Jewels and Jadeite Hong Kong Sunday, May 27, 2018 | Phillips

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    • One rectangular step-cut citrine, approximately 55.00 carats

    • Fourteen oval, circular- and calibré-cut rubies, totalling approximately 3.00 carats
      Embellished by old-cut diamonds

    • Platinum, 14 karat yellow and rose gold

  • Catalogue Essay

    'Retro jewellery' is a term that was created to identify jewels produced in the late 1930's to 1950's. During that period, the world grappled with World War II and its aftermath. Fashions became austere and sombre and to counter this, jewellery houses in Europe and America began designing created jewellery that was bold, bright and colourful to lift drab fashions and evoke more hopeful moods. Jewellery designs became more curvilinear and featured motifs that were fun and feminine.

    As the use of platinum became highly regulated, gold became the metal of choice and old jewels were reinvented to account for the scarcity of materials during this time. Jewellers commonly combined highly polished low karat gold alloys in yellow and gold with large colourful gemstones such as amethysts, aquamarines, citrines and topazes to achieve a statement look called 'one jewel dressing' without incurring high costs. Ribbon design brooches, such as the present lot, became popular in sculptural and larger forms.

This lot will be sold with no reserve.

535

Lot offered with No Reserve

A Retro Citrine, Ruby and Diamond Brooch, 1940s

Estimate
HK$12,000 - 18,000 
$1,500-2,300

Sold for HK$32,500

Contact Specialist
Terry Chu
Head of Jewellery, Asia, Senior Director
+852 2318 2038

Jewels and Jadeite

Hong Kong Auction 28 May 2018