Vintage clocks, estate jewelry, great gift items and more to be sold in online-only auction Dec. 10

STRAFFORD, PA, November 18, 2010 (Press-News.org) Around 250 lots of fine clocks, estate jewelry and other small items that would make excellent holiday presents will be sold in an online-only auction slated to end Friday, Dec. 10, by Gordon S. Converse & Co. The auction is already online and all lots may be viewed at the website AuctionsatConverse.com, with a hyperlink to LiveAuctioneers.com.

"If payment is received promptly there will be no trouble shipping in time for the holidays," said Gordon Converse of Gordon S. Converse & Co. "The jewelry includes many affordable precious and semi-precious mounted pins, pendants, necklaces, rings and earrings. Vintage clocks make wonderful presents, too, and there will also be unusual and wonderful gift items galore."

While the auction is Internet-only, a preview will be held Dec. 7-9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or by appointment) in a showroom located at 1128 Greenhill Road in West Chester, Pa. West Chester is situated in southeastern Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia and north of Wilmington, Del., not far off Route 202. Gordon S. Converse & Co. is based in Strafford, Pa., not far away.

While most of the expected top lots will be vintage clocks and timepieces, many great gift items will also cross the block. These include a large, important Swiss orchestral music box featuring a rosewood cased box with inlay that plays the drums, castanets and bells (est. $2,000-$4,000), and a Swiss-made feathered mechanical singing bird in a cage (est. $1,500-$1,800).

Other great gift suggestions will feature a beautifully carved 6-inch owl whose head opens to a match container, a three-piece sterling coffee or chocolate set with a tray, other sterling silver pieces, a hand-made Japanese lacquer tray, a fine Tunbridge ware sewing box, a Roman soldier three-piece garniture set, porcelain pieces and, of course, fine estate jewelry.

Tops among the jewelry items will be a well-made 14-inch necklace with a 14mm central square peridot (the August birthstone and Libra Zodiac stone) with surrounding cut diamonds and smaller mounted peridot gems (est. $3,000-$6,000); and a dazzling diamond and sapphire pin set with diamonds in a rectilinear form, easily convertible into a pendant (est. $600-$2,000).

Also expected to draw bidder attention will be an aquamarine pendant (est. $1,500-$3,000) and aquamarine earrings (est. $500-$1,000). The pendant is a large and nicely colored 18kt gold, pearl and diamond set aquamarine pendant (or pearl necklace add-on). The earrings are simple and elegant: two 18kt aquamarines or topaz above three diamonds. Surprise someone!

Other unusual gift items include a 17th century oak cellaret for wine, some desk clocks, a ceramic Delft pitcher in the form of a drinking man in 18th century garb, a silver elephant pin and an exotic Japanese cabinet.

Rare and vintage clocks are the niche for which Gordon S. Converse & Co. has built its reputation, and many fine examples are expected to draw high dollar amounts. The anticipated top lot of the auction is a fine tubular chime hall clock with clockworks signed by the Herschede clock company (est. $7,000-$15,000). The clock has an especially fine carved case, corbel style.

Another clock expected to do well is a signed walnut tall case clock attributed to Jacob Kling of Reading, Pa. (est. $6,000-$8,000). The eight-day clock was taken from a local house where it had not been kept running or been altered for years.

Also worth noting is an early 19th century Philadelphia tall case clock with a heroic painted dial, signed by Abraham Cassel of Germantown (Philadelphia), with a solid and veneered mahogany Federal case (est. $4,000-$8,000), and an a 25-inch marble and applied gilt French portico clock with an angelic cherub on a swing as the pendulum (est. $4,000-$6,000).

Two clocks are expected to bring anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000. The first a fine Regency "bracket" (or chamber) timepiece in a solid mahogany case, with a mellow color, dark stained glass inlay pieces, cast and gilt Egyptian style feet and pineapple finial. The second is a cast brass cased mantel adapted Chelsea bronze metal clock with high-quality casting standards.

A 56-inch mahogany, mirror and cased wall clock by Ives with an iron painted dial above the mirror and a reverse painted pendulum lentical should reach $1,800-$2,500. The case with reeded columns support a sleight molded frieze and a scroll crested top. And a Tiffany mantel clock in the style of Louis XV, with a faux tortoise and ormolu case, should hit $800-$1,500.

Other stars of the clocks category include an outstanding decorative 18th or 19th century Swiss Neuchatel mantel clock with a finely painted surface (est. $1,500-$2,000); a nice late 19th or early 20th century carved walnut paneled provincial standing French provincial clock (est. $300-$1,500); and an early 19th century French made ormolu pillar clock (est. $400-$1,000).

Gordon S. Converse & Co. is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call the firm directly, at (610) 722-9004; or, e-mail them at Gordon@ConverseClocks.com. Mr. Converse replies promptly to all e-mailed inquiries.

Anyone interested in finding out what an antique item might be worth can find out by sending a photo of the item, along with a check for $40, to Gordon S. Converse & Co., Attn: Gordon S. Converse, 758 Mancill Rd., Strafford, PA 19087. For more information, please log on to http://www.AuctionsatConverse.com or http://www.ConverseClocks.com. Updates are posted frequently.