Jewel Auction To Help Charities

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31080, 8 June 1966, Page 6

Jewel Auction To Help Charities

(N.Z P A Reuter) LONDON. “New jewels from old’’ are to be sold in London, at Christie’s, the well-known auctioneers, on July 14, for the benefit of two chanties.

The “new jewels” will be unique, handmade pieces built by some of Britain's leading young designers from “scrap” obtained from old-fashioned jewellery sent in to be broken up. This novel method of raising funds is the idea of tire jewellers of Great Britain who are making an effort, their first concerted one, to help two charities:—

Oxfam, the non-political, nonsectarian organisation which collects funds to help the underprivileged peoples of the world and victims of earthquake, flood, famine or other natural disaster. The National Association of Youth Clubs, also nonpolitical and non-sectar-ian, which groups nearly 250,000 young people in Great Britain in more than 3000 affiliated clubs, and offers them training and advice to develop their physical, mental and spiritual capacities through leisure-time activities.

Believing that many people would like to help these organisations, although unable to afford cash contributions, the jewellers’ organising committee, under the chairmanship of Mr Richard Ogden, hit on the idea of inviting them to give all those out-dated rings, brooches, bracelets, necklaces, gold watch and chains which they have lying, useless and unworn, in boxes and safes all over the country.

Along with the pieces to be broken up have come contributions of silver and gold clocks, watches and objets d’art of all sorts.

Any of these articles expected to raise £5O or more will be auctioned at Christie’s, together with the “new jewels from old” on the evening of July 14. By early May, they included loose diamonds from Amsterdam, a gold empire sewing set, a silver George 111 period saucepan by the famous silversmith, Hennell, a set of seventeenth century minature paintings of copper by two Dutch artists, and a set of Churchill commemorative gold coins whose value has more than doubled since the recent Government ban on striking further commemorative medals and coins in gold. The young designers who are making the new jewels

from old include Joycelyn Kingsley, Heather Barral t and Gordon Haynes who are all designing for Richard Ogden, John Donald, Andrew Grima, Roger Millar and Gillian Packard who have their own studios, and Valerie Hurst who designs for a Birmingham firm. All won prizes or honourable mentions in the De Beers 1966 diamond engagement ring design competition and some have already won Diamondsinternational awards. All are giving their services free.

Appropriately, since the whole emphasis of the jewels-to-feed-the-hungry auction is on youth, most of them are under 30 years of age.