What looks like one of the most exciting exhibitions in years has now opened at the British Museum: The World of Stonehenge.

The exhibition plays on the mystery surrounding this 5,000-year-old structure and sets it in historical context: “Shrouded in layers of speculation and folklore, this iconic British monument has spurred myths and legends that persist today,” the blurb states. “In this special exhibition, the British Museum will reveal the secrets of Stonehenge, shining a light on its purpose, cultural power and the people that created.”

Along with Jack the Ripper and the disappearance of Lord Lucan, the nature and purpose of Stonehenge as well as the identity of those who built it, remains one of the most enduring myths to capture widespread public attention.

The BM sets out to tell that story in the way it knows best, by through a variety of stunning objects, such as stone axes from the North Italian Alps, stunning gold jewellery and astonishing examples of early metalwork. Best of all is the Nebra Sky Disc, a 12 inch  bronze disc that is the world’s oldest surviving map of the stars.

The exhibition also unveils Seahenge, a remarkably preserved 4,000-year-old timber circle, on loan for the very first time.

“All these objects offer important clues about the beliefs, rituals, and complex worldview of Neolithic people, helping to build a vivid sense of life for Europe’s earliest ancestors.”

My favourite fact about Stonehenge, though, is that in 1915 it was sold at auction for £6,600. That purchase guaranteed its future as a public monument.

A lot of talk in our industry has recently focused on the acceleration of auctions moving online, and there’s no doubt about it, the internet has been the biggest game changer over the past twenty years, never more so since the pandemic started.

The move online has also meant that even fairly modest auction houses in the more remote parts of the UK have gained access to global audiences, to the extent that any half decent sale can now expect to attract bids from upwards of fifty countries.

This has been a boon to our industry and has undoubtedly made selling your belongings at auction a more attractive prospect as demand and prices rise.

As someone who has spent decades on the rostrum, though, I firmly believe that the live selling experience, with bidders in the room, will always play an important part in the process. This is partially because it offers auction houses an unrivalled opportunity to show what they can do in person, while for the visitor, whether they are bidding, bringing something in to be valued, or simply enjoying a browse through what is coming up for sale, a visit to an auction house always provides a memorable and enjoyable outing.

The thrill of coming across something you love at a view is definitely more acute in person than online. The opportunity to talk to a specialist and chat about art and objects when they know so much about them is a rewarding experience that does not come across in the same way via an email exchange. All in all, it can be a grand day out.

So by all means, please keep bidding online, but why not pop along and inspect the goods in person before the next sale or, better still, bring in something you are thinking of selling for a valuation.

Did it come from space? Can it really be one billion years old? No wonder this extraordinary gem, weighing about as much as a banana, is called The Enigma.

At 555.55 carats, the ancient black rock coming up for sale at auction is said to be the largest cut diamond in the world, with 55 faces, and is expected to sell for more than £4.4 million as I write.

It is certainly a phenomenon and one of the oldest items ever to come up for auction, although it is a mere youngster compared with the four billion-year-old meteorite that sold at auction in 2017 for a rather more modest £14,000.

As is widely known, diamond is one of the toughest substances known to man, having been forged deep within the Earth’s crust under intense heat and pressure so that the carbon atoms crystallise.

They are rare because so many of them remain hundreds of kilometres beneath the surface, although some emerge via magma.

Even rarer is the carbonado, black diamonds like this one that are especially tough and have only been found in Brazil and the Central African Republic.

So if diamonds are forged

In the bowels of the Earth, how come they think this one came from outer space?

Apparently it is because it also contains osbornite, or titanium nitride, a mineral so far found only in meteors. Perhaps, though, the osbornite was captured by the bubbling early planet when a meteorite crashed into it, then was transformed into the carbonado as the crust cooled and processed it. If so, The Enigma is documentary evidence of our home world’s earliest days.

It’s fascinating to see how changing social and intellectual values directly affect changing monetary value at auction.

Traditionally, craftsmanship, classic design and artistry stood at the forefront of sales in the form of Regency furniture, Georgian silver, as well as Old Master paintings and drawings.

Today, while Old Masters are still highly valued at the top end, changing tastes and dwindling supplies of the best material mean that these disciplines have faded into the background when it comes to bidding.

Replacing them are the bright, brash new designs of leading fashion brands and digital art and its associated features. Trainers (in the US: sneakers) now command five- or even six-figure prices, with collectors displaying them proudly in stacked perspex boxes. Designer handbags by Gucci and Birkin change hands for eye-watering sums, while NFTs, still so loosely understood by many of those swooping down to acquire them, sell for millions.

Status has always been a driving force behind the acquisition of high-end art and objects – nothing shouts rich and successful like having a Warhol or Van Gogh on the wall – but what has become the cult of self in society today, with its social media influencers, reality TV and celebrity culture, has helped shape what has become most desirable in the salerooms.

What will come next? Will there be a backlash against all this self-indulgence? Perhaps we will return to some of the more traditional values, and with that overlooked gems such as Victorian watercolours may come back into vogue…