Love is in the air as diamond rings go up for sale
The downside is that at auction, you can never know in advance what a particular item will fetch – and if you've already fallen in love with it, you may end up paying more than you expected.
The O'Reilly Auction Rooms on Francis Street in Dublin is a popular place where couples go shopping for engagement rings.
'In our June 25th auction, we have a total of 139 lots in our rings category. We have dainty everyday rings for around €300, to an impressive 4.8-carat old cut diamond solitaire with an estimate of €27,000-€30,000,' says Isobel Morgan, art historian at O'Reilly's.
READ MORE
Sapphire and diamond ring, estimate €7,800-€8,500 at O'Reilly's auction
The O'Reilly auction will also feature a variety of eternity and half-eternity rings. Eternity rings traditionally have a row of stones placed around the ring as a symbol of never-ending love. They are often given to mark the arrival of the first child of the couple. The odd-sounding half-eternity rings are not as you might think – a symbol of unenduring love – they are in fact rings with stones that only go halfway round the ring, on the face of the band. Half-eternity rings can also be more comfortable to wear because the stones are only on the top half of the ring.
Viewing tomorrow, noon-4pm; Monday and Tuesday, 10.30am-4.30pm; and on Wednesday, 10am-11.30am.
A collection of 100 silver rings at John Weldon Auctioneers auction with an estimate of €500-€1,000
Jewellery auctioneers often point to the fact that jewellery sold at auction is a lot cheaper than its equivalent on the high street. 'I sometimes use the analogy of a new car and how the price drops the moment it leaves the garage. New jewellery is no different: the 23 per cent VAT and profit/margins are lost the moment it leaves the jewellery shop,' says John Weldon of John Weldon Auctioneers in Cow's Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin.
By way of example, he points to an aquamarine and diamond ring for sale in the next live auction on Tuesday, June 24th. This 18-carat gold ring has a guide price of €800-€1,200, but would have been originally sold for €3,995. Similarly, an 18-carat gold diamond cluster ring has the same guide price of €800-€1,200, but would have been sold for about €4,495 originally.
Weldon says diamond rings remain much more popular than sapphire or emerald rings. He advises prospective buyers to look for quality, rather than size, when it comes to buying diamonds.
Next week's auction at John Weldon includes about 130 lots from a retired jeweller, so buyers will have a larger-than-usual amount of rings to choose from – including one lot of 100 silver rings (€500-€1,000). With their original price tags on view, prospective buyers will be able to compare and contrast the original retail prices to the guide prices for the auction.
A ruby, onyx and diamond pendant necklace, €700-€900, at Adam's Jewellery Box online auction
An 18-carat gold small mesh bag (€2,000-€3,000) at Adam's
A 1960s Christian Dior flower broach (€80-€100) at Adam's
Peridot and diamond pendant earrings (€1,200-€1,800 at Adam's
Although Claire-Laurence Mestrallet, head of jewellery at Adam's, must still be reeling from the sale of the Kashmir sapphire ring for €550,000 in May (an original estimate of €8,000-€12,000 was increased to €150,000-€200,000 once its rarity was confirmed), she is, nonetheless, ready for the Jewellery Box online auction on Tuesday, June 24th.
As always, there are many striking pieces, including a ruby, onyx and diamond pendant necklace (€700-€900); an 18-carat-gold small mesh bag (€2,000-€3,000); and a 1960s Christian Dior flower brooch (€80-€100). Viewing on Saturday/Sunday, 1pm-5pm, and Monday, 10am-5pm, in Adam's showrooms on St Stephen's Green.
Meanwhile, art buyers starting or building up their collections might find some value at the Morgan O'Driscoll online art auction, which ends on Monday evening from 6.30pm.
Sean McSweeney's Wicklow Early Morning
With several pieces from living Irish artists, as well as many prominent Irish artists from the 20th century – such as Sean McSweeney's Wicklow Early Morning (€500-€700), there are plenty of landscapes, some still-life paintings and portraits too. Work by Irish sculptors, such as Sandra Bell's bronze piece, Vice Versa (€1,500-€2,500), is also evident. And a ceramic female common eider sea duck by Oisin Kelly (€250-€350) catches the eye.
Finally, on this midsummer's day, gardeners around the country will be enjoying the long hours of daylight. Those near or willing to travel to Co Laois should stop by to view items in Sheppard's annual garden auction in Glantelwe Gardens in Durrow on June 24th. Viewing of the 550-plus pieces of bronze and marble statuary, stone urns, cast- and wrought-iron furniture, architectural salvage and antique follies takes place today, tomorrow and Monday.
oreillysfineart.com
;
jwa.ie
;
adams.ie
;
morganodriscoll.com
;
sheppards.ie
What did it sell for?
