A stunning Russian locket was among a host of treasures unearthed at a free antiques and jewellery valuation day at Maidenhead.
Expert Adam Schoon, a familiar face from TV antique shows, and Sue Haswell from auction house Hansons London were thrilled to make the discovery.
Sue said: “It was the very last valuation of the day. A local lady placed a mixed group of jewellery and object d’art on the table including a handsome oval locket.
“The gold and black enamel case was inlaid to the cover with a large bee picked out in old cut diamonds. A rather squashed mark on the suspension loop had a slightly indistinct St Petersburg mark similar to that of the world’s most famous jewellers Carl Fabergé.
“The owner then revealed the item had belonged to her grandfather William Haskell, a Lithuanian Jew raised in St Petersburg prior to The Russian Revolution 1917. After serving in The Red Army he managed to take a trip abroad. While passing through London, he met his future English wife and settled in Britain.
“The Russian locket is being researched and is due to be sold at the next Hansons London auction on June 11 with an estimate of £1,000-£1,500.”
Hansons London holds regular free valuation events at The Bridge House, Paley Street, Maidenhead, and Adam Schoon will be back at the venue on June 11 and July 9, from noon-3pm.
Sue said: “We had a wonderful day in Maidenhead earlier this summer and I hope people will come out in force again. Other items seen last time included 20 very glitzy 1950 to 1980 dress rings donated to an animal care charity. Hansons London is a keen charity supporter – we were supporting Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice that day – so it was a pleasure to offer to sell the rings without commission.
“We also saw some rare 19th century Ottoman Turkish gold damascened scribe’s scissors and, with an estimate of £500-800, the owners were happy to consign to auction.
“A quirky find was a late 19th century oil painting of a terrier, Jack, posing as a navvy smoking a clay pipe. It has an estimate of £700-£1,000. Being a nation of dog lovers, dog-related items are popular.”
Free valuations with Adam Schoon will be held at The Bridge House, Paley Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 3JS, on June 11 and July 9, noon-3pm, with more dates to follow. To find out more or to arrange a private valuation or home visit, call 020 8979 7954. Hansons London’s next auction will be held on June 11 at 11am at the Normansfield Theatre, Langdon Down Centre, 2A Langdon Park, Teddington, TW11 9PS. To find out more, visit www.hansonslondon.co.uk
