelry.

A Titanic Jewelry Exhibition

Ring with sapphires and diamonds. Photo credit: RMS Titanic Inc.

Jewelry not only defines an individual’s personal style but it also provides an understanding of how people lived and what they valued at a given time in history. With this in mind an exhibition of jewels from the ill-fated RMS Titanic that opens Friday will attempt to help the public gain this understanding. It will be the first stop on a three-city tour that will end in May, 2013.

Filigree ring with diamonds. Photo credit: RMS Titanic Inc.

As everyone knows the British luxury passenger ship on its maiden voyage struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912. A total of 1,502 passengers and crew, some of whom were among the wealthiest people of the time, were killed in the maritime accident. The sinking of the Titanic is considered one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in modern history and it has captured the imagination of the public to this day.

The “Jewels of the Titanic” is a collection of 15 pieces of fine jewelry that gives a glimpse of how the wealthiest passengers traveled. Items on display include a hand-made platinum, 18k gold and diamond filigree ring; a gold ribbon brooch with diamonds; and a man’s green enamel and gold cufflinks and studs.

Ring with three diamonds. Photo credit: RMS Titanic Inc.

Alexandra Klingelhofer, VP of collections for RMS Titanic Inc., said most of the items that will be on display were found in a Gladstone bag uncovered during a research and recovery operation in 1987. The remaining items were found at various times during other recovery operations. RMS Titanic is a subsidiary of Premier Exhibitions, Inc., which owns the rights to salvage the shipwreck site.

The jewelry owners are unknown but other items inside the bag reveal that the valuables were entrusted to a purser, who was responsible for handling the money and other valuables inboard the ship, she said. It’s believed the purser was taking care of the bag himself instead of leaving it in the safe during the shipwreck. However, he, like all the other pursers, did not survive.

Ribbon brooch with diamonds. Photo credit: RMS Titanic Inc.

“The majority of the best-of-the-best, high-end pieces came from the Gladstone bag,” Klingelhofer said. “They’re beautiful, explicit, Edwardian pieces.”

Klingelhofer said that some of the items had been on display at various times over the years but this is the first time they will be featured together. The timing is part of the way the organization has been commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the shipwreck.

Green enameled gold cufflinks and studs. Photo credit: RMS Titanic Inc.

“We thought it would be a fitting end to the 100 year anniversary of the Titanic and that the jewelry would be highlighted in a different way as a mini-exhibit,” she said.

The jewelry will be on display at the three permanent Titanic exhibition spaces that are owned and operated by RMS Titanic and Premier Exhibitions, Inc. The dates and locations are as follows:

Atlanta
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
Premier Exhibition Center
Atlantic Station
Nov. 16 – Jan. 6, 2013

Orlando
Titanic The Experience
International Drive
Jan. 11, 2013 – March 12, 2013

Las Vegas
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
Luxor Hotel and Casino
Mar. 22, 2013 – May 31, 2013

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The Royal Jeweler Speaks

Above the entrance at Wartski is the Coats of Arms of Queen Elizabeth II, which serves as the symbol for the royal warrant of appointment, in this case serving as the royal jeweler. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

LONDON — Geoffrey Munn is one of Britain’s foremost authorities on antique jewelry with a particular emphasis on 19th-century precious metalwork and the House of Fabergé. He is best known in the U.K. as one of the experts on the BBC Antiques Roadshow. He has authored four books and curated several exhibitions.

Geoffrey Munn, managing director of Wartski, discusses the provenance Faberge items in the display case. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

Munn, 59, is an extremely engaging person and a master storyteller with a rapid-fire speaking style who can discuss with passion, empathy and a sprinkling of humor, the human stories (often tragic) behind finely crafted antique pieces. However, there is one subject he won’t discuss: His relationship with the royal family. You see, Munn is managing director of Wartski, an antique dealership with a “royal warrant of appointment.” In other words, he and the store serve as one of about 850 companies and individuals and one of a handful of jewelers that supply goods and services to the royal family.