Bianchi 1928 car (€20,000-€40,000)
Bianchi 1928 car
Estimate
€20,000-€40,000
Hammer price
€11,000
Auction house
RJ Keighery
Ford Model A Touring from 1912 (€20,000-€40,000), RJ Keighery
Ford Model A Touring from 1912
Estimate
€20,000-€40,000
Hammer price
€13,000
Auction house
RJ Keighery
Composition au damier, Fernand Leger
Estimate
£200,000-£300,000
Hammer price
£276,500 (€327,000)
Auction house
Christie's
Stickers featuring Labubu figures at a Pop Mart shop in Beijing. A four-foot-tall sculpture of the viral plush toy character sold for $170,000. Photograph: ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images
Labubu figure
Hammer price
$170,000 (€147,000)
Auction house
Yongle
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sunday World
an hour ago
- Sunday World
Firm owned by former CAB target paid over €4m by Irish government to house asylum seekers
Former CAB target Bernard Byrne and his brother John Paul alleged to have made €750k from laundering fuel and cash Jim Manfield Jnr, was jailed for for attempting to pervert the course of justice Bernard Byrne's company has been paid more than €4m by the government Bernard Byrne at his Go service station on the Kylemore Road A firm owned by a suspected fuel smuggler and former target of the Criminal Assets Bureau has been paid more than €4 million by the Irish Government to house asylum seekers. Bernard Byrne is the director and owner of Tenzing Ltd, which is listed as receiving funds from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. In 2005, it emerged that Byrne, along with his brother John Paul Byrne, had holdings worth Stg£750,000 in Northern Ireland which was targeted by the UK's Assets Recovery Agency (ARA). The case was referred to the ARA by HM Revenue and Customs in 2004 after a joint investigation with CAB into fuel smuggling and laundering on both sides of the border. Bernard Byrne speaking to Samuel Mansfield In its case in the High Court in Belfast at the time, the ARA alleged that the assets of both brothers were from fuel laundering and smuggling, together with excise fraud and associated money laundering activity. Accounts An interim receiver was appointed over two filling stations in Co Armagh and Co Down, a house in Newry, an apartment in Belfast, vehicles, farm machinery and bank accounts. Bernard Byrne's Tenzing Ltd was set up in January 2023 and is registered to an office in Lucan, Co Dublin. That year, the company received payments of €876,000, €553,350 and €366,000 for 'accommodation and/or related costs'. In 2024, the payments from the Department totalled €2,382,000 with €186,000 paid out in the first quarter of 2025, bringing the overall total to €4,363,350. According to a Dail question reply, Tenzing Ltd operated an emergency accommodation centre at Redbank Guesthouse in Skerries, Co Dublin in 2023. Responsibility for the €1.2 billion accommodation budget has been moved to the Department of Justice since May this year. Bernard Byrne's company has been paid more than €4m by the government Bernard Byrne is also a director of other firms involved in the retail fuel business and owns the Go filling station on the Kylemore Road in Ballyfermot, Dublin. The land on which the business is located is owned by Arcount Ltd, which is controlled by Vincent Cosgrave, a Dublin-based businessman. Cosgrave's property portfolio includes the Sheldon Park Hotel across the road from Byrne's filling station business. His daughter, Donna, married Jim Mansfield Jr and the couple's son, Samuel Mansfield, was previously photographed by the Sunday World meeting with Bernard Byrne in 2016. There is no suggestion that Samuel Mansfield is involved in any criminal activity. Footage Jim Mansfield Jr was jailed for 18 months in February 2022 for attempting to pervert the course of justice by directing that CCTV footage be destroyed. The Special Criminal Court acquitted Mansfield of conspiring to have a man kidnapped by a criminal gang but convicted him of directing that the footage be destroyed. Jim Manfield Jnr, was jailed for for attempting to pervert the course of justice It was also heard in a CAB case that Jim Mansfield Jr was previously given €4.5 million of Kinahan cartel cash to launder through property investments. As a result of the 2004 CAB investigation into fuel smuggling, Bernard Byrne's father, John Byrne, paid €1.6 million to the Revenue Commissioners. During a search of John Byrne's home in June 2004, authorities discovered €200,000 in cash and cheques concealed throughout the property. Investigators concluded he had operated a significant grain delivery business for several years. He faced charges over failing to file tax returns at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court in 2007. The court heard at the time Byrne Snr had 157 previous convictions across both Northern Ireland and the Republic, including a Stg£1.3 million fraud conviction in Northern Ireland. Judge Pat McCartan had deferred sentencing to allow Byrne Snr to finalise his tax affairs. The judge described Byrne Snr as someone who had lived 'completely outside the good order of things' and imposed a two-year