The Asscher-cut diamond, weighing 6.82 carats, is D colour, potentially flawless and Type IIa. Type IIa diamonds are the most chemically pure type of diamond and possess exceptional optical transparency. Famous gem diamonds that are Type IIa include the Cullinan I and the Koh-i-noor. This ring, estimated at £150,000-200,000, has never before been seen at auction and its colour, clarity and shape are exquisite.

The sale also features two other impressive gem-quality diamond rings: a brilliant-cut diamond, weighing 3.00 carats, D colour, Internally Flawless, estimated at £70,000 – 90,000 and a pear-shaped diamond, weighing 5.00 carats, D colour, VS2 clarity, estimated at £80,000 – 100,000.

Bonhams is also delighted to present a superb selection of antique 19th century jewellery, which is seen increasingly infrequently on the market. A late 19th century sapphire and diamond necklace, estimated at £45,000 – 55,000 and an early 19th century diamond necklace with circular clusters of cushion-shaped diamonds, estimated at £25,000 – 30,000, are both outstanding examples of their type.

A further highlight is an early 20th century emerald and diamond choker/ bracelet combination. Designed as a highly articulated series of panels of brilliant and single-cut diamonds with rectangular and calibré-cut emeralds, the choker separates to form a pair of bracelets. This fantastic piece is estimated at £10,000 – 15,000.

A rare catalogue of Henry Philip Hope’s collection of pearls and precious stones will also be offered in this sale. Published in 1839, this volume sets out his celebrated collection in its entirety, including the famous Hope Pearl and the infamous Hope Diamond, the extraordinary blue diamond of 45.52 carats, once believed to be cursed, which had been part of the French crown jewels and is now in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. The book, which belonged to the Hope family and has since passed by descent to the vendor, is estimated at £2,000-3,000.

Jean Ghika, Director of the Jewellery Department comments, “we are delighted to be chosen to handle the sale of such an exceptional selection of diamonds and antique and period jewels and anticipate they will be strongly competed for on the day of the sale”.

www.bonhams.com/jewellery

Over 90 vehicles will be on show featuring the following:

- 2008 Ferrari 599 Fiorano Coupe
- 2008 Aston Martin Roadster
- 2 x 2007 Audi R8 Coupes & 2009 Audi RS6
- 2009 Porsche Cayenne GTS Wagon
- 2007 Land Rover Range Rover Sport TdV6

The sale will also showcase a range of luxury vehicles from BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes and more, with the majority on behalf of financial institutions and fleet lease companies.

Branch manager of prestige vehicles at Pickles Auctions Belmore, Steve Allen explains. “The upcoming auction will feature a large range of repossessed exotic and price range luxury vehicles – including the 2008 Ferrari 599 Fiorano Coupe. This auction represents a special opportunity to pick up a luxury bargain.”

The Luxury, Exotic and 4WD Vehicle Auction is on at The Royal Hall of Industries, Entertainment Quarter, Lang Road Moore Park, on Monday 6 September 2010 at 6:00pm.

Free Public viewing will be held from 12:00pm-5:00pm on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 September at the same location.

All of the vehicles can be viewed prior to auction online at www.pickles.com.au

For bidders unable to attend Pickles offer an online bidding facility – Pickles Live – that enables bids to be placed live in real time using the internet.
For more information, please contact Pickles Auctions on (02) 9704 6614.

From a private vendor in Ireland, there is an impressive selection of 1982 Bordeaux, including Cos d’Estournel (£2,000-2,600 per dozen), Pichon Lalande (£2,800-3,400), Leoville Las Cases (£2,400-3,000). Another private cellar in northern Engalnd has produced a further six dozen Beychevelle 1982 (£1,000-1,200 per dozen).

