Susan Rumfitt, Author at The Stray Ferret

Stray Jewels with Susan Rumfitt: Valentine gifts

Stray Jewels is a monthly column written by BBC Antiques Roadshow jewellery specialist, Susan Rumfitt. Susan started her career working for Christie’s auctioneers in Glasgow before establishing her own jewellery department, The Gallery in Harrogate.

In 2006, she joined the Antiques Roadshow and has since built up an extensive knowledge of and passion for fine jewellery.

Gifts for Lovers in Lockdown

If the thought of being spontaneously romantic fills you with dread at the best of times, then Valentine’s Day in lockdown could be even more of a challenge. I can give you a big helpful hint though – jewellery should feature high on the shopping list for dedicated romantics. Contact our many fabulous local jewellers and auction houses to find that perfect gift. Not in a relationship? Then shop to your heart’s content and buy what you really want – there is a world of jewels out there just waiting for you.

Here are a few themes to help you on your way. Diamonds, secret messages, hearts and flowers. Of course for those traditional romantics it is Cupid who decides love’s fate and he too has been depicted in jewellery for centuries.

Cameo brooch featuring winged Putti or Cupids, circa 1870

Are Diamonds your Best Friend?

What should one look for in a diamond?

Diamond is the stone of enduring love. The ‘Four Cs’ are seen as the most important attributes of a diamond and they relate to Carat, Cut, Colour and Clarity. Each is as important as the other to bring the best out of a diamond.

The cut of the diamond can seriously enhance the sparkle of the stone. The modern brilliant-cut diamond has long been the most popular cut for an engagement ring. Many say the bigger the carat (weight) of the diamond the better it must be! Grace Kelly and Jennifer Lopez both acquired emerald-cut diamond engagement rings that were over 10 carats. Another very fashionable cut is the Asscher-cut. Perhaps the most famous belonging to Elizabeth Taylor which weighed 33.19 carats and is known as the Krupp Diamond. It made $8.8million when it sold at auction in 2011.

The carat, cut, colour and clarity of diamonds are all important

But size isn’t the only consideration. Any specialist will tell you that a large diamond with poor colour, clarity and cut will not sparkle as much as a smaller diamond with better characteristics. The colour of the diamond and the clarity (the amount of flaws that are in the stone) are as important as the size. ‘Colour’ in a white diamond refers to the whiteness or lack of yellow tone in the stone. A better white diamond refers to one that shows no colour (or yellowness).

Secret Messages

Should you prefer historical jewellery then look at the Georgian and Victorian periods for inspiration. The heart pounding Netflix drama Bridgerton sets the scene for not only diamonds but the importance of coloured stones in jewellery during the Georgian period. Flowers and jewels were an essential way of expressing intensions for a loved one, sometimes secretly. This is known as ACROISTIC jewellery, where the first letter of each gemstone makes up a word. Eg LOVE would be represented by the stones Lapis Lazuli, Opal, Vermeil (now known as garnet) and Emerald and DEAREST with Diamond, Emerald, Amethyst, Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire and Tsvorite. Combined within a heart design this jewellery was exceptionally romantic. You could perhaps ask a jeweller to set various gemstones in a piece of jewellery to spell out your beloved’s name or set a gemstone in a piece of jewellery to represent their birth stone.

A Victorian gold heart pendant set with Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby and Diamond spelling REGARD

A Victorian blue enamel, pearl and diamond brooch depicting a forget-me-not flower

Jewelled flowers are also a great way to represent feelings. A rose represents true love, a pansy represents thoughtfulness and a forget-me-not flower – well that surely needs no explanation! Happy hunting.

Stray Jewels: Inspired by Animals

In 2006, she joined the Antiques Roadshow and has since built up an extensive knowledge of and passion for fine jewellery.

Jewellery is a way to express love. Flora and fauna were through history quite obvious ways to show secret messages of love and sentiment. But it may be less obvious that animals and creepy crawlies can also represent such thoughts and have inspired magical pieces of jewellery, including the snake!

Diamond, ruby and sapphire snake ring

Elstob & Elstob kick off 2021 with a jewellery sale which includes three animal inspired pieces of jewellery. A diamond, ruby and sapphire snake ring (lot 516) particularly caught my eye. Snakes are certainly not to everyone’s taste but in the language of love they represent eternal love. Eternal love renews itself just as a snake sheds and regrows its skin. The snake ring in the sale has lovely vibrant stones, this really is a statement piece. The popularity of snake rings was fuelled in the mid nineteenth century by Queen Victoria who received a snake ring as her engagement ring, from her husband to be Albert and she cherished it. Her interest in snake jewellery inspired many creations on this theme.

