Agatha Christie's 19th-century diamond brooch and diamond three-stone ring will be auctioned at Bonhams in October. Image courtesy of Bonhams.
Agatha Christie’s 19th-century diamond brooch and diamond three-stone ring set for auction at Bonhams in October as part of its diamond auction. Image courtesy of Bonhams.
BY ARTCENTRON
LONDON— Bonhams Auction House is set to solve the mystery behind Agatha Christie’s secret treasures found in a locked strongbox. On October 8, the hidden treasures from the home of the famous author will come to light at Bonhams Knightsbridge Jewelry auction in London. The diamond auction includes rare gold coins, a diamond brooch, and a diamond ring.
The discovery of Agatha Christie’s hidden Jewelry could only have come from the brilliant mind of the writer herself. It all began in 2006. During a house contents sale at Agatha Christie’s Greenway estate, a die-hard fan bought an old traveling trunk that belonged to Agatha Christie’s mother for £100. Inside the trunk was a locked strongbox. The owner set it aside because she did have the long-lost keys.
For four years, the owner did not bother about opening the box until she was having building work done. She got a crowbar and began to wrench open the box. Little did she know that inside the box lay £10,000 worth of Christie family jewels. Inside she discovered a purse of gold coins, a diamond brooch, and a three-stone diamond ring. She knew she had found the hidden jewels.
These Agatha Christie’s jewels are special in so many ways and will be the highlight at Bonhams auction house jewelry sale in London. They have a long history and appear in Christie’s books. The jewels are mentioned in Agatha Christie’s biography as pieces that were earmarked for Agatha and her sister Madge to inherit from their mother’s collection. Christie writes: “My mother’s valuable jewelry consisted of ‘my diamond buckle’, ‘my diamond crescent’ and ‘my diamond engagement ring’…Madge was to have the diamond crescent, I was to have the diamond buckle…” She continues “My mother sorted amongst an array of odds and ends…all these required hours of sorting before they were packed in the trays in the various trunks.”
She got a crowbar and began to wrench open the box. Little did she know that inside the box lay £10,000 worth of Christie family jewels.
Bonhams auction house will auction the Agatha Christie treasures as part of its Bonhams Knightsbridge Jewelry auction in London. The auction includes a 19th-century brooch estimated at £6,000-8,000. Also in the diamond auction is a three-stone ring with an estimate of £3,000-5,000.
There have been expectations from collectors of Agatha Christie’s treasures since the discoveries came to light. There are speculations that young writers are top on the list of collectors who want the diamond jewels. If a young writer buys the diamonds, perhaps, it may spin a new mystery that will captivate the world just like the secret treasures.
Blurring the line between public art and modern architecture explores how design, materials, and creativity reshape everyday spaces into artistic…
The gap between what comic conventions once were and what immersive comic conventions are today reflects something much bigger happening…
Make a rustic home feel more airy with smarter ceiling treatments, lighter window choices, edited surfaces, and furniture that opens…
A backyard art studio is a focused space where your ideas can develop more freely. Here are some thoughtful design…
See how architecture and art combine in garden design to shape outdoor spaces with structure, meaning, and visual impact that…
What factors make an industrial facility adaptable over time? Explore how design decisions influence flexibility, efficiency, and long-term use.