Diamonds Galore

This forthcoming dedicated Jewellery auction will definitely not leave the ladies disappointed with diamonds to dazzle everyone's' taste buds.

The auction that takes place on the in the evening of the 23rd of July features around 300 lots of stunning jewellery, from splendid Sapphire and Diamond rings, to fabulous Victorian earrings and bracelets. With varied prices from affordable to the more exclusive, there is sure to be a piece for you!

A diamond may be a girls best friend, but how could you say no to Diamonds and Pearls. This stunning set of Pearl and Diamond drop earrings are estimated to go for £1000-£2000.


Lot 1371

Something much different but just as beautifull is this impressive Tanzanite and Diamond set bracelet with approximately 75 carats of Diamonds and Tanzanite totaling about 11.40 carats. An estimated price tag of around £6000 reflects the sophistication of this piece.


Lot 1287

A slightly more affordable yet just as nice item of jewellery would be this Sapphire and Diamond cluster ring in nine carat gold, with an estimated price tag of £150- £250. 

Lot 1209

For more information on this auction and other exciting dedicated ones we have next week, have a look on our website. 

Jewellery Auction

McTear’s ever popular Jewellery Auction will take place on Wednesday 18th June. This auction is held once every five weeks and is dedicated to a range of jewellery at various price points. With 379 lots coming up in this auction, we are sure you will find something that is sure to catch your eye!

In Lot 1386, you can find our beautifully sparkly sapphire and diamond earrings, each set with an oval sapphire of approximately 0.80 carats surrounded by diamonds totalling approximately 0.5 carats in eighteen carat white gold. These eye-catching stunners are estimated between £1500-£2000 and will not go un-noticed.

Another very special piece we have coming up is Lot 1274. This diamond line bracelet is set with brilliant cut diamonds totalling approximately 4.00 carats in fourteen carat gold. The bracelet is 18 cm long and will be a beauty for a very keen customer with estimations between £2500-£3500.



A more affordable piece coming up is Lot 1125 with our pearl and ruby cluster ring. The central white pearl is surrounded by rounded rubies in a nine carat gold band. This ring is sized as M-N and is estimated between £30-£50. This is a nice ring for every day wear and while being affordable… still looks very special.



At the other end of the scale we have a particular highlight in our auction, Lot 1120a. This very impressive early twentieth century diamond solitaire ring has an old brilliant cut stone of approximately 3.50 carats on bifurcated diamond set shoulders in platinum comes in size M. Who will be the lucky lady to win this bid? This ring has an estimated value of £15000 - £18000. We think the smile of the new owner will sparkle just as much as these diamonds!



For updates on our upcoming auctions, click here.

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.

Diamonds shine on...

It is a known saying that ‘Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend’ and to most ladies this is very true. But, what is it about the dazzling piece of jewellery that makes it so special?

First, let’s appreciate this stunning, dazzling diamond that is expected to become the world’s most expensive and valued jewel.


Source: The Daily Mail: £40m diamond set to become worlds most expensive jewel

The 56.90 carat 'Pink Star' is set to go for over £40million at a Sotheby’s auction next month in Geneva. According to BBC news the diamond, which was mined by De Beers in Africa in 1999, has received the highest possible colour and clarity rating from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) so it is no surprise that there will be such a demand for this beautiful gem.

The name diamond comes from the Greek word "adamas", meaning indestructible, which embodies and portrays the toughness of the gem. The 4 C's, carat, cut, colour and clarity are the 4 descriptive characteristics of the gemstone and for being as beautiful as diamonds are, it is hard to believe that it really is quite a simple material of pure carbon. The sophistication of the cut and polish are what makes diamonds truly stand out and 'shine'.

The most common use for a diamond today would probably be the engagement ring. We have a romantic Austrian aristocrat, Archduke Maximilian, to thank for this when he decided to give his fiancée a diamond ring when he proposed to her in 1477 (Source: The Independent). However it has always been custom to wear the ring on the left index finger as it is thought that this is where a vein leads directly to the heart... How romantic!

