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The rare Willows 35.73-carat yellow sapphire pendant – the largest ever offered at an Australian auction – sold for a staggering $122,000 in Melbourne on May 12 through Sotheby’s Australia.
Chairman Geoffrey Smith said the yellow sapphire was exceptional and achieved $3414 a carat.
“The stone captivated people from Australia and around the world,” he said.
With a significant number of international registrations, the auction attracted strong...
A Poltronova Glove sofa, knocked down for $8000, was the highest furniture money earner at Leonard Joel’s Modern Design Furniture auction on April 23.
Other strong highlights were the Charles and Ray Eames lounge chair and ottoman, which went under the hammer for $7000, and a Poul Kjaerholm PKO chair for $6000.
The auction featured an international collection including designer pieces never offered on the Australian auction market and, while many of the pieces...
A pair of horseshoes worn by the legendary Phar Lap sold for $24,400 (including buyer’s premium) at Mossgreen’s April 23 Sporting Memorabilia auction.
Originally belonging to Phar Lap’s strapper Tommy Woodcock, the shoes are mounted in a frame, complete with Woodcock’s photograph, which also carries a letter of authenticity from master farrier Dick Bell.
Another auction highlight was the 1888 Coloured Champion of the World Boxing trophy – a Victorian sterling...
A growing auction trend towards sterling silver saw 153 keen bidders battle it out for quality items at Philips Auctions late March sale.
Many of these items sold well above catalogue estimates with an 1840 large early Victorian sterling silver salver one of the leading contenders.
Complete with maker Henry Wilkinson’s mark, the salver changed hands for $2880 including buyer’s premium, its richly scrolled foliate border carrying a coat of arms bearing the Latin...
Sotheby’s Australia’s attempts to sell many of the personal owned by Australian opera diva Dame Nellie Melba met with resounding success when more than 400 people registered to bid and the sale achieved a total of $1.99 million including buyer’s premium.
The auction commenced with a rousing start when the first lot, a circa 1905 Belle Epoque diamond and seed pearl hairpin, sold for $26,480 – more than four times the pre-sale estimate.
Melba travelled with...
Mossgreen’s first auction of Collectors Motor Cars & Automobilia at the Australian Motoring Festival on March 29 received a mixed response from the more than 250 bidders who attended – with many of the cars being passed in.
Designed to appeal to weekend motoring enthusiasts and discerning collectors, the auction realised $1.5 million.
However, much of that was the result of the high-end rare models being sold and the fact that Martin Burger’s highly prized...
Sale of the Alan Boxer Collection of Indigenous Art in mid-March by Mossgreen resulted in 13 new auction records for the artists involved from a packed and enthusiastic saleroom of bidders.
The sale realised $1,041,380 (190 per cent sold by value and 100 per cent by lot) and artists such as Jeremiah Bonson, Tiger Palpatja, Johnny Mosquito and Harry Tjutjuna were among the record creators.
Mossgreen’s head of Australian and indigenous art D’lan Davidson believes...
Timed as it was at the start of the 2015 Chinese New Year, Philips Auctions was pleasantly surprised at the excellent results achieved for its first sale of the year – given that normally the auction house would expect a strong turnout among Asian buyers whose numbers were reduced due to New Year celebrations.
Almost 340 bidders turned up for the decorative arts and jewellery auctions over two days in late February with respective sale rates by volume of 75 per cent...
Perhaps it had something to do with the approaching festive season, but jewellery items were a strong drawcard at Philips Auctions Monday December 8 jewellery auction.
Almost 150 bidders filled the auction room and, at the end of the night, 75 per cent of the items had been sold at more than 130 per cent above reserve.
The signature piece was a stunning art deco diamond double brooch/jabot pin, which sold for $29,730 (including buyers premium) on a catalogue...
Brett Whiteley’s Washing the Salt Off II 1984 was hotly contested at Sotheby’s Australia November 25 Sydney Important Australian & International Art auction, changing hands for $976,000 (including buyers premium) on a $800,000- $1,000,000 estimate.
The auction, comprising 72 paintings, reached $5.36 million – 65 per cent by volume and 102 per cent by value.
Seagull over Lavender Bay 1979 by the same artist sold for $732,000 – cementing...
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