Cartier - Magnificent Jewels Geneva Monday, May 12, 2008 | Phillips

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    • circa 1955

    • Designed as an owl, the rectangular-cut citrine body, the head and wings decorated with cabochon turquoise and circular-cut diamonds, extending stylized feathers enhanced with circular-cut diamond accents, mounted in 18K yellow gold, length 6.4 cm. 

    • Signed 'Cartier' with jeweler's mark and numbered.  With French assay marks

  • Artist Biography

    Cartier

    French

    With the Constitution of 1848 came a new standard for luxury in France. Founded one year prior by Louis-Francois Cartier, the house of Cartier was one of the first to use platinum in jewelry making. This incredibly expensive material became the stepping-stone for Cartier to experiment in form, mechanisms and attitude. It helped men move from pocket watches to wristwatches, effectively making the watch much more functional and prominent in a man's overall wardrobe.

    Cartier did not only touch on functionality. Inspired by a commissioned painting by George Barbier featuring a black panther at the feet of an elegantly bejeweled woman, Cartier began incorporating wild animals in his designs—most notably, Cartier Panthère rings, bangle bracelets and watches. Yet it wasn't until the late 1960s that the house of Cartier debuted their iconic yellow and rose gold LOVE collection, which includes the famous bracelet that only a special screwdriver can open. 

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PROPERTY OF AN EUROPEAN ESTATE

157

A Diamond Turquoise and Citrine Clip

circa 1955
Designed as an owl, the rectangular-cut citrine body, the head and wings decorated with cabochon turquoise and circular-cut diamonds, extending stylized feathers enhanced with circular-cut diamond accents, mounted in 18K yellow gold, length 6.4 cm. 
Signed 'Cartier' with jeweler's mark and numbered.  With French assay marks

Estimate
CHF13,000 - 20,000 

Sold for CHF31,000

Magnificent Jewels

13 May 2008, 2 & 7pm
Geneva