Smiths Auction Rooms in Newent have been busy taking in entries for their forthcoming antiques and collectables sale on the 8th & 9th of May. The sale features a special section for watches but also includes hundreds of other antiques such as silver, jewellery, furniture, pictures and collectables.

The current trend for antique jewellery continues upwards and Smiths have been able to pleasantly surprise several vendors in the last week, who have come in with what they thought were just boxes of old costume jewellery. It is amazing how the value can mount up, especially with the current high price of gold and silver.

It is usually quite a slow process, but Smiths experts find it very satisfying to comb through these bits and pieces as they almost always discover tiny treasures which can be quite significant in value. For example, a client this week who had never visited the saleroom before, brought in several boxes of old family jewellery which she thought was mainly rubbish and would be of little or no interest. At the end of the hour’s visit the lower estimated value came to just over two thousand pounds – much to the delight and astonishment of the customer.

Of course some items are more obviously seen to be of value, such as a stunning Art Deco sapphire and diamond ring which is sure to be in high demand. Estimated at £1,000 to £1,500, it features a large central cushion cut sapphire within a square openwork diamond set surround. Art Deco jewellery is of course very popular, but Smiths also have a large nationwide client base who collect older jewellery, such as Georgian mourning rings and brooches as well as Victorian and Edwardian pieces of all types – some to be worn and some destined for display only.

The silver section is also performing very strongly at present, especially small silver collectables. Items such as a pair of decorative and unusual silver napkin rings, each set with a single amethyst and citrine – making them personalised and therefore ideal for a wedding gift or couples’ anniversary. Other elegant silver items include a collection of cut glass scent bottles which are always highly sought after and a number of silver caddy spoons and decorative boxes.

Larger silver items include a very fine Irish silver three piece tea service extravagantly decorated in the Chinoiserie style and estimated at £800/£1,200. This unusual set dates from 1917 and although hallmarked in Dublin it bears the mark of Sharman D Neill who were high end jewellers and diamond merchants in Belfast active from 1852 and apparently still in business today. Apparently once war broke out they helped to make cap badges and high quality sniper sights for the ‘best snipers’ in the 36th Ulster Division.

The May sale is already full for furniture, but Smiths are still accepting entries of ceramics, watches, silver, gold, jewellery, pictures and collectables. They are also now inviting final entries of coins, notes and postcards for the June specialist sale. The coin market is also particularly buoyant at present and Smiths two coin specialists have been hard at work cataloguing numerous collections of gold and silver and antique coins.

A £10 solid gold commemorative coin made for the Queens’ 60th Anniversary carries a value of £7,000 to £9,000. Smiths’ experts are always very happy to have a look at any coins to give a guide price on value by appointment. Once again it is easy to find hidden value in boxes of old coins which might be languishing at the back of a drawer or even in the loft.

A number of paintings in the sale include a variety of oils and watercolours by Victorian artists such as pretty watercolour by Joseph W Milliken showing a row of pretty cottages and estimated at £80/£120. Other pictures include a large and colourful vintage still life of flowers (which are proving very popular at the moment) and an oil on canvas of a cart horse in a stable by John Walker Paulet St John Mildmay (1866-1943) which is expected to make £100/£150.