A pair of quirky pearl, diamond and gold turtle brooches

Perhaps a pair of quirky pearl, diamond and gold turtle brooches (lot 415) will appeal to more people. These turtle brooches have articulated tails which adds to their cuteness and charm. They are by the Italian designer Filipo Moroni. Moroni’s jewellery is always strong in design, using the finest stones. Themes range from stunning gold bracelets to gem set flower heads and diamond set rhinos. These turtles are set with diamonds and pearls on 18 carat gold. The turtle represents, amongst other qualities in a person, patience and calmness; and the pearls represent Venus, who was associated with the sea and eternal love.

Quirky animal jewellery really became popular during the 1960’s. It became the norm for jewellery designers to incorporate jewelled animal characters in their collections. This theme was led by American designers such as Donald Clafin who was working for Tiffany in the late 1960’s. The inspiration came from the animated films produced by Disney. Van Cleef & Arpels created their ‘La Boutique Collection’ of cartoonish animal brooches. Jackie Kennedy was amongst those who collected them. A fun piece of animal jewellery with a very characterful face is lot 535, the novelty lion brooch. Made of gold with ruby eyes and an emerald for the nose. The gold is cleverly textured and modelled and is a great example of whimsical jewellery and showing how fine jewellery can be less formal.

Not only does jewellery express love it can also express your character too. We may not want to wear an abundance of animal and insect jewels all at the same time, as the Victorian fashion dictated, but having these quirky pieces in a collection is great fun and for me the jewels of the 1960’s are a great addition and certainly bring a smile to ones face.

Stray Jewels: How to start a jewellery collection

In 2006, she joined the Antiques Roadshow and has since built up an extensive knowledge of and passion for fine jewellery.

A New Year is always a good time to start a new pastime. So why not start to collect jewellery? From high quality costume jewellery to fabulous gems set jewellery, there is something in the jewellery world for all tastes and budgets. With an array of auction houses, antiques centres and jewellery shops around the region we really do have a wealth of choice and knowledge to help the collector.

Victorian Enamel and Gold Forget-Me-Not brooch (circa 1870)

How do you begin to collect jewellery?

There are many ways to approach collecting jewellery. Perhaps collect a particular gemstone. Gemstones have so many origins and each origin can determine the colour and quality of the stones. It is great fun to see the array of tones of reds for rubies for example or seeing how aquamarines can range from pale blue – almost clear stones to a very intense blue. The colour can also help to determine the age of a piece of jewellery as only certain countries would have been mining stones at certain times in history.

Alternatively, your collection could be themed, by age, type of jewel or subject matter. You maybe particularly interested in the Georgian, Victorian or Art Deco periods for example, for which there are many beautiful jewels appearing at auctions and fairs to tempt you.

Art Deco Aquamarine Ring (circa 1930)

Another approach is to pick a certain designer of jewellery. As signed jewellery is becoming highly collectable, this can be a costly exercise! There is a certain excitement to be had hunting out these pieces. Prior to the 1970’s, jewellery made in Britain didn’t have to be signed or hallmarked. Identifying makers is quite often through knowing the style of a designer and spotting any characteristics in their work. Once you become familiar with a certain jewellery maker you may spot a piece of jewellery by them that has been overlooked by others – that can be quite a thrill.

Quality

Onyx and silver bracelet (circa 1960)

Whatever your budget, always buy the best quality items that you can. This avoids having to spend money on restoration which can be a costly exercise. Knowing the piece is in good condition could help the piece to maintain value in the future.

Always ask for advice when viewing jewellery. Buying gemstones can be daunting. Colour, clarity, cut and carat weight (known as the Four Cs’) all add to the value of a stone. Invest in a jewellery loupe which will magnify the jewellery by at least 10 times, exposing flaws in the gemstones and any damage to the mounts.

Buying for Investment

Victorian diamond bangle

No one can see into the future and the antiques market is as changeable as any. Clothing and interior decorating fashions come and go and this also applies to the jewellery market too. The best advice is to buy what you love and wear it, that way you have invested in an item of jewellery that makes you smile… and who knows, its value may soar in the future – an added bonus.

By collecting jewellery you are not only treating yourself but creating heirlooms for future generations.

Stray Jewels with Susan Rumfitt: Christmas sparkle

In 2006, she joined the Antiques Roadshow and has since built up an extensive knowledge of and passion for fine jewellery.

A bit of sparkle is a must at Christmas. Elizabeth Taylor was surprised to find a pair of Georgian diamond ear pendants in her stocking one Christmas morning – a present from Mike Todd. Elizabeth had spotted the earrings in an antique shop but didn’t want them as they were set with paste (a fantastic Georgian invention to imitate diamonds, but not quite sparkly enough for Elizabeth!). Todd bought them, had a jeweller unset the paste and set the mounts with diamonds, and Elizabeth was naturally very happy!

