SOUTHAMPTON, PA.- Springtime comes to Philadelphia on Friday, May 2nd as Stephenson’s of suburban Bucks County welcomes the new season with a 500-lot Antiques & Decorative Arts Auction. Quality estate pieces and collections from the Greater Philadelphia area have been gathered and curated throughout the winter months in preparation for the sale, said Stephenson’s owner and auctioneer Cindy Stephenson.

“We are continually called upon to assess estates, and we set aside the best of each category for our larger sales. There’s always an interesting mix,” Stephenson said.

There are many regular buyers for the fine jewelry offered by Stephenson’s. The May 2nd lineup includes an exquisite 14K gold enameled bracelet watch from an upscale Elkins Park (Philadelphia) estate. Marked “Jules,” the mid-century timepiece features a hand-painted portrait of a lady in an ornate oval cartouche surrounded by seed pearls. It weighs in at 83.8 grams or 53.8 pennyweight and is estimated at $2,000-$4,000.

Another jewelry highlight – sourced from a Yardley, Pa., estate – is a silver necklace by Antonio Pineda (Mexican, b. 1919-), one of the finest designers and silver craftsmen to emerge from Taxco’s 20th century silver renaissance. It is in equally prestigious company with a large opal and diamond cocktail ring from a different Yardley estate.

Many outstanding items in the sale came from Bucks County, Stephenson said, including elegant Lalique, a mesh bag collection, a gleaming array of silver – including Philadelphia coin silver – and a collection of soapstone. Much of the fine art to be offered came from neighboring Montgomery County and comes with a Freeman’s appraisal from the 1990s.

Two different collections of Roseville will join forces on auction day. “There are many different patterns and forms, and collectors have already discovered them,” said Stephenson. “There’s already a lot of interest from potential bidders.”

A collection of period cupboards originated in Michigan but was shipped to the Philadelphia area after the consignor inherited them from his mother. There are country cupboards and a few corner cupboards, plus a few other types. Woods include cherry, poplar and other woods.

Stephenson’s has a commercial division, and sometimes discoveries made by its team during office clear-outs are re-routed to the company’s fine art and auction branch. Such was the case with a number of modern office chairs entered in the May 2nd sale, including three wicker and stainless steel lounge chairs by Fritz Hansen (Denmark) for Knoll Studio.

“The chairs are new, but industrial design is extremely hot in the marketplace right now. There have been quite a few enquiries about the Knoll chairs and other Danish furniture entered in the auction,” said Stephenson. “A man in Finland even contacted us to ask how much it would cost to ship the Hansen chairs to him, if he were the winning bidder.”

Stephenson’s Friday, May 2, 2014 auction will commence at 2 p.m. Eastern Time at the company’s gallery located at 1005 Industrial Blvd., Southampton, PA 18966. Inspection is on Thursday, May 1 from 2-6 p.m., and on auction day from noon-2 p.m.

All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable or AuctionZip. View the fully illustrated online catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.liveauctioneers.com, www.invaluable.com or www.auctionzip.com.

For additional information on any lot in the sale, call Cindy Stephenson at 215-322-6182 or e-mail info@stephensonsauction.com. Visit Stephenson’s Auctioneers online at www.stephensonsauction.com .