LONDON, Sept. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apollo Art Auctions is pleased to present Fine Ancient Jewellery & Beads - The Prince Collection, taking place on October 3, 2026, at 1:00 PM BST at the auction house's Central London showroom, 63-64 Margaret Street, W1W 8SW. Bringing together objects of personal adornment spanning more than four millennia, the sale offers collectors an opportunity to acquire pieces representing some of the most significant cultures of the ancient world.
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The auction presents an assembly of ancient jewellery, with many pieces remaining in wearable condition alongside a fine selection of engraved gemstones. The collection spans from the prehistoric and Early Bronze Age periods, dating from approximately 4000 BC, through to the Late Antique era around AD 600. Objects represent prehistoric and Predynastic cultures, ancient Egypt, the Near East including the Neo-Assyrian period, Greece, the Hellenistic world, Rome and the early Byzantine period.
Among the notable provenances represented in the sale are the collections of Derek Content, Peter Szuhay, Hans Calmann (1899-1982), the F. Piket Collection, Alexander Cotton (d. 2021) and Alan Kotllar. Together, these provenances add important collecting histories to a sale centred on the enduring tradition of jewellery as both personal adornment and a reflection of cultural, artistic and social identity.
Selected Highlights
Lot 512 - Egyptian Gold Snake Ring with Garnet Cabochon
A gold snake ring set with a garnet cabochon. The combination of precious metal, gemstone and serpent imagery reflects the sophisticated tradition of ancient Egyptian personal adornment and the symbolic significance.
Lot 544 - Roman Imperial Openwork Gold Ring with Agate Gem
A particularly substantial Roman example is Lot 544, a massive Imperial-period openwork gold ring incorporating an agate gem. Its scale, precious materials and elaborate construction demonstrate the importance of rings not only as ornaments but also as objects through which status, taste and identity could be expressed.
Lot 608 - Italian Gold Necklace with Twenty-Three Roman Intaglios
One of the most distinctive pieces in the sale is Lot 608, a stunning Castellani-inspired Italian gold necklace incorporating twenty-three Roman intaglios. Bringing together ancient, engraved gemstones within a later gold setting, the necklace reflects the enduring fascination with antiquity among European collectors and jewellers.
Lot 611 - Etruscan Carnelian Scarab of Kneeling Ajax
Lot 611 presents a rare Etruscan carnelian scarab depicting the kneeling Ajax, with his name inscribed, mounted within an Italian Neoclassical gold pendant from a Naples workshop. The piece brings together an ancient engraved gemstone and a later period of European fascination with the art of antiquity, creating an object with both ancient and Neoclassical dimensions.
Provenance and Scholarship
The sale is supported by a range of provenance and scholarly documentation. Selected lots are accompanied by additional reports from Lisa Sartini, Egyptologist PhD of Chimera Heritage Consultants, and Alessandro Neri, an international cultural heritage expert based in Florence. A number of objects are also accompanied by Art Loss Register confirmation letters.
A selection of the jewellery offered in the auction was authenticated in the early 1990s by Dr Jack Ogden and Barbara Deppert Lippitz, leading specialists in ancient jewellery. A number of these objects were subsequently published in a professional catalogue, providing an additional layer of historical and scholarly documentation for collectors.
The combination of established collecting histories, specialist research and supporting documentation reflects Apollo Art Auctions' continued focus on provenance and scholarship when presenting ancient art and antiquities to an international collecting audience.
Sale and Bidding
Fine Ancient Jewellery & Beads - The Prince Collection will take place on October 3, 2026, at 1:00 PM BST at Apollo Art Auctions' London showroom, 63-64 Margaret Street, London, W1W 8SW.
Bidding will be available in the room and online through the Apollo Art Auctions platform, as well as via Invaluable, The Saleroom, LiveAuctioneers and Interencheres.
For enquiries or to arrange telephone bidding, please contact Apollo Art Auctions on +44 (0)20 4630 9333.