There is not doubt that diamonds are a desirable piece of jewellery with timeless style and elegance. The example above just shows the exceptional value of diamonds, not only in their beauty, but their sheer quality and distinctions.

McTear's may not have a diamond quite as spectacular as the 'Pink Star', but there might be something that catches your eye in our Fine Jewellery auction on the 13th November 2013.

May at McTear's

What a fantastic week for McTear's with various special auctions proving to be extremely successful causing great excitement and eager bidding amongst both those who attended but also those who never.

The auctions all contained an eclectic mix of worthy auction items including Jewellery, paintings, furniture and sculptures all of which are unique and command interest from our bidders.

Rocking on in our Furniture, Clocks and Works of Art auction was this Edwardian Gesso pine pedestal rocking horse originally retailed by Harrods of Knightsbridge. After getting an estimation of £500-£800, the horse ended up going under the hammer for a fantastic £2400 on Tuesday the 21st May.


Lot 375

For the Whisky lovers, on Wednesday the 22nd bidding commenced on lot 666 the Springbank Millennium Collection which included 6 different bottles along with the Millennium Collection miniature box set of 6 miniatures. After some keen bidding this lot managed to raise its maximum estimation of £4000.


Lot 666

In our Fine Jewellery auction we had many beautiful pieces up for grabs including some glittering diamond bracelets, rings and necklaces. In particular this outstanding diamond two stone ring which, after an estimation of £1000-£2000, exceeded its highest expected price reaching £6000.


Lot 1101

Fancy a cuppa? In our Asian Works of Art auction this unique Chinese silver teapot with bird and blossom decoration and branch finial sold for a fantastic £1500 after getting an estimation of £500-£800 last Thursday.


Lot 1428

These are only just a few of the items worth noting that went under the hammer over the course of last week. For full online catalogues and hammer prices have a look here.

For details of our upcoming June auctions that start on the 25th have a look at our website. McTear's look forward to seeing you there ready with your bidding hats on.

Busy Week for McTears

McTear's have been busy getting ready for next week's auctions running from Tuesday 12th March right through to Sunday 17th March.

Starting the auctions will be McTear's British & Continental Ceramics & Glass, Silver & Plate auction on Tuesday 12th March at 10.30am that will feature ceramics and glass from Britain, Europe and beyond, as well as silver and plate from around the world.

Featuring in this auction will be this stunning pottery piece from Harry Davis along with many other items not to be missed.

Lot 121: FINE ROYAL WORCESTER JAR AND COVER BY HARRY DAVIS

Also on Tuesday 12th March will be McTear's Asian Works of Art at 6pm and Furniture, Clocks and Works of Art at 7pm. These auctions will give you the chance to bid on ceramics, ivory, bronze, jade, lacquer, wood, silver and cloisonne from China, Japan, Korea, Persia & the Middle East and furniture, clocks and works of art from the 18th-20th centuries.

This unique Amber coloured glass and stone set scent bottle is estimated to reach £100-£150 in Asian Works of Art:

Lot 310A: CHINESE AMBER COLOURED GLASS AND STONE SET SCENT BOTTLE 

McTear's Furniture, Clocks and Works of Art auction will have a range of items going under the hammer including this Victorian carved mahogany buttonback chaise longe estimated to sell for £150-£200. 

Lot 571:VICTORIAN CARVED MAHOGANY BUTTONBACK CHAISE LONGE

On Wednesday 13th March McTear's will have 500 lots of whisky, wine and port in our Rare & Collectable Whisky, Wine & Port auction at 10.30am.

How do you fancy splashing out for The Macallan Royal Marriage 1981 Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky estimated to fetch £800-£1000. 

Lot 672: THE MACALLAN ROYAL MARRIAGE 1981 Single Highand Malt Scotch Whisky

 On the same day we also have Fine Jewellery, Watches and Coins at 5pm where you will have the opportunity to bid on various watches, beautiful jewellery and coins.

This lovely Diamond Line Bracelet totalling 4.38 carats, in eighteen carat white gold is estimated to go under the hammer for £3500-£4500.

Lot 1397: DIAMOND LINE BRACELET

Thursday 14th March there will be The British and Continental Pictures Auction at 6pm. It will feature a range of attracting pictures including this piece from Jack Merriott.

Lot 1419: JACK MERRIOTT (BRITISH 1901 - 1968) THE BRIG O' DOON oil on canvas,

McTear's will also have two other special auctions on Sunday 17th March. Sports Memorabilia will feature medals, jerseys and ephemera relating to football, along with other sporting collectables relating to golf, fishing and cricket at 1pm.  The Scottish Contemporary Art auction takes place at 2pm and will include a huge selection of contemporary paintings by predominantly Scottish artists.

For more information and online catalogues of these auctions visit our website.

Also, to keep up to date with what's happening at McTear's, Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter.

Shine Like a Diamond...

Earlier this week, a dazzling diamond fetched a record breaking £13.5m at Christie's semi-annual jewellery sale in Geneva. 

This flawless diamond from India’s mythical Golconda mines, that once belonged to Archduke Joseph August of Austria (1872-1962),  was snapped up by an anonymous buyer at an auction on Tuesday night.

With the value of the diamond increasing, the unique, rare, colourless stone – weighing 76 carats – obtained over double the price that was paid for it roughly two decades ago, sold by an American jeweler Black, Starr & Frost. It surfaced at auction in 1961 and again at Christie's in November 1993, netting £4m at the time and has subsequently been sold on again for over 3 times the price paid in 1993.

François Curiel, director of the international jewellery department at Christie’s described the sale as being ‘flabbergasting’ and although the market is experiencing a slight decline, the diamond managed to fetch ‘a world record price per carat for a colourless diamond’.

In a sale that overall reached a ‘glittering’ £50m, the alluring diamond was the ‘VIP’ out of the 290 lots that were sold.

Dating back to the 4th century B.C, India was one of the first countries to mine the gem, with their diamonds being cherished for their size and beauty, especially the stones from Golconda. "Diamonds of Golconda" stones are rare and famous with the exact source of the so-called "lost mines of Golconda" being unknown.

Here is another fabulous diamond. The Darya-i-Nur was a rare blue-diamond (186 carats), which was owned by the last Great Mughal Emperor of Persia, Aurangzeb, until it was stolen from his heirs during the 'sack of Delhi' in 1739. 

Darya-i-Nur "Sea of Light"

For information on McTear's dedicated sales that are occurring at the end of this month have a look on our website.

Alternativley, to keep up to date with what McTear's are up to, Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter.

Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend

On Thursday 12th April McTear’s have an exciting auction that is sure to excite many. A range of unique and eye-catching jewellery will be auctioned in our Victorian, Edwardian and Scottish jewellery sale and what a better way to treat yourself after indulging in chocolate over Easter.

From necklaces to brooches, pearls to diamonds and approximately 400 lots of jewellery to be sold, there is an item to appeal to everyone.

This beautiful three stranded pearl necklace with diamond clasp boasts elegance and will add style to any outfit you wear. It is definitely a special item not to be missed. The clasp's central cushion cut diamond is approximately 3.06 carats and is surrounded by diamonds totalling about 0.50 carats. As people say; 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend.'



Lot 31
Estimate: £4000-£5000



This unique Serpant Motif necklace is extremely original. The Victorian gold enamelled ruby and pearl set necklace is completely different to the pearl one but the originality of it will be sure to make a statement. Perfect for the summer, the turquoise will brighten up any outfit you wear.  



Lot 26
Estimate: £800-£1200

If a necklace isn't your thing, how about this classic fine Edwardian bar brooch with the central square emerald of approximately 1.04 carats, flanked by old brilliant cut diamonds totalling approximately 1.40 carats. A beautiful yet simple addition to your jewellery collection.  



Lot 5
Estimate: £350 - £450


For more information on this auction and any other auctions that we have coming up April visit our website.
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