£10,600 FOR A NECKLACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13745, 9 May 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

£10,600 FOR A NECKLACE.

Buykrs went to Christie's in buoyant spirits a few weeks ago. " You mark my words," said one, " there will be very few lots bought in to-day." Yet . it seemed wretchedly depressing weather, and quite inappropriate to the sale of jewels. Still, d. feeling of elation was abroad, and, from the constant mention of the haunting dissyllable " Peckham," one gathered that the market had discovered some magic password of good luck. In some extraordinary way the word became both an invocation and a thanksgiving. Business had received a. new momentum. "You will find that pearl necklace wiil be sold to-day. They won't be trying to guess the reserve price, And just bidding short of it." Such were the loud asides one heard, and they proved to be true. The test lay in the offer of this four-row'' necklace of 232 graduated • pearls, described as "the property of a. lady of title"a very frequent designation in recent years. • A good round hid of £2000 was the opening, and in rapid rises £10,000 was reached. At £10,600 Mr. J. M. Jones gave in to Messrs. Lindenbaiim and Weil, who'gave £16,700 for the famous'pearl necklace in the Lewis-Hill sale last year. In the past we have seen even finer' adornment' at Christie's than this. First, there was the notorious Madame■ Humbert's £20,000 necklace in 1901 next, the magnificent necklace of 47 large pearls, bringing £22,000, in the Dudley salo, 1902; and, lastly, the five-row pearl necklace realising £22,500 in the Gordon-Lennox sale, 1903. Other jewels sold were a necklace of 37 brilliants, £800 (Filenian); a brilliant " snake bracelet, £720 (J. M. Jones); a 48-brilliant _ collet necklace, £680 - (Baker) j and a brilliant bracelet of collct and scroll design, £380 (Drayson). • •-) . ' j. • .... V. .