Bonhams lines up Art Deco pieces for its Fine Jewellery Auction

Bonhams’ offerings at its Fine Jewellery sale on 4th December will include Art Deco pieces or better described as ‘treasures’ many of which are signed examples by Cartier, natural pearl jewels, coloured stones.

Pieces from the Cartier bouquet will include a rare diamond bracelet by Cartier, made circa 1930 (estimate: £100,000-150,000) composed of a series of undulating links of platinum, finely pierced and set throughout with a blanket of brilliant-cut diamonds; a pair of ruby and diamond clip brooches, circa 1925 (estimate: £80,000-120,000) which also lay in a private collection previously stored in a bank vault for the last three decades; a pair of ruby and diamond pendent earrings from the same collection, circa 1930 (estimate £30,000-40,000) with both being set with Burmese rubies with no evidence of heat treatment.

The Art Deco era is seeing a resurgence and while it epitomises elegance, style, and flair of the inter-war period, it also exhibits fun and light-hearted elements, as demonstrated by an art deco ice skater shaped diamond brooch circa 1930 and composed of multiple tiny, differently shaped diamonds (estimate: £2,000-3,000).

Amongst natural pearl jewels is a natural pearl necklace, circa 1900 made with 47 pearls measuring 6.5mm-9.3mm terminating in a 2.35 carat diamond single-stone clasp.

The coloured stone lots in the sale include Burmese rubies as a particular highlight. A Burmese ruby single-stone ring, fashioned by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1923, is set with a sugarloaf cabochon weighing 13.34 carats and carrying an estimate of £80,000-100,000. A Burmese ruby, featured in an Art Deco ring (1930), and set with a cushion-cut stone weighing 6.12 carats, is set to achieve £50,000-80,000. A circa 1930 Cartier Art Deco sapphire and diamond ring, featuring a vibrant blue step-cut sapphire of Kashmir origin weighing 5.34 carats will also be part of the sale.

Three lots in the sale were formerly in the collection of Her Royal Highness The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowden and engraved with the letter 'M' beneath The Princess Margaret's coronet and comes with a Certificate of Provenance. An enamel and gem-set tiger bangle and ring suite, circa 1965, both feature modelled tiger heads with ruby eyes and diamond-covered nose and jaws. A sapphire and diamond bow brooch, circa 1920, covered in gems and mounted in platinum and a gold and sapphire-set photograph frame, by Cartier, will be offered in sale.