sentence, suspended on condition of good behaviour. The Sunday World recently reported on two other firms which have received payment for providing accommodation. One firm had been owned by John Gill, the father of alleged gangland figure Jonathan Gill. According to figures published by the Government, Astervale Ltd was paid €414,505 from 2022 until April 2024. Another firm which has been awarded emergency accommodation contracts has links to the Drogheda gang feud. Ben O'Brien resigned in May as a director of Secure Accommodation, which has been paid €10.2 million since it was set up in September 2022. O'Brien (31) was among several people named in evidence in the 2022 CAB case against gang bosses Owen and Brendan Maguire. Bernard Byrne at his Go service station on the Kylemore Road News in 90 Seconds - Monday, August 4th
Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Venture capital funding environment for Irish AI start-ups 'challenging'
Despite venture capital investing heavily in generative AI during the first half of the year, Irish AI start-ups are finding the funding environment 'challenging', a new report from consultancy company EY has found. Between January and June, global venture capital investment in generative AI surged to $49.2bn (€42.5bn), outpacing the total for all of 2024 at $44.2bn, according to EY Ireland's latest Generative AI Key Deals and Market Insights study. The company said the sharp rise comes as venture capital firms concentrate on more mature, revenue-generating AI companies, resulting in fewer but significantly larger deals. Average transaction size for late-stage deals more than tripled to more than $1.55bn, up from $481m in 2024. EY Ireland's technology, media and telecoms lead Grit Young said this investment momentum was expected to continue to build into the second half of this year with the launch of new generative AI platforms. However, the report noted while Ireland had emerged as a strong adopter of AI among start-ups, many are struggling with access to capital and infrastructure. 'In Ireland, the appetite for AI adoption is strong, and we are working with many indigenous and international companies who are already well established on their AI journey,' Ms Young said. 'However, for AI start-ups, the funding environment remains challenging, particularly in the €1m to €10m funding space.' She added many start-ups with high potential were finding themselves in a difficult middle ground where they are 'too advanced for early-stage support, yet not quite large enough to attract global venture capital attention'. 'However Ireland has a deep and well-established pool of talented entrepreneurs, and with increased collaboration between businesses, founders, academic institutions and policymakers, there are plenty of opportunities to be seized,' she said.
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Jones Engineering targets €1.5bn turnover as overseas business expands
Irish construction firm Jones Engineering says it expects turnover to surpass €1.5 billion this year as it continues to expand overseas. According to recently filed accounts, the contractor, which specialises in large-scale industrial projects for the life sciences sector, saw turnover increase by almost 25 per cent to €1.28 billion last year. The company, which employs 4,500 staff across 19 countries, reported a profit of €75.5 million, up from €70.8 million the previous year. 'Our increased turnover in 2024 reflects the ambitious growth trajectory and long-term vision of Jones Engineering,' chief executive Stephen McCabe said. READ MORE 'We expect this momentum to continue, with turnover projected to surpass €1.5 billion in 2025. While we remain the market leader in our sector in Ireland, our strongest growth has come from our expanding overseas operations. 'Looking ahead, 2025 is set to be another strong year for the company with a robust pipeline of work extending into 2026 and beyond,' he said. Increased levels of business saw the company recruit almost 1,000 additional staff in 2024, including more than 240 hires at graduate, internship and apprenticeship levels and about 494 in engineering, craft and support roles. Jones said its baseline headcount grew by 431 (18 per cent) in 2024, which it described as 'significant growth'. The company recently dropped a legal case taken against trade union Unite and three of its officials arising from a strike two years ago. The builder had claimed it suffered financial damage as a consequence of the industrial dispute. Jones's lawsuit prompted Unite and global trade union federation, Building and Woodworkers International (BWI), to file a complaint against the company and its owner, US-based Cathexis, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Founded in the 1890s, Jones Engineering was acquired by Cathexis Holdings in 2022 for an undisclosed sum. The company said it generates turnover from the supply of mechanical and electrical engineering services and fire protection services. The latest results showed the directors declared and paid a dividend of €63 million during the year, down from €73 million in 2023.
