A special Valentine's Day collection of heart-shaped jewellery which belonged to a woman who devoted a lifetime to searching out hundreds of hearts dating from the late 18th century to early 20th century.
It's almost that time of year again when love is in the air and romantic jewellery is on the mind.
Mr Diarmuid Brereton, managing director of Lorcan Brereton in South Anne Street, Dublin, says "Irish taste is very nice in jewellery". Irish people have a "good clear taste" and go for "the jewels mainly, not the setting. If it's a nice item they'll buy it. But a nice piece of romantic Victorian jewellery with a heart motif is more popular in London than Dublin, although hearts are making a comeback".
Diamond crosses are popular with buyers in London and increasingly in Dublin, according to Mr Brereton: "Diamond crosses went very well in Dublin over Christmas".
That distinctively Irish kind of love jewellery, the claddagh ring, is more popular abroad than in Ireland, he says. But he advises that red gold claddagh rings (red because of their copper content) dating from the early part of this century are highly prized. Claddagh rings normally cost between £35 and £100 but the red gold variety should fetch in the region of between £80 and £150, he says.
The eternity ring - a circle of diamonds, usually set in platinum or white gold - was especially popular in Ireland in the 1920s and 1930s. Mr Brereton says: "The Irish are romantic. Those rings have made an enormous comeback".
With the half-eternity ring, the top part is a half-hoop of diamonds, the bottom part an ordinary ring. This makes it easy to alter its size. But Brereton's sell more full than half eternity rings. The full kind tend to sell for "£600 to £6,000", while an 18 carat half-eternity sells for about £350, he says.
Phillips auction house in London is organising a sale of romantic jewellery on February 9th in anticipation of St Valentine's Day. Ms Susan Rumfitt, jewellery specialist at Phillips, says she expects "a lot of women coming in because they're pretty pieces but at the end of the day I think it might be the men doing the buying".
The sale mainly comprises one person's lifelong collection of romantic jewellery. "We've got items going from about £250 for an individual enamel-set heart pendant," while a group of eight gold and turquoise bracelets is expected to fetch £3,500, she says.
A curb-link gold bracelet (the normal bracelet link) suspending seven hearts, all set with halfpearls, each with a precious gem, together with a bracelet set with diamonds in a cross formation, is estimated at £2,000 to £2,500.
A Victorian Regard broach set with two rubies, an emerald, an amethyst, a garnet and a diamond spelling out the word "Regard" is part of a lot with two other pieces (estimate: £700 to £900).
A 19th century blue enamel and diamond-set heart padlock clasp for a bracelet, together with a blue enamel heart-shaped ring with diamonds, is estimated at £500 to £700.
A small reverse crystal intaglio heart pendant (a piece of crystal with a domed effect), with a bee engraved and painted against a mother-of-pearl back, is most attractive. "It's as if the bee is actually in the crystal. So it's quite a fantastic effect," she says. That's being sold with a ruby and diamond crystal pendant, again in the shape of a heart, with a little fly on top of the crystal (estimate: £250 to £350).
An advanced fine art evening course in Irish art, silver and furniture, run by the Irish Auctioneers & Valuers Institute (IAVI), starts on February 10th. For further information, contact Ms Vivienne McSherry, IAVI, 38 Merrion Square East, Dublin 2. Telephone: 01 6611 794.
