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拍品專文
The first lavalière necklace appeared circa 1900 and was designed as two pendants suspended at different lengths from a thin necklace. The name is taken from Eve Lavalière who made her debut in 1891 at the Théâtre des Variétés having previously worked in a hat factory tying ribbons. The cravats produced in this way were called lavalières and provided a stage name for the actress whose real name was Eve Ferroglis.
This particular lavalière is a supreme example of "The Garland Style" which had its origins in the fashions of the late 19th century. It was also the introduction of platinum that allowed the jewellers to produce much finer pieces than hitherto been possible. Strong yet malleable, platinum was the perfect complement to diamonds and was used to great effect, principally until the outbreak of the First World War.
As the aristocratic and moneyed classes of both Europe and America wanted a new look for the 20th century, they returned to design motifs of the courts of Louis XV and Louis XVI. As Hans Nadelhoffer states in his book "Cartier, Jewelers Extraordinary", "Louis Cartier constantly encouraged his draughtsmen to wander through Paris with their sketchbooks and to note down details of seventeenth and eighteenth century architecture." In consequence, we have the ornamental motifs borrowed from Parisian buildings transformed into marvellous jewellery of intricate design.
This quintessential "Garland Style" lavalière shows all the typical features of jewellery from this period; ribbon bows, swags and festoons of flowers. What makes this even more interesting, is the superb use of the calibré-cut ruby trimming that sets off the diamonds and makes the piece a very effective bi-coloured jewel.
Although clearly signed by Cartier, it is an old fitted case stamped "Carrington & Co., to His Majesty The King and Her Majesty Queen Alexandra, 130 Regent Street, London." So from this we can deduce that it was sold prior to 1910, which was the year in which Helen Angus Post married the Earl of St Germans. Presumably Carrington was their family jeweller who preferred to sell a Cartier jewel in one of their own fitted cases.
Not only is it an extremely attractive piece of jewellery but eminently wearable, like all really fine jewels it is as much admired today, as it was when created nearly 100 years ago.
This particular lavalière is a supreme example of "The Garland Style" which had its origins in the fashions of the late 19th century. It was also the introduction of platinum that allowed the jewellers to produce much finer pieces than hitherto been possible. Strong yet malleable, platinum was the perfect complement to diamonds and was used to great effect, principally until the outbreak of the First World War.
As the aristocratic and moneyed classes of both Europe and America wanted a new look for the 20th century, they returned to design motifs of the courts of Louis XV and Louis XVI. As Hans Nadelhoffer states in his book "Cartier, Jewelers Extraordinary", "Louis Cartier constantly encouraged his draughtsmen to wander through Paris with their sketchbooks and to note down details of seventeenth and eighteenth century architecture." In consequence, we have the ornamental motifs borrowed from Parisian buildings transformed into marvellous jewellery of intricate design.
This quintessential "Garland Style" lavalière shows all the typical features of jewellery from this period; ribbon bows, swags and festoons of flowers. What makes this even more interesting, is the superb use of the calibré-cut ruby trimming that sets off the diamonds and makes the piece a very effective bi-coloured jewel.
Although clearly signed by Cartier, it is an old fitted case stamped "Carrington & Co., to His Majesty The King and Her Majesty Queen Alexandra, 130 Regent Street, London." So from this we can deduce that it was sold prior to 1910, which was the year in which Helen Angus Post married the Earl of St Germans. Presumably Carrington was their family jeweller who preferred to sell a Cartier jewel in one of their own fitted cases.
Not only is it an extremely attractive piece of jewellery but eminently wearable, like all really fine jewels it is as much admired today, as it was when created nearly 100 years ago.