Olympia Auctions has reported its largest Jewellery and Watches sale to date, with results reflecting sustained international interest in antique and period jewellery.
Top lots included early 20th-century, 19th-century, and 18th-century pieces, acquired by trade and private buyers across the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America. This was Olympia’s second jewellery auction of the year, with additional sales scheduled for September and November.
Demand for Period Jewellery Evident in Top Results
The highest result of the sale was achieved by a 1920s natural pearl and diamond necklace by Cartier. Comprising 87 graduated natural pearls, ranging from 8.6mm to 3.8mm, and a natural pearl and circular-cut diamond cluster clasp signed by Cartier London, the necklace sold to a UK dealer for £30,000 (hammer), or £37,500 including buyer’s premium. The necklace had a pre-sale estimate of £8,000–12,000.
Interest in the piece may have been influenced by the current Cartier exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, which features Art Deco designs and historical uses of pearls.
Olympia Auctions jewellery specialist Justin Roberts said:
“This Fine Jewels and Watches auction realised positive results for antique and period jewels. Natural pearls are seeing continued success at auction along with rare and unusual antique jewels by known goldsmiths with rare provenance.”
Bidders participated from the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Monaco, Sweden, Kuala Lumpur, the USA, Australia, Greece, Dubai, Japan, and Belgium. Five of the top 10 lots were bought by UK trade, with UK private buyers and private collectors from France and Italy acquiring the remaining five.
Historical Jewellery with Maker Attribution Gains Traction
A notable result was the sale of a Gothic Revival gold guard chain by Louis Wiese, dating to the 1890s. Featuring quatrefoil links accented by 14 lozenge-shaped links with profile motifs in Medieval headdress, and signed with the maker’s mark for Louis Wiese (1852–1923), the chain sold to a UK dealer for £17,000 (hammer), or £21,250 with premium. It had been estimated at £12,000–18,000.
The Wiese family business originated with Jules Wiese, a former goldsmith for Froment-Meurice who established his own workshop in the 1860s. Louis Wiese succeeded his father in 1880 and continued producing jewellery in historical styles.
A Victorian emerald and diamond ring from the 1890s, set with a square emerald flanked by two old mine-cut diamonds, sold for £5,500 (hammer) against a £2,000–3,000 estimate, also to a UK dealer.
The oldest piece in the auction was a mid-18th-century “Queen Anne” aquamarine paste necklace. Composed of a uniform row of 19 oval mixed-cut aquamarine pastes with ribbon loop attachments and a detachable pear-shaped pendant, it sold for £4,800 (hammer), or £6,000 with premium, to a UK dealer. The estimate was £1,000–1,500.
Modern Pieces Also Record Sales
Jewellery from later periods also featured among the top-performing lots. A 21st-century diamond line necklace sold for £7,700 (hammer), or £9,625 including premium, to a UK private buyer. A 1988 gold necklace, designed with brick link panels interspersed with annular connecting links and stamped “DM” for David Morris, was purchased by a UK dealer for £5,000 (hammer), or £6,250 with premium.
Watches Draw Interest Across Eras
A gold wristwatch by McCabe McCarty, dated circa 1985, sold for £13,500 (hammer), or £16,875 with premium. The result significantly exceeded its estimate of £400–600. The firm, founded in 1973 by Peter McCabe and David McCarty, supplied jewellery and watches to major Bond Street retailers during its peak and continues today as David McCarty Ltd.
Two Rolex watches also featured among the top lots:
- A GMT Master II stainless steel bracelet watch (Ref. 16710, c.1994) sold for £7,500 (hammer), or £9,375 with premium, to a French private buyer.
- A Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date gold bracelet watch (Ref. 1807, c.1974) sold to a UK private buyer for £7,200 (hammer), or £9,000 with premium.
A Patek Philippe Swiss gold pocket watch from Geneva, dated to circa 1922, sold for £4,000 (hammer), or £5,000 with premium. The piece came with its original box, replacement glass, and an original “Certificate of origin & warranty” dated 28 March 1922.
Further Sales and Commentary
Commenting on the increasing regularity of Jewellery sales at Olympia Auctions, CEO Thomas Del Mar said:
“We’re delighted to be able to offer a thoroughly expert service to the middle market in Jewellery and Watches. People are coming to us to buy and to sell securely in the knowledge that they will benefit from our specialists’ deep knowledge of their subject and of the market.”
Olympia Auctions will hold its next Jewellery and Watches sales in September and November 2025.
