Record Breaking Results Achieved at Kinghams

Victor Mayer for Faberge, two limited edition gold and enamel “surprise” eggs.

The results of Kinghams Auctioneers’ latest Silver & Objects of Vertu sale included some world-beating sums. The firm of specialist fine and decorative arts auctioneers, based in Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds have reported a near sell-out result.

The star lots of the sale were two limited edition gold, enamel and diamond “surprise eggs”, crafted by the German jeweller Victor Mayer, for Faberge, which sold for a combined £28,208. Associate director Matthew Lafite commented, “We were delighted with the strong results of the sale in its entirety, and we have been informed that the result for the two Victor Mayer eggs is a record price - at any auction”.

According to Mr Lafite, strong interest was received world-wide, and a protracted bidding battle saw clients in the room, on the telephone and online, push the price well above the respective estimates.

Victor Mayer for Faberge, “Welsh Egg”.

The ‘Welsh Egg’, limited to 25 pieces, crafted from 18ct yellow gold, diamonds, nephrite, and rock crystal, and decorated with symbols of Wales sold for £9,840. The ‘Millennium’ or ‘2000 Egg’, the larger of the two, limited to just 12 pieces, made from 18ct white gold, 2.64-carats of diamonds, and 40 points of sapphires, featuring white opal, and a lapis lazuli foot, adorned with applied lettering ‘MM’ highlighted in diamonds, far exceeded expectations of £8,000 to £12,000 and finally sold for £18,368.

Victor Mayer for Faberge, “2000 Egg”.

Mr Lafite added, “A particular highlight of the sale for me, was the Irish strawberry dish, made in Dublin in 1700. Irish silver of this early date is seldom encountered on the open market. In over two decades of dedicated silver scholarship, I can’t remember the last time I handled a piece of fully hallmarked Irish silver from the reign of William III. It was a fantastic piece!”.

After an extended battle between an online bidder and a client on the telephone, the price steadily rose from an opening bid of £1,600 and settled to finally sell at £9,600.

A William III Irish silver strawberry dish, made in Dublin in 1700.

“We have a strong market for quality silver. Whether it be early pieces from the seventeenth-century, superb examples of Regency silver, or collectible silver and gold items – unusual, quality objects, are selling extremely well at Kinghams”, Mr Lafite added.

A George II Rococo Cream Boat, by John Pollock, London 1743.

A fine example of a Rococo period cream boat, made by John Pollock in London in 1743, quadrupled its estimate to sell at £3,400. A second, undecorated cream boat made in London in 1741 sold to an overseas collector for £2,600.

A naturalistic ‘leaf’ tea caddy spoon, by Robert Hennell, London 1829.

A rare and highly collectable tea caddy spoon, modelled in the form of a leaf, by Robert Hennell in London in 1829, generated intense bidding from experts and passionate collectors from all over the world. Measuring just 8cm in length and weighing 24 grams, it might be an item quickly overlooked to the untrained eye. However after being uncovered by experts, the spoon exceeded prices achieved for caddy spoons in other general sales by some 2,000% - in Kinghams’ specialist Silver & Objects of Vertu sale, the Hennell naturalistic caddy spoon sold to a specialist collector for £1,800.

The sale of almost 400 lots was very close to a complete sell out, referred in the auction world as a ‘white glove’ sale. “Interest in our specialist sales remains extremely strong. We have seen huge demand for quality goods to be sold as part of our curated sales, and this will continue into next year”, Matthew Lafite reported.

Kinghams Auctioneers of Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds boasts a full schedule of specialist sales planned for 2026. The next staging of the Silver & Objects of Vertu auction will be in March 2026, and entries are invited. Please contact the firm’s headquarters on 01608 695695 or email enquiries@kinghamsauctioneers.com