Thatcher’s election day ring sold for £30,000 at auction

A GOLD and amethyst ring worn by Baroness Thatcher on the day she became prime minister has sold for nearly £30,000 at auction.

The treasured ring, a gift from her husband Sir Denis Thatcher, was one of almost 200 of the late Baroness’s personal items which went under the hammer at Christie’s.

The sale, to mark the 40th anniversary of Lady Thatcher’s election as Britain’s first woman prime minister, raised more than £1million and attracted bidders from 36 countries across six continents.

All of the 192 items were sold, including the hardstone “pebble” bracelet she wore when she met Nelson Mandela in 1990.

The bracelet, which had an estimate of £2,500, sold for £40,000 in one of many competitive bidding wars. It was also a gift from Sir Denis and formed part of Lady Thatcher’s so-called “uniform” jewellery.

The top lot of the sale was a multigem and diamond brooch by Van Cleef & Arpels which sold for £50,000, many times more than its estimate of £10,000-15,000.

A portrait of Lady Thatcher painted by Russian artist Sergei Chepik was sold for £40,000.

It showed her during her time in power wearing a black skirt suit with a George III diamond flower brooch.

Meanwhile, her desk blotter and a group of other desk items was sold for £30,000.

Adrian Hume-sayer, a director of Christie’s, said: “We are thrilled with this strong result which concludes the series of three successful sales held at Christie’s following Baroness Thatcher’s death in 2013.

“The result of Part III illustrates the enduring interest in the United Kingdom’s longest serving 20th-century prime minister.”

Quirkier items in the sale included two pairs of desk lamps for £1,000, an ostrich leather handbag (£2,000) and two bibles and a hymn book (£4,375).

Lady Thatcher died in 2013, aged 87. The auctions began in 2015 and have raised more than £4.5million.