Fabulous ART DECO monochrome jewelry

Every year in June London pays a discreet tribute to all the antique collectors that spend the year flying from Paris to Basle, and from Miami to Vegas and New York. In the most civilised and typical english way, June in London has started with the first days of good weather in months, the setting up of the Lapada Fair in Berkeley Square, the closing of guests lists for private viewings at Masterpiece and Christie's King Street annual Magnificent Jewels sale.

Art Deco earrings set in platinum with diamonds, onix and natural pearls

There are a number of reasons why this sale is my favourite in London. It takes place in the grand stucco house that Christie's has in King Street, which somehow feels the right place to acquire works of art; they host a Sunday brunch to privately show the collection, but the most important reason is the selection of the pieces and the atmosphere during the auction. There are always exceptional pieces, like in most of similar auctions, but it is the one auction where I always find something very rare and truly collectable. This pair of earrings are a great example: unsigned fabulous Art Deco design, set in platinum with diamonds, onix and natural pearls. A unique piece.

Art Deco Pendant set in platinum with Diamonds, Onix, seed pearls and natural pearl

And imagine that someone loves the Art Deco period and dreams of a jewellery collection set with natural pearls in a black and white monochrome theme, just to make it rarer. These are two examples of pieces that have been sold by Christie's at King Street during the past two editions. It even seems easy to gather a three piece collection of Art Deco natural pearl extraordinary designs...

CARTIER, Art Deco Natural Pearl and diamonds brooch

The legacy of Pierre STERLE

Sterle, 1970's diamond brooch

The brooch above is probably one of the last pieces made by Pierre Sterle during the 1970's (at least signed with his name and not by Chaumet). It will be auctioned by Sotheby's Geneva on may 14th.

Pierre Sterle was a very special jeweller. Not an artist but a socialite, he earned his well deserved reputation due to his good taste, selecting beautiful and well rounded designs and insisting on having them executed only with the finest stones.

Why are BVLGARI necklaces on a league of their own?

One goes to Cartier is search of perfection, to Harry Winston to source unique stones, to Van Cleef and Arpels or Tiffany's for avant garde  designs and to Bvlgari for the coloured stone necklaces. They are a standalone category in jewellery, in fact if anyone is looking for a theme to start a new collection, now is the perfect time, with a selection of thirteen magnificent examples coming up for sale at Sotheby's Geneva on May 14th.

BVLGARI, Emerald necklace 1970

No other jeweller understands the use of colour better and combines precious stones with pearls or semi precious ones in a more baroque and extravagant way.

BVLGARI, multigem necklace 1965

Bvlgari's designs for necklaces achieve such a degree of artistic perfection that somehow never convey the feeling that they might be too much. As large, important and busy pieces as they come, they never fail to enhance the women that gets to wear them.

BVLGARI, necklace 1980's

One spanish master jeweller once explained to me that the art of combining coloured stones was a very particular science, since stones can bring out the light in each other or may absorb the shine and make the piece look domed. For example, rubies and sapphires should not be next to each other because they both will look darker, however an emerald will bring up clarity to both them.
Mastering this technique and the most adventurous desire to surprise has earned Bvlgari the titke of the ultimate master necklace maker!.

BVLGARI, Turquoise necklace 1970's

BVLGARI, Natural pearl necklace

BVLGARI, Gina Lollobrigida necklace/tiara/bracelet combination

The house of Bvlgari was created in Rome in 1905 but it did not thrive until the 1960's and it has made an imprint in the history of jewellery by the creation of a distinctive and unique style. Bvlgari source of inspiration is the Renaissance and the use of colour. Instead of using diamonds as the most important part of the piece, Bvlgari always makes a coloured stone the centre of its creations.

VERDURA shines at Christie's New York

"Fulco came into Chanel's life at the end of her Grand Duke Dimitri period. Chanel and Fulco were responding to that Russian feeling for extravagance, of barbaric color and enormous scale, stones being thrown around like nothing. Never, never at Boivin or at Cartier, who were all about serious diamonds and platinum, would you ever have seen tourmalines next to diamonds, or settings of gold."

Harper's Bazaar and Vogue editor, Babs Simpson (also Verdura's intimate friend and client)

Enamel, Pearls and Diamond Brooch by Verdura

Multi Gem Maltese cross by Verdura

Pink Tourmaline Ray Brooch by Verdura

Yellow Sapphire Bracelet by Verdura

Next Tuesday's Magnificent Jewels auction at Christie's New York is full of impressive jewels and gemstones, including the Princie Diamond. Hoewever, there is also a small selection of eight Verdura pieces with some truly unique examples of the genius of his designs that should not  go unnoticed.

The Princie DIAMOND

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the purest diamonds in the world come from the Golconda region in India. Diamonds were the source of unparalleled wealth for more than two thousand years until the mines were exhausted.

The Princie diamond is the largest pink diamond ever been sold at public auction. It was sold by Sotheby's in 1960 to Van Cleef and Arpels. The stone was sold directly by the Nizam of Hydebarad, the ruling dynasty of the central estate in India where the Golconda mines are located. Diamonds from this region are considered the purest ones ever found and are denominated type Lla, as a special distinction. After acquiring the stone, Pierre Arpels introduced it at a party in Paris in honour of the Prince of Baroda, after whom the diamond was named afterwards. The Prince mother was Sita Devi, a glamorous and wealthy Maharani that was nicknamed the Wallis Simpson of India due to her famous jewellery collection. Amongst other famous stones, she also had the Star of the South Diamond.

