Details
AN IMPORTANT JADEITE, CULTURED PEARL AND DIAMOND NECKLACE
The graduated three-row necklace composed of fine jadeite bead and cultured pearl alternating sections, the clasp composed of a fancy intense yellow pear-shaped diamond and a find white pear-shaped diamond, with brilliant-cut yellow and white diamond borders, mounted in platinum, circa 1930
Length of necklace
Signed by Cartier, numbered 4019361
With a Certificate from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the white diamond is D colour VVS1, and the yellow diamond is fancy intense yellow, natural colour, report numbers 8372962 and 8371909
The graduated three-row necklace composed of fine jadeite bead and cultured pearl alternating sections, the clasp composed of a fancy intense yellow pear-shaped diamond and a find white pear-shaped diamond, with brilliant-cut yellow and white diamond borders, mounted in platinum, circa 1930
Length of necklace
Signed by Cartier, numbered 4019361
With a Certificate from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the white diamond is D colour VVS1, and the yellow diamond is fancy intense yellow, natural colour, report numbers 8372962 and 8371909
Further details
Profoundly influenced by the exotic wave of Orientalism that swept the early decades of the 20th century, Cartier's chief designer Charles Jacqueau began to use jade in his Art Deco schemes even before World War I. He loved the colour and texture of the material, as well as its age old significance in Far Eastern culture, so that it became an essential ingredient in Cartier's repertoire of Chinese and Japanese inspired jewels. Another feature of Orientalism at Cartier was the courageous use of unexpected colour combinations; here the green of the jade is contrasted with an intense fancy yellow diamond in the clasp. This almost nonchalant application of a rare and extravagant gemstone is characteristic of Cartier's superb style in the first half of the century.