With Christmas stockings in mind, I looked back through various local jewellery auctions this year and considered what I might like to appear in my stocking on Christmas Day. There were lots of pieces, but I have to narrow it down – so here are my top three…

Enamel Tiger Orchid Brooch

Enamel Tiger Orchid Brooch, by Tiffany & Co.

Without doubt I wouldn’t reject the fantastic Enamel Tiger Orchid Brooch by Tiffany & Co, which featured in Elstob & Elstob‘s sale back in April. Tiffany is undoubtedly a name that shouts style, elegance and sophistication. They were the first to introduce ‘catalogue shopping’, with their ‘Blue Book’. Today we are used to catalogue and online shopping but back in the C19th century this was a first. Today their ‘Blue Book’ is a show case for exclusive jewellery. So why the Orchid Brooch in my top three? A limited number were produced for Tiffany by the renowned jeweller Paulding Farnham and such brooches were exhibited at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, one of the most important exhibitions at the time. The skill of the jeweller to create the amazing detail shown in the flower just cannot be beaten. Enamelling is a specialised skill and this brooch is one to admire. Only 25 of these brooches were produced and this one made £50,000 – a record breaking price…

Pink Sapphire and Diamond Brooch

Pink Sapphire and Diamond Brooch.

At a Tennants Auctioneers jewellery sale in November I particularly liked a Pink Sapphire and Diamond Brooch circa 1925. The pink sapphires have a great liveliness to them and as a stone that represents devotion, this is a brooch that I would adore to have in my collection. The 1920’s is Art Deco era – a time of fun, contrasts of colour in fashion and jewellery design. This was a period to express new ideas but at times the style still drew on the elegance of the Edwardian Period. This can be really appreciated in this brooch. Many say brooches are out of fashion – I say definitely not! The hammer came down at £3,200 on this beautiful brooch and I think worth every penny.

Enamel Owl Brooch

Enamel Owl Brooch, by David Anderson.

Last week Elstob & Elstob had a lovely sale of jewellery and amongst many great pieces the one I would like to make an appearance in my Christmas stocking is the enamel owl brooch by David Anderson, a renowned jeweller from Norway. Early 20th Century Scandinavian jewellery appeals to many. George Jensen is perhaps a more popular name, but David Anderson is becoming highly collectible. His enamel work is fun and exciting. His work is a must in any jewellery collection and a wise owl as part of a collection is a winner. Although big in character the hammer price for the owl brooch was modest £130.

My next column will be on 2 January when I will look forward to sharing my top tips for jewellery collecting and what to look out for in 2021.

Stray Jewels with Susan Rumfitt: Jewellery fit for royals

In 2006, she joined the Antiques Roadshow and has since built up an extensive knowledge of and passion for fine jewellery. In this month’s column, she delves into the history of emerald jewellery sold at Tennants Auctioneers.

Looking through the current auction catalogues online, I was excited to see that Tennants Auctioneers have their Fine Jewellery Sale on November 14. A beautiful pendant of diamonds, amethysts and red enamel associated with the Delhi Durbar of 1911 and some emerald pieces caught my eye.

The Auction world is fascinating, and sales are always full of beautiful jewels that brighten up these dark Autumn nights.

The Splendour of India

The pendant was of particular interest, as I was writing and talking about The Maharani’s and their fabulous jewellery collections at The Gallery last month. The Delhi Durbar or ‘Court of Delhi’, was held in 1877, 1903 and 1911, each time to celebrate the succession of an Emperor or Empress of India.

The Delhi Durbar Pendant

The 1911 Durbar was to mark the succession of George V as Emperor of India. King George and Mary of Teck were at the ceremony and this was the first time a monarch actually attended. Such festivities were a perfect opportunity to acquire and wear jewels as well as receive jewellery to mark the occasion. The pendant in Tennants sale was presented to Frances Irene Campbell whose husband Archibald Campbell was Private Secretary to the Governor of Madras Sir Thomas Gibson Carmichael at the time of the Durbar.

The Delhi Durbar Pendant is quite a treat; with only two others having come up for sale in recent years, it is well worth a view.

Saleroom Gems

Two other pieces that appealed to me in the Tennants jewellery sale are a Victorian emerald and diamond brooch, which has a certificate with it stating that the origin of the emerald is probably Colombia. The stone is a beautiful colour and is set off fabulously by the pearl and diamond mount. I also love a Georgian ring set with a gorgeous emerald within a charming setting. The Georgian period was one of charm and elegance and the ring oozes both.

