Royal Brooch Fetches Hammer Price of £15,000 at Noonans

An exquisite brooch given by Prince Albert (later George VI), one of eight brooches given to the bridesmaids who attended his marriage to The Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) in 1923, sold for a hammer price of £15,000 – three times the pre-sale estimate - at Noonans Mayfair (16 Bolton Street) in an auction of Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu on Tuesday, November 25, 2025. The brooch, known as The York Rose Brooch, was made by Garrard & Co., circa 1923. Modelled as the White Rose of York, alluding to the Duke’s title as Duke of York, the brooch of a frosted rock crystal was centred with rose-cut diamond initials ‘EA’ – Elizabeth and Albert – and mounted in platinum. Sold by an Australian private collector as part of collection of Royal jewels, the brooch was bought by a UK private buyer [lot 262].

Amongst the highest prices in the Watch section was a white gold and diamond-set rectangular wristwatch with jumping hours by Breitling, circa 2011, which sold for a hammer price of £17,000 against a pre-sale estimate of £12,000-18,000. Created in a collaboration between Bentley Motors and Breitling, the watch attracted a great deal of interest and was bought by a UK private collector [lot 408].  

Following the success of the recent internationally acclaimed Cartier Exhibition at the V&A, it was no surprise that Cartier pieces continue to attract strong prices. A turquoise and diamond pendant with a turquoise panel mounted by Cartier, sold for a hammer price of £10,000 against an estimate of £3,000-4,000 to a UK buyer [Lot 294]. A lady’s gold square wristwatch with bracelet, also by Cartier and dating from circa 1990, sold for a hammer price of £9,500 against an estimate of £3,000-5,000 [Lot 371] and a 9ct gold Royal Presentation medallion by Cropp & Farr for Cartier, with Elizabeth II’s Royal cypher (part of the Royal Collection including the York Rose Brooch), realised a hammer price of £3,800 against an estimate of £600-800. The medallion was presented to Miss Peggy Gladys Hoath (1929-2018) by the late Queen Elizabeth II in thanks for her work during Her Majesty’s tour of Canada in 1959 [lot 266].

A rare Dunhill-Namiki ‘maki-e’ lacquer travelling pen, decorated by MAKIAWA SHICHINOJO / ‘Shobi’, circa 1930, finely decorated with ‘gold dust’ and two goldfish swimming amongst pondweed, sold for a hammer price of £9,500 against a pre-sale estimate of £1,800-2,600. In beautiful condition, the pen was bought by an overseas private collector [Lot 423].

A fine early 20th century diamond bow brooch, set throughout with old brilliant, single and transitional-cut diamonds, with scalloped borders of calibré-cut sapphires, and mounted in platinum, attracted strong bidding, sold for a hammer price of £6,000 against an estimate of £2,000-£3,000 to a UK private collector [Lot 285].

Among the early pieces, a late 15th century silver vervel belonging to John de la Pole, 2nd Duke of Suffolk (1442–1492), and brother-in-law to Richard III, generated fiercely competitive bidding between two private collectors, resulting in a hammer price of £5,500, against an estimate of £400-600. [Lot 90].

Following the sale, Frances Noble, Head of Jewellery Department at Noonans commented: “The sale showed increasingly strong interest from private bidders, resulting in many of the top lots selling to collectors.”