“Mums the word,” he said from behind the counter at Wartski, where he has worked since he was 19.

A Fabergé collection of about 10 items made of Siberian jade, known for its dark green color with black markings. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

 

When it was time for Kate Middleton to have her wedding ring fashioned from the royal supply of Welsh gold, it was Wartski that did the job. The store also supplied the engagement and wedding rings to Queen Elizabeth’s grandson, Viscount Linley, when he married Serena Stanhope in 1993. It made the wedding rings (also of Welsh gold) for The Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker-Bowles for their 2005 wedding.

The store, located just off of the Bond Street luxury shopping boulevard, specializes in Fabergé and other objects of royalty. The façade is neat and somewhat modern for a place that deals with antiques. Dark slate surrounds large display windows with items neatly in place. Above the doorway is the Wartski name and the Coats of Arms of Queen Elizabeth II, which serves as the symbol for the royal warrant of appointment.

Among the items in the display case at Wartski is an antique jeweled humming bird brooch in mid flight with its wings, pave set with cushion shaped rubies and old brilliant cut diamonds. The beak and feet are made of yellow gold, its single eye mounted with a cabochon emerald. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

 

Despite containing the rare and expensive valuables of royalty—along with the triumphs, loves and tragedies of their former owners—the store is a picture of understatement. Jewelry and other antiques are neatly stored in a long glass display case that serves as a counter on one side of the room or along light-colored wooden wall displays.

Objects of Art neatly arranged in wall displays. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

 

In the store on this particular day, June 15, was a collection of about 10 Fabergé items made of Siberian jade, known for its deep green hue and black markings, in one wall display. In the glass case standing out among the pieces was an antique jeweled humming bird brooch in mid flight with out-swept wings, pavé set with cushion shaped rubies and old brilliant cut diamonds. The beak and feet are made of yellow gold, its single eye mounted with a cabochon emerald. Also standing out in the glass among several sparkling diamond pieces was a diamond set “Comet” brooch made of platinum, round brilliant cut diamonds and step cut diamonds.

Faberge Siberian aquamarine and diamond brooch was a gift from Tsar Nicholas II to princess Alix of Hesse. They were executed July 17,1918, and she was wearing the jewel right up until the time of her death. Photo credit: Anthony DeMarco

 

He showed our group several pieces of rare objects with special stories, including a brooch with a large translucent aquamarine stone surrounded by diamonds. Here’s how he tells the story behind the brooch.

In here we have a Fabergé brooch, a Siberian aquamarine surrounded by diamonds. That’s all we knew for a while. It’s an exemplary aquamarine and it’s of extraordinary color. (women in the group gasp with amazement). I know, I know it’s fabulous. (But) it’s only the beginning of the trouble. Because this really is going to wreck you and you’ll need a stiff drink afterwards. It’s an exemplary aquamarine and it’s a Siberian one and they don’t really come in that color unless they do come from Siberia.… The story of this is really quite awe inspiring because the color blue in the lore of lapidary stones stands for love and then there’s sort of the interlock of two lives with diamonds forever. And that’s all we knew for a very long time until my colleague sent off the number to Russia and back came the provenance and it said that it was bought by the Supreme Autocrat of all the Russias—a pretty hot title—and there’s a note beside it saying it was the engagement present from (Russian Tsar) Nicholas II to princess Alix of Hesse. And that is sort of stratospheric. But then what happens later is even more heartbreaking because when they were taken to prison in Siberia (during the Bolshevik Revolution), they went to a place called The House of Special Purpose—a very menacing title—and you know what happens next but this (the jewel) was with her just before she was taken to the basement and riddled with gunfire. It was confiscated and it isn’t actually open to debate because it was a civil service theft and so they made an inventory of what they’ve taken from her and they photographed it on the table so you don’t hear any fanciful stories. I think possibly that’s as far as jewelry will ever take you.

Munn, who has spent most of his life at Wartski, is in the process of writing a history of the store with insider stories of the many of celebrities and royalties who have passed through its doors. With his knack for storytelling, it should be an interesting read.