In the SALEROOMS

O’REILLY’S

“Talk to me, Harry Winston, tell me all about it.” That’s a spoken interjection in the song Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend, as sung in the movie, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953).

The real Harry Winston was a famous American jeweller, best known for donating the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution.

There’s a Harry Winston diamond eternity ring mounted on platinum (est.

€40,000 to €45,000) in the next sale of Fine Jewellery, Watches

& Silver at O’Reilly’s Auction Rooms on Wednesday July 18, beginning at

1 pm.

Other high value lots include a diamond three stone ring (est. €65,000 to

€70,000) and an early twentieth century sapphire and diamond cocktail bracelet (est. €17,000 to €25,000).

There are also many more accessible pieces in the sale, including a turquoise owl brooch with round cut ruby eyes, in

18ct yellow gold (est. €700 to €1,100). Viewing from Sunday, July 15.

See oreillysfineart.com

HERMAN & WILKINSON

As predicted, the top lot at Herman & Wilkinson’s Asian art auction on July 4 was a Chinese Qianlong yellow-ground green-enamelled dragon bowl, which sold for €13,360, while a Cong vase sold for €1,940.

The auctioneers are now consigning for their next Asian Art Auction in November. In the meantime, a Jewellery and Coin Auction will take place at Herman & Wilkinson on Wednesday, July 18, at 6pm and a Swan Hall Fine Art Auction on Thursday, July 19, at 10am. “It’s a crazy mix of stuff,” auctioneer Ross O’Suilleabhain says. “The sale will have a collection of antique armoury in superb condition, with a pepperbox percussion cap pistol. You do see them in the auction rooms, but rarely in such good nick.”

See hermanwilkinson.ie

BONHAMS

A portrait of James, 20th Earl of Kildare, and his wife Emily Mary in the grounds of Carton (below) sold for €262,000 at Bonhams’ Old Master Paintings sale in London on July 4.

The painting by Arthur Devis (est. €80,000 to €100,000) was commissioned in 1739 and shows the countess with the plans for a bridge. It was one of five works from the collection of the Duke of Leinster which collectively fetched €510,215.

A portrait of Emily Mary, Duchess of Leinster, by Sir Joshua Reynolds (17231792), sold for €92,215, while one of her daughter-in-law, Emilia Olivia, by Hugh Douglas Hamilton (1740-1808), sold for

€50,000. See bonhams.com

ANTIQUES & VINTAGE FAIRS

There are antiques and vintage fairs at opposite corners of the country this weekend. Tomorrow (14th), an AVA Antique Fair will take place at Hugh McCann’s, Central Promenade, Newcastle, County Down, from 11am to 5pm, admission £2.

On Sunday (15th), Hibernian Antique Fairs will run their Fota Island Resort Antiques Fair, County Cork, from 11am to 6pm.