https://www.instagram.com/p/CK92YX_FLFq/
"A pre-war Cartier London bracelet described by Sotheby’s as "A Highly Important Ruby and Baguette Diamond Bracelet" bought by Jacques Arpels of Van Cleef & Arpels in 1964 for $70,000 (Seventy Thousand US Dollars 1964 Currency). To-day that would be around $600,000 cash equivalent but around $70,000,000 in S&P return. The bracelet is a wonderful example of how Van Cleef & Arpels was able to assemble superb modern jewels by acquiring excellent old jewels set with perfectly matched ranges of colored stones, as in this ruby bracelet. Certainly, the stones were removed for a new creation. Without the rubies the bracelet was worth at 1964 trade value around $15,000.
When I started my jewelry career in 1969, I saw many signed jewels broken up and was guilty in 1974 of breaking up a pair of impressive Cartier London baguette diamond formalized ribbon bow clips belonging to Princess Joan Aly Khan. Each stone weighed exactly 30 points and the same size therefore yielded a pair of significant baguette diamond platinum line bracelets, which sold to a Greek shipowner. The clips had 50 carats of diamonds with a then trade value of $300 per carat. Fortunately, I was introduced to Jacques Arpels during a Sotheby’s sale in 1977- they don’t make them like that any longer. Unassuming, charming and discreet."
425
Responses « Back to index | View thread »