Going for Gold: rare Chester dish follows Antiques Roadshow
Just days after his appearance on BBC1’s The Antiques Roadshow, Kevin Parry of Lowe & Sons bought an extremely rare piece of Chester gold.
The sugar bowl, hallmarked by John and Joyce Lowe, bears the last Chester hallmark ‘M’ date letter, which as Kevin explained on the television programme, was only used in the final weeks of the Chester Assay office, 1st July to 24th August, 1962.
Lowe & Sons is Chester’s oldest jewellers and the third oldest in the UK; General Manager Kevin presented ledgers from the shop on The Antiques Roadshow dating back to the eighteenth century, which were described as “priceless” by silver expert Ian Pickford. Kevin, who started work at the Bridge Street Row shop when he was 16, took ledgers dating back to 1792 which detail inventories at the shop and Ian Pickford added they were “the best things I’ve seen all day.”
Kevin also took a silver dish to The Antiques Roadshow, held at Chester Cathedral, which was one of the last items to have the Chester hallmark, dating from 1962, when the Assay office closed in Chester.
Kevin Parry said:
“It was fantastic to be involved in The Antiques Roadshow and great that so soon after the programme was aired the opportunity to buy this piece of Chester gold came up. Only a couple of these gold dishes would have been made.
“We have seen gold prices surge over the last 12 months and this trend is set to increase further with prices of $1,500 per ounce forecast for the end of the year.
“Anyone considering selling should ensure they visit a reputable jeweller they can trust in order to realise the best possible price.”
Recently described by The Duke of Westminster as “a hallmark of excellence in Chester for so many years” Waltons was established in 1909 and sells most of the top brands of watches and jewellery from its shops at The Cross, Eastgate Street, Lowe & Sons in Bridge Street and Hope Street, Wrexham.
Kevin added:
“The ‘Gold Rush’ is not just limited to gold. Silver has also increased in value and we are seeing a marked increase in sales at our shop, Lowe & Sons in Bridge Street Row.”
The Lowe family dominated the story of Chester silver throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. A large collection of Lowe’s silver is on display at the Ridgway Silver Gallery at The Grosvenor Museum, Grosvenor Street, Chester. Also on display is the last piece of silver hallmarked at the Chester Assay Office before its closure in 1962 and a new bowl, commissioned by the previous owners of Lowe & Sons, to celebrate the opening of the gallery in 1992.
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CAPTION: Kevin Parry, Manager of Lowe & Sons, holding the gold sugar bowl above one of Lowe’s ledgers
Lowe & Sons was established by George Lowe in 1770 and has been at Bridge Street Row since 1804. Lowe’s has close links with Royalty, the Grosvenors, local businesses and Chester Race Company.
The Victorian shop interior has remained the same since 1890. Lowe’s have been supplying the Chester Cup to Chester Racecourse since 1804, more than 200 years ago.
Waltons of Chester was established in 1909 and is one of the best and most respected jewellers in the country.
Waltons of Chester offers a fabulous selection of watches, diamonds and jewellery, backed up by experienced and friendly staff who provide all the services expected of a high-class county jeweller.
Waltons, whose head office is Eastgate Street, Chester also has shops at The Cross in Chester, Hope Street, Wrexham and Lowe & Sons, Bridge Street Row, Chester. Waltons of Chester sells watches by Jaeger LeCoultre, Brietling, Omega, IWC, Rado, Chanel, Raymond Weil, Longines and Baume & Mercier, clocks and jewellery brands include Mikimoto, Faberge and Lalique.
Waltons of Chester has 33 members of staff and was founded by Bertram Walton at The Cross in 1909, during the reign of Edward VII. The second Waltons store was opened at 45, Eastgate Street in 1919 and the Wrexham Shop was opened in 1935. In 1988, Lowe & Sons, which has been part of Chester since 1770, was bought by Edward Walton.
Waltons has a combined staff service of 450 years, with David Lee, Manager of 45, Eastgate Street, Chester, being the longest serving member of staff with 35 years service.
For more information please visit www.waltonsofchester.co.uk
Press Contact:
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Office: 01244 330000
Company Contact:
Richard Hogben General Manager of Waltons of Chester
45, Eastgate Street
Chester
CH1 1LR Tel: 01244 325972
Website: www.waltons-the-jewellers.co.uk
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