From a superb Belgian cellar, there are case of Petrus 1983, 1985 and 1986 (£6,500-7,500 each) as well as some fine red Burgundy from Rousseau (Chambertin 1990 at £600-700 per bottle) and Bonnes Mares from Roumier (£1,300-1,600 for 4 bottles of the 1999 vintage). Other red Burgundies in the sale include a case of Corton 1989 from Meo-Camuzet (£2,000-2,600), Clos de la Roche 1990 from Leroy (£6,000-8,000), Bonnes-Mares 1995 from Dujac (£2,400-3,000) and five vintages of Clos des Lambrays (£900-1,100 for 1 dozen 1995 vintage). For those who like their wines in large formats, there is a rehoboam (6 bottles) of Richebourg 1976 from Drouhin (£240-300) and a Nebuchadnezzar (20 bottles) of Chevalier-Montrachet, Les Demoiselles 2000 from Louis Jadot (£1,500-2,000).

More recent clarets include two cases of 1989 Chateau Lafite Rothschild (£6,000-7,000 per dozen), nine dozen Mouton Rothschild 1993 (£1,800-2,200) and two superb collections both from temperature controlled cellars on the Continent including five cases of Angelus 1998 (£1,100-1,400), a case and a half of Lafite Rothschild 2000 (£6,000-8,000 per dozen) and a dozen Cheval Blanc 2000 (£6,000-7,000).

From the Rhone valley, there is mature Gigondas from Paul Jaboulet (1964 at £240-300 and 1970 at £220-260 per dozen), Chateau Rayas (£1,600-2,000 for 4 bottles of 1978 and £3,000-3,600 for 5 bottles of 1990 vintage) and ten vintages of Hermitage, La Chapelle. From Alsace, we have mature Vendanges Tardives and Selection de Grains Nobles Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Tokay from Zind-Humbrecht and Domaine Weinbach.

More bottles of the exceptional 1830 Malmsey Madeira are on offer (£380-440 per bottle) and amongst the vintage Ports, we have five bottles of Taylor 1927 (£250-300 per bottle) and two bottles of Quinta do Noval Nacional 1963 (£900-1,100 per bottle).

In addition to all these fine and rare wines, the sale is full of more modest wines for everyday drinking, including a good range from Australia, cru bourgeois claret, Rhone and southern France.

Following our next sale on 21st October, we are presenting a Port Masterclass featuring six vintages of Taylor and Graham Port, presented by the managing directors of the two companies, Adrian Bridge and Paul Symington, moderated by the author, Richard Mayson.

For all enquiries about the tasting, or for consigning to our remaining sales in 2010 please contact the Wine Department on +44 (0)8700 273622 or wine@bonhams.com

www.bonhams.com/wine

The oil lease packages have a total producing capacity of 30+ BOPD from 26 wells, and most packages include a water disposal well. There are more than 1,560 acres of leaseholds currently operated from and within 25 miles of Beggs, Oklahoma.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to take advantage of the exceptional upside potential of these under-served, owner-operated producing oil and gas leases. Well and surface work has been curtailed in recent months, and full productive potential requires minimal effort and investment,” explained Karbelk.

All producing wells have a pumping unit, tubing and rods to perforation depth and are connected to a separation and storage facility. There are nine different lots of leases that will be offered with each lot having either one or multiple leases. The lots of leases will be offered individually, in combination and in their entirety.

“There are no minimum bids and no reserves at the auction,” comments Karbelk. All sales are subject to the customary Bankruptcy Court approval.

This auction is the second bankruptcy auction from the Stephen Rowe Oil Properties, LLC bankruptcy case. In February 2010, National Commercial Auctioneers sold another portfolio of oil leases for the same debtor. “These leases are even better than the previously offered oil leases. If you are in the market to buy oil leases, this is the auction to attend,” said Karbelk.

In addition to the oil leases, National Commercial Auctioneers will be selling the corporate offices of Stephen Rowe Oil Properties, LLC, which includes 6.6+/- acres with a small office building, storage buildings and an equipment yard.

The auction will be conducted in the courtroom on the second floor at the US Bankruptcy Court, 111 W. 4th Street in Okmulgee, Okla., beginning at 10am.

Please see the property information package for complete terms and conditions. For more details, visit www.natcomauctions.com or call toll free (877) 895-7077.

This is an itinerary reversal from what has been the norm at previous cataloged auctions. Typically, the Fine Wine session would finalize the sale. This time, it’s kicking things off. “We have over 100 lots of very high grade wines, and we want to show them off right away,” said Leland Little of Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd.

