Cartier: A pair of Art Deco diamond earclips
circa 1930
Estimate: £15,000 - £20,000
Auction: 29 April 2025 from 14:00 BST
Description
In the Indian style, finely pierced and set with rows of baguette-cut diamonds, within a frame of brilliant, old brilliant and single-cut diamonds, diamonds approx. 5.20 carats total, signed Cartier London, clip fittings, length 1.9cm
Footnote
The Indian and Islamic arts were a particular source of inspiration for all three of the Cartier brothers, Louis, Jacques and Pierre. They began integrating themes into their jewels and objects as early as 1910. Louis was a passionate collector of historical items and artefacts. Jacques' enterprising travels throughout India, allowed him to develop a first hand understanding of the unique use of contrasting gemstones and traditional designs.
In 1913 the New York branch created an exhibit of 50 items described as a “Catalogue of a Collection of Jewels Created by Messieurs Cartier from the Hindoo, Persian, Arab, Russian, and Chinese Arts”. Some of the firms most prestigious works come from the subsequent decades incorporating themes extrapolated from traditional designs found in Indian art.
See Tise-Isoré, Suzanne (editor), Cartier: The Power of Style, Flammarion, 2010, page 85.