The Princie diamond has more than 300 years of history and it has remained untouched. It also displays a rare orange fluorescence when looked under ultra violet light that is unique to diamonds that come from the Golconda region. It will be auctioned by Christie's NY on April 16th.

UPCOMING AUCTION: The BVLGARI collection of Gina Lollobrigida

Over the past couple of years there has been an unprecedented number of magnificent jewelry collections that have been auctioned. Many of them belonging to Hollywood stars or socialites, from Liz Taylor to Mrs Safra or Mrs Astor. The pieces were displays of great wealth and the portrait of their owner's personal taste. A unique legacy that covers the personal history from family or business to lovers...

 The 1940's and 1950's were decades of opulence as well as Hollywood's golden years, specially in America. Big screen divas reigned and they collected everything the public longed for. Their jewellery collections generally surpassed imagination and it was not uncommon for big stars to prefer to use their own authentic pieces in films than costume ones. The stars and the master jewellers would even compete...

The 2010's will be famous as the years when those collections are being dismantled. The reason being their owners donating the proceeds to Charity or the Estate administrators dividing the late celebrity belongings amongst the heirs. The fact is that since those days, there has not been a trend or fashion to collect jewellery of such quality and quantity.

Sotheby's Geneva will be auctioning the famous Bvlgari collection from Gina Lollobrigida in May 14th this year. The main piece being the diamond necklace and bracelet combination that can also be worn as a head piece.The actress is now in her late 80's and has probably decided that it is time to pass her pieces to another owner as well as a better use for the money that it will generate. Another bit of the story of the end of the golden era.

Impressive 19th Century Diamond PEACOCK brooch

Sotheby's London has brought jewellery back into their range of auctions. One year after they closed down the department, jewels are now officially back on the catalogue!.  The white glove sale (collection of the Late Michael Wellby) that they conducted shortly before Christmas might have played its part in convincing the auction house of the strength of demand for collector jewels.

The brooch above is my favourite, a peacock motif from the second half on the Nineteenth Century set in silver and gold with impressive circular and rose cut diamonds. In Persian and Babylonian cultures, peacocks were regarded as symbolic guardians of royalty.

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A rare FLATO find

This is not just a bracelet, it is also an exquisite object and a craftsman's masterpiece. Presented by Marja Sterk at Tefaf this weekend, it shows that Paul Flato went beyond than designing dazzling bold pieces for the grand Hollywood divas in the 1940's.

Paul Flato Gold Cuff

A dramatic chocker by LALIQUE

Rene Lalique, 1905,  Damselflies Nechlace

It was the turn of the Twentieth Century and European society was adjusting to the aftermath of a series of industrial, political and social revolutions. Economic buoyancy stimulated the growth of a middle class which flourished with the increase of commerce and manufactures. It was the perfect environment for an Art revolution. And Paris was right at the centre of it. The bohemian spirit was everywhere, and creativity and talent were qualities sought after and treasured in every discipline. So it also impregnated the world of jewellery and the short lived Art Nouveau movement appeared. It was led by Lalique in a daring and revolutionary challenge to the establishment. His pieces were affordable since he used colourful enamel and semi precious stones where high society still considered Belle Epoque "white jewellery" (diamonds and pearls set in platinum or white gold) the only acceptable ornament. Lalique designed for the artists, and so he thought his jewels as miniature works of art. He was obsessed with nature and used naturalistic motifs in almost all his creations. It was his response to the rigidity of the designs by his contemporaries.

Cartier Belle Epoque chocker and Boucheron bracelet, both c. 1900 

The three pieces displayed above are exhibited by London antique dealer Wartski at the current Tefaf exhibition in Maastrich. Almost contemporaries, yet the contrast could not be more dramatic. It is quite easy to imagine the provocative Sarah Bernhardt wearing the Lalique piece while the "respectable" society women were still advocating for sober and discrete diamond pieces as a key differentiator from their husbands mistresses.

THE ART OF CARTIER: The power of Style. Iconic Clients

During the first three decades of the 20th century, there emerged in Paris a new kind of social atmosphere out of which “Café Society” was born. Its Golden Age spanned roughly two decades from the 1930s onwards and it was during this time that marriages between the grandest aristocratic European families and the heirs of great American fortunes gave birth to a new elite class that was rich, cultivated and audacious. Its members bubbled over with imaginative creativity and spent fortunes making their lives a veritable work of art. The Duchess of Windsor was one of the reigning queens of Café Society, rivalling in elegance her contemporaries Daisy Fellowes and Mona Bismarck. Jewellery played a significant role as a statement of sophistication and the Duchess’s Flamingo brooch, Panther brooch, as well as a splendid necklace from 1947 are fine examples of her own daring elegance.

Cartier, 1940, Flamingo Brooch

From the 1950s other iconic clients turned to Cartier. In 1956, Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco. The prince ordered his beloved’s engagement ring from Cartier. The bride’s trousseau also included a large diamond necklace, a diamond bracelet, and three ruby and diamond clips. Elizabeth Taylor, too, was a faithful client. Her love of jewellery became legendary and she was indulged by the amorous men in her life. In 1957 Mike Todd gave her a Cartier ruby and diamond necklace.

Cartier, 1951, Liz Taylor Necklace

In the late 50s and 70s, the boldest commissions ever were the jewellery ordered by the Mexican actress María Félix. A reptile enthusiast, she approached Cartier to create her unique Snake necklace and pair of earrings as well as her Crocodile necklace. 

Cartier, 1975, Maria Felix Necklace 

© Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza