LONDON.- A mystery worthy of the one of the great writer’s own books reached its conclusion in Bonhams Jewellery sale in Knightsbridge earlier today.

Setting the room buzzing with excitement, bidders in the room, on the telephones, and online competed for Christie’s diamond brooch and three-stone diamond ring, pushing the prices ever higher. The ring, originally estimated at £3,000-5,000, sold for £21,875 (including buyer’s premium), and the brooch, estimated at £6,000-8,000, sold for a whopping £27,500 (including buyer’s premium).

The two pieces were long thought to be lost, having been mentioned as family heirlooms by Christie in her autobiography, but their whereabouts were unknown.

Eight years ago, a die-hard fan took part in the 2006 house contents sale of the Greenway estate, Christie’s childhood home. Paying £100 for an old travelling trunk which had belonged to Christie’s mother, she had no idea that the locked strongbox inside contained the hidden treasure of the Christie family jewels.

Carole Gordon, Head of Jewellery at Bonhams Knightsbridge, commented: “We are very pleased to have been able to offer these two fine pieces, coming as they do not only with an illustrious provenance but with such a wonderful story of discovery by the vendor. The astonishing prices achieved today are just the icing on the cake”.