January's Gems

We have some stunning items in our Fine Jewellery Auction on Wednesday 29th January at 6pm. Make this Valentine’s Day (that is the 14th February) more than just a card day for your special someone…

We know that you shouldn’t have to buy material things to let someone know how much you care about them… but it is a very good way of showing it if you can’t put it into words. On the other hand, why not just treat yourself or someone else… because really we shouldn’t need an excuse!

Lot 1243

 Maybe there is a certain bit of bling in our auction that will help persuade a particular ‘yes’ answer to any questions being ‘popped’ while you are in the romantic mood! We have this very persuasive old cushion cut diamond of approximately 1.21 carats on diamond set foliate motif bifurcated shoulders, in this 18 carat gold solitaire ring in Lot 1243 estimated at £2000-£4000, which very much speaks for itself!

Lot 1272

 If you want something different and want to do something personal, Lot 1272 offers an unmounted black diamond which is approximately 96.00 carats. This is estimated at £800-£1200, and will surely look beautiful in whatever venture it follows.

Lot 1107

 We have this beautiful, unusual multi-gemstone bangle which would look truly stunning on any wrist. This beauty in Lot 1107 is a gold bangle with various colours, shapes and sizes of gemstones, and is estimated £1800-£2400. A very unique and special piece of jewellery!

Lot 1170

 We also have this classic 15 carat gold opal set bracelet  with three opals, and a beautiful heart shaped clasp. This is in Lot 1170 and estimated between £200-£300. A truly timeless piece of jewellery.

 Hopefully we have maybe given you some inspiration. Check out our other upcoming auctions here and keep up to date with McTear's website here.

Brian Looks Back at 2013...

In advance of the first Auction Events Preview of 2014 this Friday, this month's 'From The Rostrum' feature from director Brian Clements looks back briefly at last year's events.

On the back of a year that saw McTear's named as Britain's favourite auction house, a look back to 2013 brings to mind numerous highlights, with one auction specifically standing out. The Terry Howson Auction, a sale of the personal collection of Peter Howson sketches belonging to the former wife of the celebrated Glasgow artist, saw a record attendance at the 'white glove' (every lot sold!) auction, with the proceeds helping greatly towards the purchase of a property for Terry and Peter’s daughter, Lucie.

The internet continues to attract an ever increasing international audience, with the last twelve months seeing considerably more sold online to overseas buyers than ever before. Additionally,

we were proud forerunners of 'timed bidding' auctions for The-Saleroom.com, a state of the art and innovative facility that allows an efficient auction style for collections and individual objects,

often too bulky, numerous or awkward to be sold in a conventional way.

We cannot start this year off without mention of our auctioneer, Natasha Gemini Raskin, and her new found ‘celebrity’ status! Snapped up as an onscreen expert by BBC'S Bargain Hunt late last year, Natasha has already shown, with an abundance of natural charisma, that auctions are great entertainment all round. In the impending battles of red versus blue, we hope that she will record more wins than losses in this year's busy filming schedule. C’mon Gemini!!

Lastly, a huge thank you to everyone who has purchased this auction catalogue, once again every penny raised through catalogue sales goes to McTear's chosen charity, this month The Little Sisters of The Poor in Greenock. We are continuing our support of local charities this year and hope that we can exceed last year's total raised. In 2013 McTear's staff participated in sponsored events, raffles, auctions and other fundraisers, helping to raise well over £100,000 for charities throughout Scotland.

Don't forget to purchase a charity raffle ticket from the office, up for grabs this month is an iPad2 tablet.

Best wishes to everyone for a happy, successful and peaceful 2014.

Auction World Wonders of 2013

 Not only has 2013 brought a great year of wild and wonderful auction results in McTear's, but also the world over. Auctioning is becoming more and more popular, with a lot of money to be spent and gained. Here we have some of the best and brightest results in the world from 2013.

 On 5th June in New York, this Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet estimated between $5-7 million, broke records by selling for an unbelievable $34 million, making it the most expensive carpet and also Islamic work of art to be sold- we are sure there will be a 'no shoes' rule on this carpet!



 Diamonds are always a favourite in McTears... this stunning white diamond was the largest diamond to ever be sold at an auction. The diamond sold on 7th October in Hong Kong weighed 118 plus carats and sold for $30.6 million- a lot to pay for a 'best friend', but I am sure the owner is will have a very happy future with this one!



 In New York, the highest price achieved for any modern artwork in 2013 was this Alberto Giacometti 'Grande tête mince', selling at just over $50 million.

 On 21st November in New York, this 1964 Ferrari 250 LM was sold at an impressive $14.3 million at the first major car auction in Manhattan in over 10 years which set records for many models, but this one coming up top- great for a Sunday drive!

 A fantastic year for auctions! Keep yourself up to date with the auctions we have coming up in McTear's in 2014 here to make sure you don't miss out, and if you think you have a valuable item that you are curious about the value of let McTear's help, see for valuations here.