Life’s Work: Michael Jordan, MD of O’Reilly’s Auction Rooms, Dublin

Michael Jordan is a jewellery auctioneer and the managing director of O'Reillys Auction Rooms at 126 Francis Street, Dublin 8, in the heart of Dublin's "antiques quarter". It holds monthly auctions – consisting of 400 to 500 lots – of antique and modern jewellery, silverware and watches. The staff of valuers and gemmologists provide advice and a valuation service to private vendors, executors, trustees and jewellers throughout Ireland.

What’s your background?

O'Reillys was established in 1948 by my grandfather John O'Reilly, and was located in Winetavern Street, on the site now occupied by Dublin City Council's Civic Offices. My mother, Kathleen Jordan (nee O'Reilly), took over the running of the business in 1952. I joined in the early 1970s at a time when we were holding three to four auctions every week, consisting of jewellery, silverware, coins, general antiques and household items mainly from the many pawnbrokers in Dublin at this time.

Before entering the business I worked as an estate agent with Dockrells – then in Wicklow Street – and with Frank Meldon & Co of Lower Merrion Street. I'm a past pupil of Terenure College and a former president of Terenure College Rugby Football Club. I played senior rugby with Terenure and also played senior soccer with Shelbourne and Athlone Town. I gained five international caps (at amateur level) including playing against England and Yugoslavia in Olympic qualifiers. I love to walk and have completed the Dingle Way and scaled Carrauntoohil in recent years. I also play golf.

Career highlights?

We recently sold the most beautiful diamond pendant for €140,000 – probably equal to a total year's turnover in the 1970s. We also sold a collection of jewellery brought into us by a horse trainer. Every time a certain owner's horses won, he purchased a piece of jewellery from us as a gift for the trainer's wife. Eventually, it came back to us for auction and he realised a fine profit. We also sold some items that had belonged to Patrick and Willie Pearse, including a beautiful shamrock brooch that commemorated members of the family and a marble paperweight that had been used by Patrick Pearse at St Enda's, the school he founded in Rathfarnham. It was bought by Bertie Ahern at an auction in 1995 for £200. At the time he was leader of Fianna Fáil.

What advice would you give to collectors/ investors?

The main question a collector or investor should ask is “what is the re-saleable opportunity of this item if I have to sell it?”

Value is really what someone else is prepared to pay. We encourage all our customers to ask about the quality, condition, style, and so on before they decide what to buy. Anyone who invested in diamonds or gold during the past few years – at the right price – would not have suffered any great loss.

Items of jewellery can be popular for a few years and then go out of fashion. The informed investor will identify this trend.

When I first started in the jewellery trade, the most popular items were gold Albert watch chains and Muff chains, curb-link bracelets, crescent diamond brooches, and Irish silver. The trend now seems to be for one really fine piece of jewellery; people are buying jewellery to wear it and not to leave it in the safe or bedside locker and take it out only on special occasions.

Solitaire, three-stone and five-stone diamond rings are now very popular and perhaps a ruby, diamond or sapphire ring as an extra. Diamond line bracelets are also popular as they can be worn for both formal and informal occasions. Diamond stud earrings have made a comeback. We have seen many people recently who have decided to invest in jewellery and they are also having the pleasure of wearing it.

What do you personally collect?

Silver and silver plate from a bygone era: marrow scoops, chocolate warmers, candlesticks, dish rings, tea and coffee services, menu holders, grape scissors, berry spoons, sugars, ladles, mustards etc etc. All of these items were necessary in the Big Houses of the 18th and 19th centuries and can be bought very reasonably today.

What would you buy if money were no object?

A large 18th century house on four or five acres in, say, Rathfarnham, overlooking the golf club and Dublin Bay in need of renovation, that I could furnish in period style.

What’s your favourite piece of jewellery?

The beautiful "Flamingo Brooch" made from the most precious diamonds, rubies, emerald, and sapphires in the 1940s by Cartier in Paris for the late Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, who married King Edward VIII after he abdicated in 1936. It last changed hands at Sotheby's in London in 2010 for £1.7 million (€2.15 million). I bought my wife, Colette, a reproduction of this brooch.

What’s your favourite work of art? 

As a young penniless student I visited the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and was overwhelmed by Rembrandt's The Night Watch depicting Capt Frans Banninck Cocq and his militia. I tagged on to a tour group of Americans but was quickly questioned by one member who said, "Sorry, Sonny, you haven't paid for this tour." I replied, "But I'm not listening, only looking."

This wonderful painting is as captivating for me today as it was the first time I saw it when I was 23 years old. I’ve been back to see it since.

See oreillysfineart.com