Showcasing 1930’s glamour, this striking Carrington’s brooch features a Queensland sapphire and more than 12 carats of diamonds.
Over the years we have had some remarkable items of jewellery and precious items by some of the most recognisable brands on the planet. Once again, we have a stunningly beautiful item in the form of an Art Deco brooch with an extremely large sapphire surrounded by marquise cut diamonds.
If you ask most jewellers in the trade what they regard as the golden age for jewellery most would favour the Art Deco period dating between the Paris exhibition of 1925 and the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 as archetypically defying the era. The period was typically characterised by symmetrical geometric shapes, clean lines, and bold designs. This relatively short epoch in history, epitomised an age of the carefree living, unrivalled opulence, luxury and wealth with style in abundance.
‘The centre stone of the brooch has a rare, extremely large oval cut sapphire cut to exhibit the brilliance of the sapphire’s depth of colour’
This very elaborate brooch epitomises the era – extravagant, decadent, stylish and profoundly expensive when purchased. It was probably commissioned via Carrington’s on Bond Street, London – the then holders of a Royal Warrant from King George V who reigned from May 6, 1910 until his death on January 20, 1936.
The centre stone of the brooch has a rare, extremely large oval cut sapphire cut to exhibit the brilliance of the sapphire’s depth of colour, with the dimensions of 27mm x21mm x 13mm that once subjected the integrity of the gemmology refraction. X-ray’s derived that the sapphire was 65.01ct with its origin being Australia, more specifically the north eastern region of Queensland. Therefore it is most likely from the Anakie Gemfields near the region of the National Park in Blackdown and the water source of the Nogoa River.
Exquisite in colour saturation the sapphire is then surrounded by a double hallo of marquise cut diamonds all matched to 0.33ct for each of the outer diamonds and 0.20ct for the inner halo of diamonds, with a combined total weight of 12.19ct. The diamonds would not have been subjected to the four Cs in that era, but in modern day standards they are graded as Colour F and Clarity VSI 1 with excellent cut, polish and symmetry. The diamonds enhance the sapphire rather than detract from its deep and intense colour.
The entire brooch is then set in 950 platinum. The brooch was then sent to the London Assay office and fully hallmarked with the stamp mark of C&Co in a cartouche representing Carrington’s, the leopards head for the London assay office and the date letter P in a gothic style representing 1930 to 1931. Surprisingly there is no platinum symbol hallmarked, however there is an engraved word, Plat, on the pin bar of the brooch. However once subjected to XRF analysis testing from several surface areas of the brooch, the results prove it was made from 950 platinum with traces of rhodium and copper.
We don’t see such exquisite items every day but there are many still out there. If you wish to sell any items of jewellery especially from the Art Deco period, we would like to purchase them from you. Simply drop by and see James in store, Tuesday to Saturday from 9am until 4.30pm.
This column is sponsored by Juels’ Limited, London Street, Norwich.