Victorian Emerald and Diamond Brooch

What is it about emeralds that people find appealing?

Well to start with, their vibrant bottle green through to pale green colour variations provide a variety of choice and prices to meet tastes and budgets.

The countries of origin provide a sense of magic and mysticism. Cleopatra owned extensive mines in Egypt. The Ural Mountains in Russia provided a healthy supply in the 19^th century and Colombia has produced some of the finest examples and is still a name desired on a Gemstone Certificate today.

In the mid-20^th century, there was a rise in popularity for the delightful bottle green Columbian emeralds – made popular by glamorous and topical women such as the Duchess of Windsor and Elizabeth Taylor.

By the 1970’s suppliers of these beautiful stones just couldn’t meet the demand and therefore emeralds of very poor quality would be heavily treated and enhanced to hide flaws and improve colour and be sold as ‘Colombian Emeralds’ when they were clearly not. This naturally effected the value of emeralds and the confidence in the market fell. Today confidence is good, and emeralds are definitely back in favour and deserve serious consideration.

Throughout history gemstones have been associated with spiritual or medical healing, prosperity and celebrations. Emeralds are associated with hope and love – both of which we all need in abundance right now.

Stray Jewels with Susan Rumfitt: The magic of silver

In 2006, she joined the Antiques Roadshow and has since built up an extensive knowledge of and passion for fine jewellery.

In my new column ‘Stray Jewels’ I will be bringing you the hidden gems of Yorkshire. From auction house highlights and Yorkshire museum treasures to the fabulous pieces I have access to at my gallery and through travels. You will have a first-hand insight into the fantastic world of jewels through The Stray Ferret.

The world of gems and jewels brings with it passion, scandal, history and power, often in equal measures – in fact even if someone doesn’t like wearing jewellery they are often interested in the design, the maker and the story the jewels may have.

As a jewellery specialist on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, I’m often asked ‘how did you get into jewellery?’ The answer to that would be, that it was quite simply by chance and after 25 years, I have never looked back.

A multi-gem set locket.

So how did my career begin?

Summer 1991: work experience at Sotheby’s Harrogate. This was when I knew I wanted to be in the auction world; fuelled by many years watching Love Joy and the Antique’s Roadshow on a Sunday night. There was a buzz in the air – Castle Howard were having an ‘Attic Sale’. I was enthralled by it all. The auction world was for me.

I was just about to start at Reading University to study History of Art and Architecture and as far as I was concerned a career as an Art Specialist was what I was going to pursue. When I graduated, I went on to do a Post Grad degree in Decorative Arts at Glasgow University in association with Christie’s Auctioneers. I found out I still loved art but I was now drawn to the magic of silver. At the end of the course I became a trainee in the Silver Department at Christie’s in Glasgow and was in an office which was shared with the Jewellery Specialist – I became hooked and a career in jewels began.

Would you like Susan to review one of your antique pieces?

Whether its a family heirloom or a piece you bought at an auction, Susan would like to hear from you. If you’d like her to review your jewellery, send her an email to: contact@susanrumfitt.com.

After Christie’s, I went on to work at Phillips Auctioneers. It was intense but utterly exciting. Travelling around the world as well as running my own jewellery department in London. More importantly every day was full of learning about gems and jewels. Despite the excitement I always knew Harrogate was meant to be home. In 2002 I came back to Yorkshire and had three very happy years as the Jewellery Consultant for Tennant’s Auctioneers.

In 2006 I was asked to join the ‘BBC’s Antiques Roadshow’. I had always wondered, could it happen, could I ever be on that programme as a ‘Specialist’? Yes it could happen and it did happen, dreams can come true!

In 2007 I set up ‘The Gallery’ not only as a place from which clients could buy jewellery but as a place in which to hold presentations and share my passion and interest in the history of jewellery. The Gallery has become a place for all to share a love of jewellery. Many people have said The Gallery is itself a gem within the heart of Harrogate. That gem is now brought to you all through The Stray Ferret.

Join me next month when I look at saleroom highlights in the region and consider the world of Emeralds, the stone of love and hope.

A Columbian Emerald ring never fails to please.

Do you have a piece of jewellery you would like to know more about? If so, feel free to contact Susan at contact@susanrumfitt.com. Susan will answer all your enquiries regarding jewellery. Please do not send any information regarding your jewellery by any social media platform.

Find out more about Susan’s career by clicking here.

Gifts for Lovers in Lockdown

Are Diamonds your Best Friend?

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The Splendour of India

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Saleroom Gems

What is it about emeralds that people find appealing?

Would you like Susan to review one of your antique pieces?