Precious Art Deco Bracelet with Emeralds & Diamonds, c. 1925

Whether in Paris, Vienna or Berlin, the jewellery of the first decades of the 20th century was characterized by a tireless pursuit of refinement, which was expressed in the combination of luxurious, rare materials and precision craftsmanship of a quality never achieved again. This bracelet, dating from around 1925, also fulfills this aspiration in full. The bracelet is made of white gold and has a platinum front in which diamonds and emeralds are artfully set. The design consists of a regular row of rectangular links, alternating between a link with a center-set emerald and an open element. This seemingly simple form offers space for the finest details: precise sawing work forms a labyrinth of filigree diamond-set bars and lines, the edges of which are additionally decorated with the finest millegrains. The carefully set diamonds - a total of 288 old-cut diamonds weighing 7.20 carats - allow the piece of jewelry to shine with a fascinating play of light with every movement. The fineness of the workmanship shown here is only made possible by the use of platinum, which is harder than gold and therefore allows for more detailed work. The precious platinum also underlines the exclusivity of the gemstones, as in the years around 1925 its price was three to six times the price of gold, depending on the market situation. With its white color, it provides the ideal stage for diamonds, which, in combination with selected colored stones and shadow gaps, are particularly effective in the electric light of evening soirées - a typical aesthetic of the Art Deco period. David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti show two bracelets in similar designs in Understanding Jewellery (Woodbridge, 2010, p. 331), which help us to date this bracelet too. We discovered the bracelet in southern Germany.

Estimate:£8,315.91

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