The majority of wine in the sale was taken from the cellar of an avid collector and retired restaurateur who assembled numerous notable wine lists, earning in the process a Wine Spectator Grand Award and many other wine awards over a 20-year period. Most of his rare and vintage bottles were purchased on first release and all have been kept in temperature-controlled storage.

The Saturday session will be no less impressive. Offered will be 550 quality, fresh-to-the-market lots from local estates and collections. Included will be original art, period furniture, works on paper, silver, antique clocks, decorative accessories, pottery and more. “Estate jewelry, watches and Asian arts in particular will be outstanding,” Mr. Little said.

A lecture will precede the Friday session, as Clifford Chieffo will give a talk on portrait miniatures at 3 p.m. That will be followed by a reception preview, at 4 p.m. Wine and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Previews will be held on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 10-3, and Thursday and Friday, Sept. 16-17, from 10-6. Online bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com.

Asian arts will feature items such as a rare Chinese Export porcelain hunt bowl with the exterior decorated with mounted huntsmen and their hounds (circa 1785), but there will also be spectacular antiquities, too, that date back thousands of years. These will include Chinese Trade jewelry, Longquan dishes, a Ch’ing-pai lidded ewer, and numerous vessels, ceramics and boxes.

Estate jewelry promises to dazzle the assembled throngs. Two lots expected to do particularly well are a gorgeous diamond solitaire ring simply set with one beautiful round brilliant cut diamond weighing 5.56 carats, prong set and mounted in platinum; and an Art Deco diamond and sapphire bracelet made in the 1930s, with one round diamond and 16 baguette cut sapphires.

American artwork will feature a watercolor on ivory portrait miniature of Dr. Alexander Landson Baron (1810-1842) by Charles Fraser (SC, 1782-1860); an oil painting by Louis Jambor (1884-1955), titled Boating Beauties and depicting two women on a lake; and paintings by New York artists Frank O’Cain (20th c.), Henry Boese (1824-1863) and Alice Hirsch (1888-1935).

Continental art will also cross the block. Star lots include two oil on canvas portraits by Scottish painter Henry Raeburn (1756-1823), depicting James Lockhart and Sir James Sinclair-Lockhart; and a pair of Dutch Romanticism works by Willem Bodemann (Dutch, 1806-1880), one of ice skaters on a frozen pond with figures, the other of skaters and a woman in a red cape.

Bronzes will feature a nude statue by Raoul Larche (Fr., 1860-1912), titled Vingt Ans (Twenty Years Old), signed and numbered (’7850′); a late 19th century Barbedienne Foundry Borghese gladiator, modeled after the Hellenistic original in the Louvre in Paris; and a bronze sculpture with deep brown patina by Emmanuel Villanis (Fr., 1858-1914), titled L’Eclipse.

Continental silver is sure to wow the crowd, with lots like a Georg Jensen sterling pitcher with ebony handle, engraved Christmas 1928; two Georg Jensen sterling compotes with applied grape design, engraved Christmas 1928; and a George III sterling basket by Vere & Lutwyche (London, 1763). American silver will feature a Gorham “Chantilly-Duchess” six-piece service.

American furniture will include a late 18th century New Englnd Puritan chest on chest, walnut with pine secondary; a two-part form cherry corner cupboard (circa 1830-40), probably Pennsylvania; an 1820s New York Classical sideboard, mahogany with white pine secondary; and a Classical stencil decorated center table (circa 1820s), mahogany and mahogany veneers.

Continental furniture and decorative accessories will feature an early 19th century Georgian triple pedestal mahogany dining table; a pair of 19th century French carved eagle console tables, carved gilt wood and gesso; a boxed set of plaster mold Intaglios after Pietro Bracci (19th century); and a 19th century bisque figure of the work Barberini Faun by Volpato.

Americana will include a rare, small size 19th century Virginia leather key basket, oblong form; an oil on panel painting of Alexander Hamilton by William J. Weaver (1759-1817), unsigned; a Sargent (Boston) family register historic sampler of silk and linen; an autographed letter by Patrick Henry (1773); and ship’s papers signed by then-Pres. James Madison (1809).

