Family Fabergé collection to sparkle in the Cotswolds

Two items of sought-after Fabergé jewellery from a family collection are set to go under the hammer in the Cotswolds next month, with hopes they could sell for thousands.

The Cotswolds Auction Company will offer a Carl Fabergé chalcedony, diamond and white enamel brooch which comes in its original holly wood box. Rectangular and set with centre dome-cut chalcedony surrounded by tiny diamonds and four collet set larger diamonds, it is all bound by openwork white enamel border. It carries a kokoshnik mark for 1899-1908, Moscow. The pin also has the Fabergé mark and another indistinctly stamped. It has 56 standard gold mark to the side and scratched inventory number ‘289331’.

The chalcedony, diamond and enamel brooch has an estimate of £5000-£8000.

Also in the sale is a Carl Fabergé pink enamel, gold and diamond-set cachou box by workmaster Michael Perchin. The box is of oval cylindrical form, the body with guilloche pink enamel swags, the reeded and domed hinged lid having a border of tiny diamonds and repeated around the gold foot. The body has two-colour gold chased foliate swags surmounting, all suspended on a domed hanger as a pendant. It carries the 56 gold mark with crossed anchors and sceptre for St Petersburg, pre- 1899. The box also features scratched inventory numbers 54(?)7J and Cyrillic characters possibly for VTZMI to base. It bears the workmaster’s stamp for Michael Perchin to the lid, hanger and rim of body. It measures 5.5cm high x 2.25cm wide and is presented in a Wartski, London case.

Both the pieces are part of the Woollcombe-Boyce Collection, as was a Fabergé nephrite, rock crystal and gold sedan chair sold by The Cotswold Auction Company in September last year, which realised a price of £380,000. The piece was listed in the family inventory and was purchased from Wartski of London in 1956 for £300.