In February 1862, a sale of jewels and silver on behalf of the Secretary of State for India was introduced within the press.

The jewels and ornaments to be offered had transferred to the India Workplace from the East India Firm. They’re included in a listing made by Charles Wilkins in 1831 of things deposited with the Firm Librarian. Originally of 1861, the gadgets had been handed to Garrard & Co for valuation:

• Eight jighas worn on the aspect of the turban by Indian males of rank, and 6 sapeshs worn on the entrance of the turban, product of gold and enamel and set with diamonds, emeralds, rubies and pearls.
• Eight necklaces – pearls, diamonds, rubies, musk beads lined with gold filigree, one with a gold locket containing an image of the King of Travancore.
• Two bracelets – pearls, diamonds, rubies, emeralds.
• 4 rings – diamond, ruby and sapphire.
• A pearl tassel.
• Glass fashions of diamonds.
• Two gold and two silver bins, a gold casket, and a gold and enamel snuff field with diamonds.
• A “curious” gold masks.
• Two gold nuggets, one with quartz

Garrard assessed the turban jewels set with valuable stones and pearls to be of inferior high quality and due to this fact of an unsure worth. The articles with out valuable stones had been computed on the weight of the metallic solely. The jewellers warned that values had been “very capricious” and that the India Workplace would most likely realise extra at a public public sale than by means of a personal sale.

Some gadgets despatched for valuation weren’t included within the public sale at Christie, Manson and Woods at St James’s in London:

• “A spherical silver salver of nice antiquity presupposed to be of Greek or Byzantine artwork, the interval ascribed to this work is the third century.” There was hypothesis that this salver had been taken to India by Alexander the Nice. Garrard agreed that it was very previous and really helpful.
• A gold plate fantastically enamelled with flowers and birds, and within the centre a lion and solar with Persian characters.
• Sheet gold with Burmese characters inscribed, and sheet silver.
• One small field “chosen by Mr Mill”’.

As well as, the India Workplace despatched for public sale quite a lot of silver gadgets which had been utilized by the housekeeper at East India Home – tea pots, espresso pots, sugar tongs, spoons, forks, cream jugs, and a toast rack.

The public sale on March 13, 1862, realised a complete of 1160 kilos 1 shilling 9 pence for the India Workplace, with some gadgets returned unsold. A deduction of 87 kilos was made for fee and promoting, leaving a web sum of 1073 kilos 1 shilling 9 pence. In accordance with newspaper stories, the Rothschild household bought a number of the India Workplace heaps: a necklace of pearls, rubies, emeralds and diamonds for 119 kilos 10 pence, in addition to turban jewels.

This text first appeared on the British Library’s Untold Lives weblog.