September: Jewels, Decor & Fine Art

Agency As Auctioneers, we usually act on behalf of the Seller, whose identity, for reasons of confidentiality, is not normally disclosed. If you buy at auction, your contract for the Goods is with the Seller, not with us as Auctioneer. Estimates Estimates are designed to help you gauge what sort of sum might be involved for the purchase of a particular Lot. Estimates may change and should not be thought of as the sale Price. The lower estimate may represent the Reserve Price (the minimum Price for which a Lot may be sold) and will not be below the Reserve Price. Estimates do not include the Buyer's Premium or VAT (where chargeable). Estimates are prepared some time before the auction and may be altered by a saleroom notice or announcement by the Auctioneer before the auction of the Lot. They are not definitive. Buyer's Premium The Terms of Sale oblige you to pay a Buyer's Premium at 23% on the Hammer Price up to and including ?250,000. A rate of 18% applies to any amount exceeding ?250,000. In addition, VAT is charged on these Premiums (see below). VAT Value Added Tax (VAT). The addition of (*) or (VAT applied on hammer price) to the lot description indicates that VAT is payable by the purchaser at the standard rate, presently 20%, on the hammer price as well as being payable on the buyer's premium. This imposition of VAT is likely to be because the seller is registered for VAT within the European Union and is not operating the Dealers Margin Scheme or because VAT is due at 20% on importation into the UK. Lots which appear without either of the above symbols indicate that no VAT is payable on the hammer price. This is because such lots are sold using the Auctioneers' Margin Scheme and it should be noted that the VAT included within the premium is not recoverable as input tax. Inspection of Goods by the Buyer As we act on behalf of the Seller, we are dependent on information provided by the Seller about their Goods. We may inspect Lots and will act reasonably in taking a general view about them. However, we are normally unable to carry out detailed examinations of Lots to check their condition in the way a Buyer would do. You will have ample opportunity to inspect the Goods. You must inspect and investigate Lots that you might wish to bid for. Please note carefully the exclusion of liability for the description and condition of Lots set out in the Terms of Sale at clause 12.2 and 12.4. Catalogue descriptions Any representation in any catalogue or otherwise as to the origin, date, age, attribution, authenticity or estimated selling price of any Lot is a statement of opinion only. Such statements do not constitute a representation, warranty, or assumption of liability by Hartington in relation to the Lot. Any prospective Buyer should satisfy themselves prior to the sale as to the reliability of the catalogue description. The absence of mention related to prior restorations in the catalogue descriptions does not imply that the good is exempt thereof. Photographs of any Lot provided by Hartington are for indicative purposes only and are not deemed to be a precise representation of the said Lot. The Buyer is advised to seek independent expert advice in order to be assured of the authenticity and true state of the good. Condition reports We may be able to assist Buyers unable to view by emailing a condition report, but these are based solely on our own opinion and are for guidance only and no responsibility is accepted for their accuracy. Intending Buyers are strongly encouraged to view. Condition reports cannot be prepared on the day of the sale. Hartington can provide condition reports on request but provides no guarantee to reports given other than in relation to forgeries. Export of Goods If you intend to export Goods you must find out: a. whether an export licence is needed; and b. if there is a prohibition on importing Goods of that character (e.g. because the Goods contain prohibited materials such as ivory). Bidding Bidders are required to register with us before the auction starts. We reserve the right to impose a deadline prior to the auction by which you must register or by which we must receive a Commission bid. If you wish to bid on high value Lots, this deadline may be several days before the auction to allow us sufficient time to carry out the necessary checks. Lots will be invoiced to the name and address on the registration form. You will need to provide us with proof of your identity in a form acceptable to us and such other information as we may require. Please enquire in advance about our arrangements for telephone or online bidding. Please note that we may refuse to register you if you do not provide us with all the information and documentation that we ask for or at our discretion. Commission bidding You may leave Commission bids with us indicating the maximum amount to be bid against a Lot (excluding the Buyers' Premium and/or any applicable VAT). We will execute Commission bids as cheaply as possible having regard to the Reserve (if any) and competing bids. If two Buyers submit identical Commission bids, we may prefer the first bid received (where this can be reasonably ascertained). We recommend leaving Commission bids online via our Website, though please contact us about leaving bids by telephone or fax/email. All absentee bids should be received at least 30 minutes before the auction commences; we cannot guarantee to execute Commission bids received after this time. Telephone bidding If you are unable to come to the auction, it may be possible to bid on the telephone for higher value Lots. Please note that this service is for Lots with an estimate of ?500 or more. The number of lines is limited so we would urge serious telephone bidding only and ask that you be prepared to bid over the top estimate. It is advisable to leave a maximum covering bid in case we are not able to contact you by telephone. All lines must be booked and confirmed in writing before the day of the auction and preferably some time in advance. Telephone bidding involves many variables and whilst we take every care to ensure the smooth operation of this service, we cannot be held liable if your bids are missed for any reason. Online bidding An online bidding service is offered via Liveauctioneers.com. In completing the bidder registration, the buyer is agreeing to Hartington's conditions of sale. In the case where a debit or credit card has been used to register, the buyer also agrees to authorise Hartington, if they so wish, to charge the debit or credit card given in part or full payment, including all fees, for items successfully purchased in the auction via the online bidding platforms. Any lots purchased via Liveauctioneers.com will be subject to an additional 5% commission charge plus VAT at the rate imposed on the hammer price. Hartington offers online bidding services as a convenience to its clients, but neither Hartington nor the seller will be responsible to you for errors during or after the sale or failures to execute bids, either live bids or commission bids placed on the internet or on your mobile device, including, without limitation, errors or failures caused by: (i) any loss of connection to the auction being conducted online; (ii) a breakdown or problems with the online bidding software or the website service provider; and/or (iii) a breakdown or problems with any internet connection, computer, mobile device or system. Artist Resale Rights Lots as indicated in the catalogue and if sold for the equivalent of 1,000 euros or more on the day of the auction will be subject to a further percentage of the hammer price as follows: From 0 to 50,000 euros: 4% From 50,001 to 200,000 euros: 3% From 200,001 to 350,000 euros: 1% From 350,001 to 500,000 euros: 0.5% Exceeding 500,000 euros: 0.25% The Artist's Resale Right payable will be the aggregate of the amounts payable under the above rate bands, subject to a maximum royalty payable of 12,500 euros for any single work each time it is sold. Calculations of the Artist's Resale Right will be based on the pound sterling/Euro reference exchange rate quoted on the date of sale by the European Central Bank.