American pottery pieces, always a hit with collectors, will feature a 19th century mid-Atlantic salt glazed stoneware harvest jug with elaborate cobalt decorations to both spout and handle; an E.A. Fulcher presentation stoneware jar, probably Baltimore, Md. (circa 1850); an alkaline glazed stoneware jug from the Collins Rhodes Factory (Edgefield, SC, circa 1840s); and a Charles B. Masten glazed Auman pottery salt-glazed stoneware vase made around 1928-1930.

Art glass will include a signed Daum Nancy French art glass low vase with forest scene; and three marvelous Tiffany pieces: a Favrile glass three-handled vase (circa early 20th century), the organic baluster form; a decorated Favrile glass vase baluster form with light ribbing and etched signature; and a Favrile glass lava vase, numbered ’322D’ and signed Tiffany on the base.

Vintage timepieces will strike a chord with bidders. Examples include a small English lantern clock made for the Turkish market in the early 18th century by William Kipling of London; a Federal Eli Terry pillar and scroll mantel clock (Plymouth, Conn., circa early 19th century); and a circa 1890 Waltham 8-day ship’s chronometer with mahogany and brass case.

From the modern furniture and sculpture category, two lots are worth noting. One is a set of four beautiful Gaetano Descalzo Chiavari side chairs (Italy, circa 1850s), cherry wood with woven cane seats. The other is a bulbous form bottle vase with tapered neck by Peter Voulkos (Am., 1924-2002). The vase boasts a rust colored glaze adorning a gray and green speckled field.

The militaria portion of the sale will have many rare and important Confederate items from the Civil War. These will include Confederate soldiers’ letters, currency and bonds, a military pass and philatelic items, to include Confederate 5-cent stamps, turned covers, paid stampless covers, official government postal items, POW covers and adversity covers.

The Sept. 17 session dedicated entirely to fine and vintage wines will feature many desirable lots. Just a few include seven bottles of 1996 Chateau Mouton Rothschild (Fr., Pauillac); six bottles of 1997 Opus One (Napa Valley, Calif.); three bottles of 1982 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion (Fr., Graves); and three bottles of 1985 Chateau Margaux (Fr., Margaux).

Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd. is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign a single item, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (919) 644-1243, or you can e-mail them at info@LLAuctions.com. To learn more about Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, Ltd., and the Sept.. 17-18 auction, log on to www.LLAuctions.com

“In the hospitality market, it is rare to have the opportunity to sell such a well-located, limited service, interior corridor hotel,” said Palacios. “We anticipate buyer-interest because of the rarity of this type of property available at auction.”

The property, which comprises approximately 3 acres is conveniently located midway between Indianapolis and Louisville off I-65 making this furnished, closed property a nearly turn-key opportunity. The property is close to many area attractions, such as the Tanger Outlet Mall, Great Escape Movie Theater, and Indiana Center for Arts. Seymour is the hometown of rocker John Mellencamp.

A former Lee’s Inn brand, this two-story property has a mix of double and king rooms; including nine suites. Other features include an indoor pool, whirlpool, fitness room and other guest amenities.

The hotel is being sold pursuant to court order authorizing a Sheriff’s Auction of the property. The auction is scheduled for Tuesday, September 21 at 11am EDT. The property will be open for inspection September 14 at 1pm EDT. To learn more about the property, the auction and the terms of the sale, please contact National Commercial Auctioneers at 1-877-895-7077 or visit www.natcomauctions.com

Shelmerdine is best known for his role as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt from 1984 until 1992. After his successful campaign with Earnhardt and Richard Childress, Kirk decided to retire, and later became a Cup series driver and team owner.

Citing the lack of sponsors and technology currently available to independent teams, Kirk has decided to sell his entire operation at public auction. “I’m extremely proud of what we’ve built and accomplished here over the years, but the time has come for a completely new business model.” He is selling his race shop located at 468 Industrial Drive in Welcome, NC, plus a Featherlite car hauler, 3 Cup COT cars, pit equipment, shop equipment, vehicles, parts and more.

Iron Horse Auction Company, Inc. has been commissioned to conduct the auction. Iron Horse Auction Co. and its predecessor Thomas McInnis and Associates have conducted many of the leading race equipment auctions held in the Southeastern United States since 1980.

