Estimated at just £150-200, this sardonyx cameo ring right sold to a dealer for £39,000 (plus 20% buyer’s premium) at auction.
Key to the appeal of the 1in (2.5cm) ring offered by Tennants of Leyburn, North Yorkshire, on January 12 was the presence of the signature Marchant for Nathaniel Marchant (1739-1816), the noted English engraver of cameos, intaglios and medals. The subject was a classical female bust.