A collection of jewellery discovered in the attic of a Malvern home has sold for more than half a million pounds at auction.
The family collection, which had been hidden away for safekeeping for decades, was uncovered during a house clearance at a Malvern property earlier this month.
Auctioneers initially valued the collection at around £150,000, but the bidding saw it achieve a final total of £506,570 when it went under the hammer in London on October 21.
The jewellery had been amassed over generations by the family, with pieces dating from the 19th century through to more modern times.
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According to auctioneers Elmwood’s, the collection remained largely untouched for decades before its recent discovery.
Among the items were antique Art Deco jewels, diamond pieces, signed Cartier jewellery and a range of Victorian-era brooches.
This Cartier diamond bow brooch dating circa 1905 was said to be one of the highlights of the collection (Image: Elmwood’s)
Experts said the collection offered a rare opportunity to see more than 200 years of jewellery history preserved together rather than being dispersed through inheritance and sales over time.
Reacting to the result, Joe Kendrick, head of sale at Elmwood’s, said: “We are absolutely delighted with the spectacular result achieved by this remarkable collection, which realised over half a million pounds.
“The response from buyers was exceptional and far exceeded our expectations, demonstrating the enduring appeal of fine antique and Art Deco jewellery.
“To have uncovered such a wonderful collection, hidden away for decades, and to see it achieve this outstanding result is incredibly rewarding.”
He added that the collection’s mix of rare signed pieces, diamond jewellery and unusual Victorian brooches had attracted strong interest from collectors around the world.
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The jewellery had originally belonged to the current owner’s grandmother, who built much of the collection during her lifetime.
Older pieces had been inherited and later added to by subsequent generations before eventually being stored away in the attic.
Auctioneers said discoveries of collections of this scale are rare, particularly when so many pieces from different generations remain together.
The sale’s final total was more than three times the pre-sale estimate, turning a forgotten attic find in Malvern into a remarkable auction success story.
