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Irish Times

Love is in the air as diamond rings go up for sale

One of the attractions of buying jewellery at auction is the variety of what's on offer, and the possibility of being drawn to a particular piece that you might not even have considered purchasing in a retail jewellery shop. The downside is that at auction, you can never know in advance what a particular item will fetch – and if you've already fallen in love with it, you may end up paying more than you expected. The O'Reilly Auction Rooms on Francis Street in Dublin is a popular place where couples go shopping for engagement rings. 'In our June 25th auction, we have a total of 139 lots in our rings category. We have dainty everyday rings for around €300, to an impressive 4.8-carat old cut diamond solitaire with an estimate of €27,000-€30,000,' says Isobel Morgan, art historian at O'Reilly's. READ MORE Sapphire and diamond ring, estimate €7,800-€8,500 at O'Reilly's auction The O'Reilly auction will also feature a variety of eternity and half-eternity rings. Eternity rings traditionally have a row of stones placed around the ring as a symbol of never-ending love. They are often given to mark the arrival of the first child of the couple. The odd-sounding half-eternity rings are not as you might think – a symbol of unenduring love – they are in fact rings with stones that only go halfway round the ring, on the face of the band. Half-eternity rings can also be more comfortable to wear because the stones are only on the top half of the ring. Viewing tomorrow, noon-4pm; Monday and Tuesday, 10.30am-4.30pm; and on Wednesday, 10am-11.30am. A collection of 100 silver rings at John Weldon Auctioneers auction with an estimate of €500-€1,000 Jewellery auctioneers often point to the fact that jewellery sold at auction is a lot cheaper than its equivalent on the high street. 'I sometimes use the analogy of a new car and how the price drops the moment it leaves the garage. New jewellery is no different: the 23 per cent VAT and profit/margins are lost the moment it leaves the jewellery shop,' says John Weldon of John Weldon Auctioneers in Cow's Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin. By way of example, he points to an aquamarine and diamond ring for sale in the next live auction on Tuesday, June 24th. This 18-carat gold ring has a guide price of €800-€1,200, but would have been originally sold for €3,995. Similarly, an 18-carat gold diamond cluster ring has the same guide price of €800-€1,200, but would have been sold for about €4,495 originally. Weldon says diamond rings remain much more popular than sapphire or emerald rings. He advises prospective buyers to look for quality, rather than size, when it comes to buying diamonds. Next week's auction at John Weldon includes about 130 lots from a retired jeweller, so buyers will have a larger-than-usual amount of rings to choose from – including one lot of 100 silver rings (€500-€1,000). With their original price tags on view, prospective buyers will be able to compare and contrast the original retail prices to the guide prices for the auction. A ruby, onyx and diamond pendant necklace, €700-€900, at Adam's Jewellery Box online auction An 18-carat gold small mesh bag (€2,000-€3,000) at Adam's A 1960s Christian Dior flower broach (€80-€100) at Adam's Peridot and diamond pendant earrings (€1,200-€1,800 at Adam's Although Claire-Laurence Mestrallet, head of jewellery at Adam's, must still be reeling from the sale of the Kashmir sapphire ring for €550,000 in May (an original estimate of €8,000-€12,000 was increased to €150,000-€200,000 once its rarity was confirmed), she is, nonetheless, ready for the Jewellery Box online auction on Tuesday, June 24th. As always, there are many striking pieces, including a ruby, onyx and diamond pendant necklace (€700-€900); an 18-carat-gold small mesh bag (€2,000-€3,000); and a 1960s Christian Dior flower brooch (€80-€100). Viewing on Saturday/Sunday, 1pm-5pm, and Monday, 10am-5pm, in Adam's showrooms on St Stephen's Green. Meanwhile, art buyers starting or building up their collections might find some value at the Morgan O'Driscoll online art auction, which ends on Monday evening from 6.30pm. Sean McSweeney's Wicklow Early Morning With several pieces from living Irish artists, as well as many prominent Irish artists from the 20th century – such as Sean McSweeney's Wicklow Early Morning (€500-€700), there are plenty of landscapes, some still-life paintings and portraits too. Work by Irish sculptors, such as Sandra Bell's bronze piece, Vice Versa (€1,500-€2,500), is also evident. And a ceramic female common eider sea duck by Oisin Kelly (€250-€350) catches the eye. Finally, on this midsummer's day, gardeners around the country will be enjoying the long hours of daylight. Those near or willing to travel to Co Laois should stop by to view items in Sheppard's annual garden auction in Glantelwe Gardens in Durrow on June 24th. Viewing of the 550-plus pieces of bronze and marble statuary, stone urns, cast- and wrought-iron furniture, architectural salvage and antique follies takes place today, tomorrow and Monday. ; ; ; ; What did it sell for? Bianchi 1928 car (€20,000-€40,000) Bianchi 1928 car Estimate €20,000-€40,000 Hammer price €11,000 Auction house RJ Keighery Ford Model A Touring from 1912 (€20,000-€40,000), RJ Keighery Ford Model A Touring from 1912 Estimate €20,000-€40,000 Hammer price €13,000 Auction house RJ Keighery Composition au damier, Fernand Leger Estimate £200,000-£300,000 Hammer price £276,500 (€327,000) Auction house Christie's Stickers featuring Labubu figures at a Pop Mart shop in Beijing. A four-foot-tall sculpture of the viral plush toy character sold for $170,000. Photograph: ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images Labubu figure Hammer price $170,000 (€147,000) Auction house Yongle