Indian auction house, AstaGuru, is offering a selection of rare and exquisite pieces during an online auction from May 27 to 28, 2026, featuring gemstone jewellery, mechanical watches, and European silver. The catalogue for ‘Heirloom Jewellery, Silver & Timepieces’ indicates where serious collectors in India are currently focused – historically designed gemstone jewellery, culturally significant mechanical watches, and European silver crafted by acknowledged silversmiths.
India’s high-net-worth collectors have been moving toward jewellery that carries both gemstone rarity and historical design context, and the numbers at international auction houses bear that out. Colombian emeralds with strong colour and documented origin have been pulling significant premiums at Sotheby’s and Christie’s over the past several years, and this catalogue has a pronounced focus on exactly that category.
Commanding the highest estimate of the entire auction is an Imperial-Style Deccan Colombian Emerald and Diamond Necklace. It draws from the visual language of Deccan and Nizam-era court adornment, a period in Indian history when gemstones carried political meaning as much as aesthetic value. Dynasties used stones like emeralds to signal wealth, forge alliances, and project power, and pieces designed in that tradition continue to hold strong appeal for collectors who understand that context.
Romil Dalal, Jewellery Expert at AstaGuru, said, “Collectors today are increasingly drawn to jewellery that transcends fleeting trends and embodies lasting value. From vintage diamond pieces featuring highly sought-after old-cut diamonds to heirloom Rajasthani jewels and regal ceremonial ornaments, the catalogue celebrates the enduring appeal of heritage craftsmanship. The auction also features notable ruby, spinel, and other gemstone-set pieces, reflecting the growing appreciation for rarity, artistry, and timeless elegance.”
A Pair of Colombian Emerald and Diamond Ear Pendants is built around richly hued pear-shaped Colombian emeralds framed in a geometric setting. What sets this piece apart is the intricate openwork on the reverse, articulated through pear-cut diamonds. Attention to the back of a jewel is one of the clearest indicators of serious craftsmanship, and it is increasingly rare in contemporary production.
Lot 113 is a Six-Row Verde Sovereign Colombian Emerald and Old Mine-Cut Diamond Necklace, a sculptural collar format with a vivid step-cut Colombian emerald as its focal point. Old mine-cut diamonds, fashioned largely by hand before mechanised cutting became standard in the early 20th century, have been drawing renewed collector attention for their warmth and character.
Hinesh Kotecha, Luxury Timepiece Expert at AstaGuru, said, “The timepieces featured in this auction represent how innovation, design and cultural significance converge. From limited-edition sports watches to high-jewellery creations, the selection appeals to collectors who value mechanical excellence as much as individuality and rarity.”
The watch section’s highlight is the Patek Philippe Grand Complication Perpetual Calendar in 18k rose gold. The watch design is based on Patek Philippe’s design language from the 1920s and 1930s with its cushion shape representing this period and has a perpetual calendar that shows day, date, month, leap year and moon phases, all in a slim design. Patek Philippe perpetual calendars have been consistently in demand and have outperformed at auction around the globe and have seen significant growth because of rising interest by Asian collectors over the past 10 years.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore ‘Arnold’s All-Stars‘ Limited Edition in 18k rose gold represents a very different approach from the other watches in this section. With only 350 pieces produced, the watch has a very close connection to Arnold Schwarzenegger and the collection’s industrial design aesthetic. Throughout India and Southeast Asia, limited edition watches with cultural stories have performed very well in the secondary watch market.
In the silver section, an Exceptional Pair of Vermeil Girandoles by Ignaz Sebastian Würth leads the category. Dated to 1796 and crafted by the Imperial and Royal Court Silversmith of Vienna, this pair is a direct product of late 18th-century European royal commission culture, and Viennese court silver of this origin and age rarely surfaces in Indian auction catalogues. A 157-piece European Silver Cutlery Set by Wilhelm Seibel of Mettmann rounds out the section. A complete silver-and-gilt service for twelve, it bears both the maker’s mark and 800 silver standard marks, indicating 80 percent silver content by German standards. Services of this scale, complete and intact, are genuinely hard to come by.
AstaGuru’s ‘Heirloom Jewellery, Silver & Timepieces’ auction runs online on May 27 and 28, 2026. The full catalogue and bidding registration are available on the AstaGuru platform.
