A diamond and ruby tiara by Cartier, of openwork twin scroll design, the diamonds millegrain-set in platinum, each scroll enclosing a cabochon synthetic ruby, in the centre a collet-set diamond supports a stylised leaf surmount-set with a cabochon synthetic ruby, 16cm wide by 6.5cm high. The weight of the diamonds is approximately 67.50 carats. Inscribed on outer rim, in cursive, ‘Cartier Paris Londres New York’ and struck on the wire frame, near the apex, with the mark of ‘HL’, for the Henri Lavabre workshop, and with the French assay mark for platinum of a dog’s head (instituted in 1912). In original deep, green leather box stamped on lid in gold with ‘AC’, for Alexandra Comnène, surmounted by a coronet, and on base ‘CARTIER’ (in gold) and ‘MADE IN FRANCE’, fitted internally and supplied with original twin- pronged screwdriver. Together with original client documents on Cartier stationery and a further collection of related archival material.
The tiara, along with a pendant, was commissioned from Louis Cartier (1875-1942) in Paris in September 1913 by Alexandra Calvocoressi Comnène (1880-1961) for her marriage in November 1913 to Robert Everts (1875-1942), a diplomat in the Belgian Foreign Service. In preparation for the wedding and in order to acquire a trousseau appropriate for a diplomat’s wife, Alexandra and her mother spent September in Paris at the Hôtel Régina. The archival material included in the offer not only records the progress of the commission of the tiara and the purchase of other items by Alexandra, but also how the tiara continued to play a significant role in later years during the ambassadorial postings of Alexandra’s husband. Following the marriage, Alexandra travelled by train to Peking, where her husband was posted, accompanied by the tiara, sewn into her garments for safety. The tiara has remained in the same family since its commission and over the years has been worn at numerous formal events and family weddings.
The design is both strikingly bold and classic in its reference to Grecian form, which would likely have appealed to Alexandra, who was born on Corfu to Greek parents from Constantinople and Chios. It epitomises the technical and stylistic achievements of the Cartier jewellers during the firm’s formative years and exemplifies the transition from the regal circular crown to the frontal diadem. It is of particular interest because of the use of coloured gemstones in the form of three synthetic rubies in uncut cabochon form. The pioneering process of ‘reconstituting’ precious gemstones, whereby the ground geological substance was gradually fused under heat, was patented by Auguste Verneuil (1856-1913) in France in 1902. The round stones in the two scrolls possess markings consistent with Verneuil’s stones. The tiara represents the earliest and only known documented case of the use of synthetic rubies by Cartier in the years before World War I.
1
Responses « Back to index | View thread »