Highlights from Christie's Magnificent Jewels Sale in May, Geneva
We caught up with jewellery expert
and author Joanna Hardy to find out what lots to look out for at
this month's upcoming Magnificent Jewels Sale at Christie's in
Geneva.
Lot 369
An early nineteenth Century Indian
Sarpech embedded with Jargoons and colorful enamel depicts more
than the eye can see.
Jargoons are colourless zircons,
they are cut in bulbous slices in many different shapes and sizes,
namely pear shapes, rectangular and squares. Indian jewels are also
frequently set with lasque cut diamonds which are flat diamonds
that have been foiled behind to give the appearance of being larger
in size as well as giving them more sparkle to compensate for the
lack of facets. The Lasque cut is a centuries old Indian diamond
cut.
The quickest test to distinguish
Jargoons from lasques-cut diamonds, is to put them under
fluorescent light. Some diamonds will fluoresce whilst zircons will
not.
The intricate enamel work on the
back of the Sarpech, is indicative of its Indian origin. Each piece
of enamel has a 'fingerprint' that adds a mysterious and hugely
historic element. The enamel side is always worn against the skin,
leaving the jingling and brilliance to the front of the head for
maximum adornment. Pre-sale estimate: CHF670,000 -
CHF950,000
Lot 378
Joel Arthur Rosenthal has always
been a pioneer of material and this cuff shows a dash of his
exhaustive ingenuity. The wooden cuff slides onto the wrist and
stays in place with a fat juicy wooden heart fixed into the inside
of both ends, so that the cuff, which has an impressively large
amethyst in the centre surrounded by chalcedony, does not swivel
around whilst on the move, as so many cuffs do. Pre-sale
estimate: CHF34,000 - CHF42,000
Lot 361
Cartier panthers hold an immediate
recognition. The craftsmanship nears on perfection and this cat has
all the required elements. The articulated tail lies majestically
out into a composed curl whilst the attentive head is slightly
tilted up with pear-shaped emerald eyes looking beautifully
threatening. The diamond set body is interspersed with rounded
sapphire cabochons and the elegantly poised paws are playfully
articulated.
One of the first three dimensional
'great cat' jewels by Cartier is a sapphire and diamond clip made
in 1949 in Paris designed by Jeanne Toussaint and Peter Le Marchand
for the Duchess of Windsor. These 'great cats' are so popular they
are still being made by Cartier today. Pre-sale estimate:
CHF240,000 - CHF360,000.
The sale takes place on May
16th at Christie's in Geneva, more information can be
found here.
