If you’re ready to buy, jewelry auctions are a great and oftentimes inexpensive way to add to your jewelry collection for less than retail. Reputable auction houses like Fellows make it easy to bid (and ultimately purchase) from the comfort of your home. But how can you prepare yourself for auction day ahead of time?
The last thing you want to do is wait until the day of to see what’s up for grabs and then find something you adore and bid emotionally. Bidding emotionally is exhilarating, but it is also costly. That’s why whenever I plan a bid, I do so with enough time to reasonably set a price within my budget.
I take the time to detach from the item in question so I’m not overly disappointed if it goes much higher than expected. Who am I kidding, of course I am still disappointed ;).
Create a Personal Catalog Ahead of Time
With auction house websites constantly improving upon themselves, the process of analyzing jewelry auctions beforehand has become exceedingly simple. In the case of Fellows, signing up for an account and creating a wishlist is an effortless process.
After speaking with one of their staff, I even discovered you can create and download your very own personalized auction catalog. Without hesitation, I created one for their upcoming Vintage Jewellery & Accessories auction taking place on Monday, January 30th. This way, I can print it and follow along on only the lots I am considering.
Get Started with My Top Picks
One of my favorite pastimes is perusing through upcoming and past jewelry auction catalogs. Some read newspapers on Sunday, I check out what prized heirloom is hitting the auction block. ::flashback to the Ebay glory days:: I realize this isn’t a passion for everyone, not even for other antique jewelry collectors. The thought of browsings through hundreds of lots to find that *one* piece you want to bid on can be daunting.
Check Out Fellows Upcoming Jewelry Auction
To help you get started with your own personal catalog, I’ve carefully curated the upcoming Fellows auction and spotlighted some of my favorites below. Check them out!
Mourning Rings, Georgian & Victorian
If you follow me on social media, my top picks won’t really come as a surprise, but for starters – I love inscriptions: words, lyrics, initials, dates, you name it. Mourning (memorial, in memoriam) jewelry is filled with just that. So, behold:
This ring is incredible. The front has a lyric and the back contains a personal inscription. The lyric reads “Forgive the wish that would have kept thee here.” This comes from a much longer lyric from John Wall Callcott:
Forgive, blest shade, the tributary tear,
That mourns thy exit from a world like this;
Forgive the wish that would have kept thee here,
And stayed thy progress to the realms of bliss.
No more confined to grov’ling scenes of night–
No more a tenant pent in mortal clay;
Now should we rather hail thy glorious flight,
And trace thy journey to the realms of day.
This next piece of hair jewelry is like Cinderella’s glass slipper. Someone with just the right size finger will have grab this one since there’s no way of sizing it. It reads:
IN MEMORY OF W WELLSEA & S BUNTING
Ring Picks, Georgian & Victorian
How many rings is too many? That’s hard for me to answer because I own more rings than I do bracelets, necklaces, and earrings combined. It would be all too easy for me to bid on any of the following.
Lot 8, Lot 10, Lot 34, Lot 43, Lot 46, Lot 55
Art Nouveau / Arts & Crafts
Whether or not you think Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts is out of style currently, I’m still obsessed. These designer pieces are so hard to come by in the states, so really, my only hope is bidding online.
Lot 93, Lot 98, Lot 100, Lot 102
Victorian & Georgian Pendants / Brooches
When it comes to brooches and pendants, I favor everything Victorian and if I can get my hands on it, Georgian.
Lot 221, Lot 149, Lot 138, Lot 9
I hope you enjoyed my picks! Have you had a chance to go through the auction catalog yet? Which lots are your favorite?
This post has been brought to you by Fellows. All opinions are my own.
