Emir's massive diamond an auction masterpiece

A 7.34-carat diamond entitled Altan Nur from the palace of Emir Alim of Bokhara will be part of Mossgreen’s Fine Jewels & Watches Silver & Objet Verdu auction from 6.30pm Monday November 16 at 926-930 High Street, Armadale.

The Sadri family purchased the diamond in 1939 from Emir’s son Pulat Alimi who had fled from the Soviet Union to East Turkestan after the Bolshevics ousted his father in 1923.

A George III sterling silver tea urn bearing the Rt Hon Alexander Baring arms (1774-1864) – first Baron Ashburton – is another important auction piece.

Baring’s father Sir Francis Baring was an eminent London merchant and director of the East India Company and helped finance the Napoleonic Wars.

Alexander became a Member of Parliament (1806 and 1826-35) and was Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Duke of Wellington’s projected ministry of 1832 and Master of the Mint in Robert Peel’s government – being created a baron in 1835.

An interesting item is portfolio of 114 designs in pencil, pen, ink and watercolour depicting a variety of silver and metal objects by the relatively unknown silversmith A.J. Cresswell.

Little is known about Cresswell or his work but, from these designs, it appears he was producing works for the silver workshops of Sydney silversmiths Evan Jones and John J. Cohen in the late 1800s.