Thomas McInnis, COO of Iron Horse Auction Co. states, “We are very honored to be chosen to conduct this unique racing equipment auction, especially given Kirk’s history and the scope of his career. We look forward to working with the Shelmerdine family on this important project.”

The auction will take place Tuesday, September 14th at 11 a.m. on the premises in Welcome, NC.

Complete information is available at www.ironhorseauction.com. For further information, contact Thomas McInnis at 910.997.2248 or 800.997.2248 or go to www.kirkshelmerdine.com

“Bidders have a great opportunity to live in one of the best subdivisions Broken Arrow has to offer and build new on a lot with mature trees nestled in a quiet bend in the road. There is great potential here for spec home from a builder as well,” said Karbelk. “This property is only a few minutes from the Broken Arrow Expressway and a short commute to downtown Tulsa.”

Located at 29502 E. 63rd Street in Broken Arrow, the first property is a 2.40 acre residential lot in the established Woodland Hills subdivision. The lot was formerly improved with a single family home which was lost to fire and has been cleared to the concrete foundation.

The second parcel consists of two residential lots totaling 5.0 acres at 9902 N. 161st Street East Avenue in Owasso.

“These lots are located on a quiet road only minutes from major retail and Highway 169,” said Karbelk. “This would make an excellent private getaway that would still be close to all that Owasso has to offer. We’re offering both lots for one bid.”

The auction for the Broken Arrow property is set for Friday, September 17 at 10am, while the Owasso property will be auctioned at 12:30pm. Properties may be inspected any time.

Bidders must register prior to the auction. Please see the property information package for complete terms and conditions. Broker participation is encouraged. For more details about the property, visit http://www.natresauctions.com or call toll free (877) 895-7077.

An incredibly rare and immensely collectible 1934 Duesenberg Model JN Convertible Sedan by Rollston leads the lineup of over 800 quality motor cars already consigned. Auctions America is also pleased to be presenting select automobiles and motorcycles from the estate of Mr. John O’Quinn.

Featured lots exhibiting the breadth of the cars on offer Labor Day weekend include: a 1907 Alldays and Onions Roadster; a 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Saloon by Weymann; a 1958 Dodge Coronet Super D 500 Convertible, a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 Convertible; a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible; and a 2002 Bentley Azure Convertible.

A range of motorcycles is also on offer, including a 1975 Harley Davidson XR 750 Flat Track Bike and a 2005 Harley-Davidson Jay Leno – Tsunami and Katrina, and each day the auction kicks off with a selection of memorabilia.

Staying true to the forty-year tradition of staging the Auburn auction event, Auctions America will also host a swap meet and car corral as part of the schedule of activities.

“We’re really pleased with how our first Labor Day weekend event is taking shape over this short two-month span of time since acquiring the Auburn auction park and setting up the new Auctions America entity,” said Donnie Gould, Auctions America.

“The anticipation is mounting and we look forward to welcoming everyone to a great show this Labor Day weekend! We truly have something for everyone,” Gould added.

Event Details: Auburn Fall Collector Car Auction

Free public preview:
Wednesday, September 1st
8am to 6pm ET

Auction:
Thursday, September 2nd to Sunday, September 5th
10am to 6pm ET daily

Swap meet & Car corral:
Thursday, September 2nd to Sunday, September 5th
8am to 8pm ET daily

Gates open at 8am and close at 10pm ET daily, with the exception of Sunday, September 5th when the gates will close at 6pm

Admission:
$10 day pass per person
$25 weekend pass per person
$100 bidder registration (admits two for the weekend and includes VIP parking)
Children 12 and under are free

VIP Parking:
$20 day parking pass
$50 weekend parking pass
Registered bidders and consignors park for free

Location:
Auburn Auction Park
Exit 126 off I-69, Auburn, Indiana

For more information or to consign an automobile to Auctions America’s inaugural Auburn Fall Collector Car Auction, please call 1-877-906-2437. To view a regularly updated consignment list, visit: http://www.rmauctions.com/CarList.cfm?SaleCode=AF10

