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The Ocean Dream became the most expensive fancy vivid blue-green diamond ever sold at auction at Christie’s in Geneva today. It made CHF 13,567,500 | US$ 17,366,400 after 20 minutes of intense bidding. The magnificent jewels sale achieved CHF 51,859,550 | US$ 66,501,674, with sell through rates of 99% by lot and 186% by low estimate. Of the 87 lots offered 84% sold over their high estimate.
(See post on antiquesandartireland.com for April 24, 2026)
Butterfly Brooch, early 20th century. Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd. 2026, Anna Buklovska
Jewels from the collection of Claudia Cardinale will highlight Christie’s Joaillerie Paris online sale from June 19-26. The sale will take place after the tribute that at Cannes Film Festival from May 12-15 and 65 years after her first ascent of the red carpet in 1961. The star who died last year is remembered as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Italian and international cinema. About 20 pieces of jewellery chosen, cherished and worn by the actress will be in the sale.
PAIR OF ENGRAVED LIMERICK SILVER SERVING SPOONS. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD
This pair of engraved Limerick silver serving spoons from 1775 are at the online furniture auction by Adams Blackrock on May 20. Made by Maurice Fitzgerald they are estimated at €3,500-€4,500. The Dublin auctioneers will hold timed online sales of furniture, collectibles, jewellery, watches and Irish paintings on May 20.
Rare 1860’s Irish oak harp clock by John Donegan. UPDATE: THIS MADE 16,500 AT HAMMER
An unusual and very Irish oak harp clock by the Dublin maker John Donegan from the 1860’s is the prime lot at R.J. Keighery’s clock auction in Waterford on May 13. Only eight of these clocks are known. This is the first to be sold at auction. It measures nine feet tall and is brimful of detail like harps, pikes, a wolfound, two round towers and a lyre. The base depicts the Giant’s Causeway and the hood is in the shape of a harp. It is estimated at €6,000-€9,000. John Donegan is known as the last of the Irish watchmakers.
The auction offers 345 watches and clocks from four lifetime collectors along with associated furniture lots. There are longcase clocks, wall clocks, carriage clocks, marble mantle clocks, barometers and watch arts. A brass dial longcase clock by William Maddock of Waterford made in 1766 is estimated at €1,800-€2,200. A large ormolu and boulle clock has an estimate of €1,250-€1,450.
A selection of longcase clocks at Keighery’s sale
KASHMIR. A VERY RARE SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND CLUSTER RING, CIRCA 1890-1900. UPDATE: THIS MADE €102,000 at hammer
This Kashmir sapphire ring is at Adam’s sale of fine jewellery and ladies watches on May 12. The estimate is €50,000-90,000. It is accompanied by a report dated December 2025 from the SSEF laboratory in Switzerland, stating that the antique cushion-shaped sapphire weighing 3.532 carats is of Kashmir origin with no indications of heating. Kashmir sapphires hold a unique place in the world of gemstones and are distinguished by their colour and velvety appearance. The catalogue for the sale is online. Adam’s will not allow internet bidding on this lot.
This was a hugely successful sale for Adam’s. A pair of early 20th century pearl and diamond earrings made €340,000 at hammer, a fancy intense yellow diamond pendant made €190,000, a c1970 diamond demi parure attributed to Harry Winston made €150,000 and a pear shaped 12.48 carat diamond single stone ring of fancy intense yellowish brown colour made €115,000.
THIS PAIR OF EARLY 20TH CENTURY PEARL AND DIAMOND PENDENT EARRINGS MADE €340,000 AT HAMMER
PAIR OF ITALIAN SCHOOL PORTRAITS
This pair or late 17th/early 18th century Italian portraits made €73,000 at Fonsie Mealy’s fine art and antique sale. With a provenance to the Ponsonby’s of Ballynatray, Waterford the oils on canvas depict classical female saints. A c1630 painting of an angel and the dead Christ at candlelight from the Circle of Triomphe Bigot made €19,000 and a Madonna and Child with the infant St. John the Baptist by Raffaellino del Garbo (1466-1524) made €13,000. An early 20th century Fabergé circular pill box made €15,000.
Interior of Reidy’s Wine Vault bar to be sold by Lynes and Lynes. UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR €73,000 AT HAMMER
Reidy’s Wine Vaults in Cork or the Black Cat in Kilkenny? Against a background where the market for collectibles is performing strongly contents from these popular and now closed watering holes will come up at sales by Aidan Foley and Lynes and Lynes next week.
Aidan Foley will hold three days of online sales with antiques, silver, art, automobilia and pub memorabilia on May 4, 5 and 6 at 6 pm each day. Along with some contents from Kilkenny’s Black Cat bar on Black Mill St. in Kilkenny there is art by Mabel Young, Carol Ann Waldron, Ivan Sutton, Markey Robinson and Sean Keating. The auction has a good selection of vintage forecourt signs, enamel signs, modern dealership signs and paraphernalia like oil cans which are also in strong demand. The auction is on view in Doneraile over this Bank Holiday weekend.
The fine interior bar fittings from Reidy’s Wine Vault at Lancaster Quay in Cork, which has been sold and is to become a restaurant, will come under the hammer as one lot at a sale by Denis Lynes on May 9. The bar counter, which measures over 29′ in length, back bar, dividers, cabinets and light fittings is estimated at €70,000-€120,000. There will be viewing on the premises on May 6 from 10 am to 5 pm. In March the complete fittings from the West End Bar in Portadown, one of the oldest licensed premises in Co. Armagh, made a hammer price of €120,000 at an auction by Victor Mee.
Mabel Young (1889-1974) – A Cottage in a landscape at Aidan Foley’s sale. UPDATE: THIS MADE 900 AT HAMMER
MID 1960’S MAHOGANY BAR FRONT. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
This mid 1960’s mahogany bar front and back, copied from an original Victorian bar, is the top lot at Victor Mee’s April advertising and collectibles online sale on April 30. Lot 552 is complete with two matching 20th century oval Pure Pot Still Power’s advertising mirrors and a large Power’s Whiskey John’s Lane Distillery advertising mirror. It is estimated at €30,000-€60,000. The auction offers 738 lots and the catalogue is online.
A pair of important 18th Century Italian Baroque style giltwood Console Mirrors. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD
These 18th century mirrors from Bishopscourt House in Co. Kildare come up as lot 1017 at Fonsie Mealy’s three day Chatsworth Summer Fine Art sale in Castlecomer on May 1. The auction with over 1,300 lots gets underway tomorrow (April 29). The catalogue is online. The mirrors are estimated at €3,000-€4,000.
EILEEN GREY – THE TRANSAT CHAIR IN GREY LEATHER (€4,000-6,000). UPDATE: THIS MADE 4,600 AT HAMMER
Danish, Italian and French designer furniture from the 1950’s, ’60’s and ’70’s will feature at the timed online design sale at de Veres which runs until April 28. The auction offers furniture by designers and makers like Eileen Gray, Arne Jacobsen, Eero Saarinen Ico Parisi and contemporary labels including Ligne Roset, Knoll, Fritz Hansen. There is contemporary Irish art by John Shinnors, Barrie Cooke, Charles Tyrrell, Elizabeth Magill, Felim Egan and others. The sale is on view at de Veres.
FELIM EGAN – BLUE NOTES (€2,000-4,000). UPDATE: THIS MADE 2,600 AT HAMMER
