On the 19th August 2026 a spectacular Egyptian Revival tiara that has stopped many in their tracks – dating to the Art Deco period and set throughout with banded agate, jadeite jade, hydrogrossular garnet and malachite went to auction at Elmwood’s Auction House. Formed with graduating motifs of king cobras and palmettes in polychrome enamelling, this eye-catching piece was offered with a conservative estimate of £15,000-20,000. It eventually sold for around £84,000, smashing the original estimate. The tiara has captured the market at the right time – as it seems that 2026 could well be the year of the latest ‘Egyptian Revival.’
Egyptian Revival in 2026 High Jewellery Collections
Earlier this summer, Van Cleef & Arpels announced the theme of their latest High Jewellery Collection – ‘Fascinating Egypt.’ “For many years, the Maison Van Cleef & Arpels, so inspired by Egypt in the 1920s has wished to prolong the story and present its own vision of this ancient heritage” explains Catherine Rénier, the company’s president and chief executive officer.
Comprising 180 creations and developed over four years, the collection features motifs such as the palmette, hieroglyphics, the Nile, archaeological fragments, pyramids, Pharaohs, and the Egyptian goddesses – paired with classic VCA savoir faire, incorporating features such as the mystery setting, exceptional gemstones, plenty of imagination and an unmatched technical craftsmanship.
Egyptian Revival on the High Street
Meanwhile, Marli New York has a highly popular Cleo line that we have seen in many of our client’s collections. The Cleo collection features pyramid shaped motifs as a nod to Cleopatra its namesake – “the original icon of strength, allure, and unapologetic grace.”
Pragnell similarly released a Cleopatra line of jewellery in the last couple of years. The collection is designed with a modern interpretation of the ‘Sha’bi’ pattern, inspired by Charle Pragnell’s own visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2023 (Master of intricate gold craft, the barrel-shaped bead or ‘Sha’bi’ pattern designs used in this collection were found in the three-thousand-year-old tomb of the Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh, Tutankhamun.. The collection ranges from £1,850 to £25,275.
Egyptian Revival at Auction
The bracelets above in Van Cleef & Arpel’s latest High Jewellery Collection draw direct comparisons from band bracelets dating from the Art Deco Egyptian Revival which are absolute masterpieces and as such always perform incredibly well on the open market and at retail. At the time of writing, I could not find a recent sale price – but just behold this incredible and important example by Lacloche Frères, sold at Sotheby’s in 2014 for just over $1 million.
Another more recent provincial auction result pointing to the strength of the market for this kind of design is this Egyptian Revival pendant with faience scarab, enamelwork and gemstones, set in 15ct gold. This colourful pendant beat its low estimate 5x over in June, selling for a £2,000 hammer.
So, what does this mean for collectors, and the insurance values set upon these pieces? It may well be that heirloom pieces and antique jewels from previous Egyptian Revivals – the late 19th century and Art Deco period are drastically underinsured. Whilst not the most obviously valuable to the untrained eye – these pieces are more frequently set with faience (a non-clay ceramic material made mostly of crushed quartz or sand, famous for its bright blue-green surface), enamelwork, and small coloured gemstones as the examples above – and may well have been overlooked altogether when previous valuations have taken place.
Our team are happy to assist all clients with updated valuations of their modern and inherited jewellery collections. Our experienced team of jewellery specialists are nationwide, and can help to provide a current valuation to protect against underinsurance.