Contemporary Prints
Highlighting the contemporary section is a group of works from the estate of the late Ernie Donagh (1941-2007), one of the most accomplished printers of his generation. A specialist in the complex art of stone lithography, he worked for Editions Alecto and Petersburg Press, who pioneered the publication of editions in the 1960s. During his career, Donagh worked with many of the great British and American artists of the post-war era, including Richard Hamilton, Jim Dine, David Hockney and Frank Stella, amongst others. Many of the prints in Donagh’s collection were given to him by the artists and have never been on the market, including Richard Hamilton’s Toaster (estimate: £10,000-15,000), Fashion Plate (estimate: £15,000-20,000), and I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas (estimate: £12,000-16,000), Frank Stella’s Jasper’s Dilemma (estimate: £5,000-7,000) and David Hockney’s Grimm’s Fairy Tales (estimate: £6,000-8,000).

Modern Prints
Leading the modern section are a set of lithographs by Marc Chagall, Four Tales from the Arabian Nights (estimate: £200,000-300,000), and Henri Matisse’s album Jazz (estimate: £100,000-150,000), two of the greatest works of colour printmaking of the 20th century.

Marc Chagall, who in the eyes of many was the pre-eminent colour lithographer of his age, began his relationship with the medium with Four Tales from the Arabian Nights. The Arabian Nights, more accurately known as the One Thousand and One Nights, is a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled during the Islamic Golden Age in Arabic. The stories were told night after night by Scheherazade, the new bride of a Persian king, in an effort to postpone the threat of her pending execution. Arabian Nights has come to be regarded as one of Chagall’s greatest achievements in the medium, in large part because the literary source was ideally suited to the artist’s lyrical style, his opulent colour palette and his boundless imagination.

Matisse had first used a paper cut-out design in an early issue of the renowned journal Verve, yet when the publisher Tériade suggested an entire book based on cut-outs, the artist refused. However, after some persuasion and further thoughts and experiments with the printing technique, Matisse changed his mind and threw all his energy into the project. When he presented the book to Tériade, it was already with the – seemingly unrelated – title Jazz, as he associated the bold cut-out forms and vibrant colours of the work with the rhythms and dynamism of Jazz music. The publication of the book in 1947 was an unprecedented success. Jazz, like Chagall’s Arabian Nights, is an example of what a great artist and printmaker can achieve when subject, style and the respective technique, in this case pochoir, are perfectly matched.

Old Masters Prints
The section of Old Master Prints comprises some fine prints by Goya, Piranesi and Tiepolo, as well as a rare, large woodcut-frieze of An Army Train by Erhard Schön (estimate: £8,000-12,000), yet it is dominated by a group of portraits by Rembrandt. The two most remarkable impressions are those of Ephraim Bonus, Jewish Physician (estimate: £25,000-35,000), and of the Artist’s Mother seated at a table, looking right, (estimate: £6,000-8,000).

Ephraim Bonus, or Bueno as he was really named, came from a prominent Sephardic family of doctors in Amsterdam. Bueno himself worked as a medical doctor, but also wrote poetry, translated Spanish text and belonged to the same literary circles as Rembrandt’s friends. While Rembrandt usually drafted his portraits straight onto the printing plate, there is a small oil sketch in the Rijksmuseum, which must have been a preparatory work for the portrait of Bueno. Perhaps he did not know the sitter very well and needed the oil sketch as an aide-memoire. In any case, Rembrandt altered the image significantly on the printing plate; while on the oil sketch the sitter looks directly at us, in the print his right eye is looking elsewhere. It is this shy, introspective glance that – despite his formal, confident pose at the foot of the stairs – lends Bueno an air of melancholy and humility, a quality that unites the finest of Rembrandt’s portrait etchings.

Quite naturally, the portrait of the Artist’s Mother conveys an even stronger sense of intimacy. Unlike with Bueno, Rembrandt appears to have worked directly onto the plate. He thereby concentrated entirely on the face and the hands, lovingly recording the wrinkles and creases of his mother’s aged skin with the finest lines. This is the quintessential portrait of an artist’s mother, and it is rare to find good early impressions such as the present one, with the delicate lines and the darkest, heavily worked areas printed with such clarity.