Golden moments for artists, and dazzling baubles for sale

History has an awful habit of writing women out of its annals, but some make their names so profoundly present that generation after generation will continue to excitedly rediscover them. Hopefully one day we can forget about the forgetting part of the cycle and just get on with the enduring legacies.

Born in 1915, Lillias Mitchell, who died in 2000, studied painting as a child with Elizabeth Yeats, sister to W.B. and Jack. Taking up sculpture she went on to establish the weaving department at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, promoting the use of natural fibres and dyes that are also being enthusiastically rediscovered all over again today.

Acutely aware of how artists and makers can be held back by financial constraints, she set up a trust to fund the Golden Fleece Award, the most recent recipients of which have just been announced. “I am very conscious of the fact that many artists cannot develop their talents because their art does not bring in a steady income for them and yet they need to support themselves financially,” she wrote.

The winners – artist Áine Mac Giolla Bhríde, and jeweller and designer Genevieve Howard – have been awarded €10,000 each. Mac Giolla Bhríde plans to use the award to experiment more, and explore new ways of presenting her work. Dublin-based Howard will be creating a new body of work for her first solo exhibition at Gallery Marzee in the Netherlands later this year.

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The shortlisted artists and makers, Caoimhe Kilfeather, Elinor O’Donovan, Frances Crowe, Kian Benson Bailes, Peter Sheehan and Sam Gleeson, all receive €2,000.

Gold of a more tangible type features in the upcoming O’Reilly’s sale, viewing now for a live auction at noon on March 27th. Ranging from the possibly do-able to the dazzlingly aspirational, items shining brightly include a pair of sapphire and diamond set rings in 18ct gold (€250-€350), and an antique diamond bangle in 15ct gold, with an estimated 4.5 to 5ct carats of diamonds glittering in its midst (€6,000-€8,000).

O’Reilly’s is keen to point out how much more sustainable it is to shop at auction, where you’re part of the circular economy as you buy your shining items. This means your gilt is more or less guilt free, so check out the Van Cleef & Arpels 18ct gold brooch in the shape of a leaf (€3,500-€4,000). You could be in the money with a half sovereign dated 1908 with a pendant attachment (€175-€225), which is definitely worth more than its weight in gold.

Or go the whole hog with an unmounted brilliant cut diamond in a sealed HRD packet. For those not in the know HRD stands for Antwerp-based Hoge Raad voor Diamant, one of Europe’s largest diamond certification laboratories. The diamond comes with a cert stating it is 5.08 ct, colour: D, and with a clarity of SI2, it is estimated at €109,000-€112,000. All you’ll need is a nice setting.

goldenfleeceaward.com; genevievehowardstudio.com; oreillysfineart.com

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