Important: Fine & Rare Circa 1925 Art Deco Cartier, Diamond, Amethyst, Onyx Platinum Floral Brooch.

Decorated as a floral brooch consisting of: diamonds of G-H-I color and VS2 clarity. (European cut & Single cut) burnished and prong set.

Accented by: circular shaped amethyst, flanked by rose and cream colored pearls ending in caliber cut jet "black onyx" throughout an open-work design. 

All suspended with stylized grape leaves ending in cultured pearl(s): Orient: cream & rose colored: nacre excellent. 2.92mm x 3.71 x 3.04mm respectively. 

Signed: Cartier and numbered: 985 (hand incised). (No French assay or hallmark) it was crafted in NYC ca. 1925)

SPECS: Amethyst: medium lavender purple, slightly included, slightly visible color zoning in center, lively. 

Size: 1.25 x 1” inches or 38.50 x 32.15mm

Gross weight: 9.6 grams 

The Estate of Mildred C. Brinn
Detailed Condition report: Very good to excellent.

CARTIER HISTORY:

Many would be surprised to learn that during the reign of Louis XIV of France, it was considered highly fashionable to attend masquerades where Chinese instruments were played and guests were dressed in delicate silk costumes. This China-frenzy in the 17th century, which also impacted artistic styles in decoration, architecture and fashion, was just an overture to this ballad of East and West. Centuries have passed before the highest note was hit in the 1920s, the period better known as Art Deco.

In the beginning of 20th century, far-off destinations such as Egypt, India, Persia and the Far East were becoming increasingly accessible, so was their wealth of arts, exotic materials and captivating palette. Among the jewellers who were inspired by these new elements was the Cartier family, who had already earned its reputation as the ‘jeweler to the kings’ by that time. The Cartier brothers were extremely well-read in history and were avid collectors of art. Aside from frequenting antique shops in France, they often travelled around the world with a focus on ancient civilizations. This acumen in foreign cultures and aesthetics was transformed into extensive archives and libraries, which they shared with their colleagues early on, and from which designers for generations took inspiration and strived to put out innovative creations.

Many of Cartier’s Art Deco designs were delicate combinations of oriental motifs and fragments of artifact, juxtaposed with precious stones within geometrical lines and expressed by a flamboyant mix of colours. A good example was the collection of Egyptian revival jewelleries that were sold in Sotheby’s New York in 2013. One of the brooches used a faience as its centrepiece, with a lapis lazuli background bordered by monochromatic diamonds and onyx.