Sale of a Sultan's jewels.
--The new Sultan of Turkey not only abolished the harem, deposed a vicious Prime Minister, and introduced to the notice of the astonished Turks a legitimate heir to his throne, but sent all the jewels of Abdul-Medjid to the auction shops of London to be sold under the hammer.These jewels are magnificent, and Belgravia has had a delectable time in competing for them at the auction sales. The Times gives this account of the collection and the prices it brought:
"The jewels comprise a great variety of ornaments in the form of necklaces, ear-rings, bracelets, brooches, stomachers and head-dresses, many of them of great magnitude and splendor, and of exquisite designs, representing wreaths and groups of flowers of natural size, composed entirely of fine brilliants and rose diamonds, and in some cases surmounted with diamond birds; presentation boxes of gold, beautifully enamelled, and richly set with brilliants and rose diamonds, in clusters of flowers and other designs, watches and chatelaines, presenting to the eye masses of diamonds of the greatest taste and beauty; the whole forming a more splendid assemblage of jewels than has ever before been offered for public competition. The following were the more valuable lots disposed of: A gold presentation snuff-box, beautifully enamelled with flowers and musical instruments, the top surmounted with a cluster of rich brilliants, £87. A square matted basket-work gold snuff-box, very massive, and studded with no less than two hundred and sixty-four fine brilliants, £180. An oval gold snuff-box, enamelled with musical instruments, on the top the Sultan's cipher in gold, surrounded with a circle of brilliants, and double circle of rose diamonds and brilliant sprigs, the whole encircled with a border of brilliants; and a small shaped ditto, in yellow enamel, with groups of flowers and music, on the top a ship at sea, sails, hull, and sea composed of exquisite small brilliants and roses, the border of festoons and stars of fine brilliants, £190 10s.
"A pair of zerfs, in turquoise enamel, with flowers and clusters of brilliants and roses; two pairs of ditto in lavender enamel, with scrolls and centres of large fine brilliants, and a pair of ditto, pierced scroll and flower-work, with birds, the whole composed of fine brilliants and roses, £615. A gold watch, enamelled with flowers and enriched with fine brilliants and chatelaine with clusters of brilliants. Another, with black enamel, enriched with fine brilliants and similar chatelaine, £148. A gold watch very richly ornamented with brilliants set in gold, with an emerald in the centre, and a chatelaine chain, with brilliant clusters and two brilliant drops, £112. A large spread brilliant, superbly mounted with brilliants and roses as a ring; and a very fine rose diamond mounted with small roses, also as a ring, £219. A pair of brilliant flower brooches, of medium size, each with two pendants, £820. A Sultana's head ornament of great beauty, with three pendants of very fine and large brilliants set in gold, £520. A large wreath, composed of fine brilliants and emeralds mounted in gold, the dahlia and convolvulus pattern, with festoons and flower pendants, forming a Sultana's head-dress of great magnitude and splendor, £450. There were in all sixty-five lots in the first day's sale, which realized the large sum of £8,760.
