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Carved gemstones Posted by Beth on November 29, 2018, 9:29 am The use of carved gemstones was a feature of many of Cartier's jewels during the 1920s and 1930s. Among these were some large carved emeralds used in brooches. On 18 April 2012 Sotheby's auctioned a large carved emerald brooch within a border of emeralds and sapphires. http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/magnificent-jewels-n08843/lot.428.html The brooch was then donated to the MET Museum by HH Sheikha Amna bint Mohammed Al Thani. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metcollects/brooch-with-carved-emeralds-and-sapphires On 7 December 2016 Christie's auctioned another large carved emerald brooch made by Cartier. It came from the Blair family collection, having been purchased from Cartier New York in 1946. https://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=6049421 I would love to see photos of it being worn. What other large carved gemstones have been used as jewels?

Re: Carved gemstones Posted by MarcA on November 29, 2018, 12:05 pm, in reply to "Carved gemstones" Depending on what you consider large the Tutti Frutti jewels of the 1930/40's had a lot of carved stones. Many were very small but quite often the clasps or a central stone were quite large: https://www.google.com.au/search?rlz=1C5CHFA_enAU736AU737&biw=1428&bih=798&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=nlX_W6i5Cuqc0wKWhb3QAQ&q=tutti+frutti+jewelry+cartier&oq=tutti+frutti+jew&gs_l=img.1.4.0l2j0i8i30j0i24l2.30175.39852..44799...0.0..0.477.4676.2-11j4j1......0....1..gws-wiz-img.....0..0i67j0i30.up8IO-g4R8g#imgrc=16XBoYixaCT3kM: I love carved gem stones but always wonder how many high quality gem stones got destroyed in the carving process. Previous Message The use of carved gemstones was a feature of many of Cartier's jewels during the 1920s and 1930s. Among these were some large carved emeralds used in brooches. On 18 April 2012 Sotheby's auctioned a large carved emerald brooch within a border of emeralds and sapphires. http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/magnificent-jewels-n08843/lot.428.html The brooch was then donated to the MET Museum by HH Sheikha Amna bint Mohammed Al Thani. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metcollects/brooch-with-carved-emeralds-and-sapphires On 7 December 2016 Christie's auctioned another large carved emerald brooch made by Cartier. It came from the Blair family collection, having been purchased from Cartier New York in 1946. https://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=6049421 I would love to see photos of it being worn. What other large carved gemstones have been used as jewels?

Re: Carved gemstones Posted by Beth on November 29, 2018, 2:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones" Thanks Marc. I would love to do a thread on Tutti Frutti jewels. I never realised that Daisy Fellows' suite contained a brooch before. Two more large carved emeralds were auctioned by Sotheby's this year. From the information given it appears that both are Mughal carvings. http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/magnificent-jewels-and-jadeite-hk0790/lot.1746.html http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/arts-of-the-islamic-world-l18223/lot.179.html

Re: Carved gemstones Posted by OmerH on November 29, 2018, 6:37 pm, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones" I will add two brooches from Queen Elizabeth's collection. The Delhi Durbar Emerald Brooch The Grima Ruby Brooch

Re: Carved gemstones Posted by Beth on November 30, 2018, 5:48 am, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones" Thank you OmerH. What a superb photo of the Grima brooch! We should do a thread on his jewellery soon. Quite a few of his jewels were auctioned at Bonhams recently. Previous Message I will add two brooches from Queen Elizabeth's collection. The Delhi Durbar Emerald Brooch The Grima Ruby Brooch

Re: Carved gemstones. The Ladies of India brooch. Modern or Mughal carving? Posted by Beth on November 30, 2018, 6:16 am, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones" Thanks to OmerH for jogging my memory. I had overlooked the Ladies of India brooch given to Queen Mary in conjunction with the Delhi Durbar held in 1911. It is surprising just how little information has been released about this brooch. Most of the large carved emeralds which have come onto the market in recent years are said to be Mughal carvings, many having been incorporated into modern jewels by leading jewellers such as Cartier. But I suspect that the Ladies of India emerald was a newly done carving circa 1911. The carving appears to depict a Tudor rose. Similar "rose" carvings are evident on other emeralds, but most of the known Mughal carvings also include other floral motifs as well (as seen in the photo above) If the carving has a history I am surprised that the Royal Collection curators have not made reference to that in various items which have been published. Has anyone ever read which jewellery house might have set the emerald? Or do we rely on the old "probably Garrard" attribution?

Re: Carved gemstones. Taj Mahal emerald Posted by Beth on November 30, 2018, 7:02 am, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones. The Ladies of India brooch. Modern or Mughal carving? " Today this emerald is part of the Al Thani collection. Some information about its history can be found on the MET site (please scroll down) https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2014/former-incarnations-treasures-from-india Does anyone know if additional information was given at any of the exhibitions of the Al Thani collection?

Re: Carved gemstones. The "Northumberland" emerald Posted by Beth on November 30, 2018, 3:11 pm, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones. Taj Mahal emerald " On 24 September 2003 Christie's auctioned a brooch containing 2 emeralds, the larger emerald being an Indian carved stone thought to have come to England with Clive of India, whose granddaughter, Charlotte, was the wife of the 3rd Duke of Northumberland. The brooch had been auctioned by Sotheby's in April 1978. https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/a-magnificent-and-historic-emerald-and-diamond-4147758-details.aspx At the time of the 1978 auction it was purchased by Hilton Jewellers of London, who presumably sold it on to someone else. The auction attracted the attention of the press because the brooch sold for a record 250,000 pounds, (one report says 275,000 pounds) then the highest price paid for a jewel at a UK auction. Why the Duke sold the jewel is unknown but, at the time, there were no death duties to pay, and it may be simply that the brooch wasn't favoured by the ladies of the family, So far I haven't spotted the brooch in any of the photos of any of the Duchesses. Hopefully someone will.

Re: Carved gemstones. The "Northumberland" emerald Posted by MarcA on November 30, 2018, 3:25 pm, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones. The "Northumberland" emerald" Maybe superstition as some people consider emeralds unlucky or perhaps the Northumberland's got a price estimate and decided it was too good a chance to miss. It's a stunning piece. Previous Message On 24 September 2003 Christie's auctioned a brooch containing 2 emeralds, the larger emerald being an Indian carved stone thought to have come to England with Clive of India, whose granddaughter, Charlotte, was the wife of the 3rd Duke of Northumberland. The brooch had been auctioned by Sotheby's in April 1978. https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/a-magnificent-and-historic-emerald-and-diamond-4147758-details.aspx At the time of the 1978 auction it was purchased by Hilton Jewellers of London, who presumably sold it on to someone else. The auction attracted the attention of the press because the brooch sold for a record 250,000 pounds, (one report says 275,000 pounds) then the highest price paid for a jewel at a UK auction. Why the Duke sold the jewel is unknown but, at the time, there were no death duties to pay, and it may be simply that the brooch wasn't favoured by the ladies of the family, So far I haven't spotted the brooch in any of the photos of any of the Duchesses. Hopefully someone will.

Re: Carved gemstones. The Ladies of India brooch. Modern or Mughal carving? Posted by OmerH on November 30, 2018, 4:26 pm, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones. The Ladies of India brooch. Modern or Mughal carving? " According to the Queen's Jewel Vault website the emerald has a rose on the front and a plant at the back. However it doesn't say where the information came from.

Re: Carved gemstones. The Ladies of India brooch. Modern or Mughal carving? Posted by Beth on December 1, 2018, 6:42 am, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones. The Ladies of India brooch. Modern or Mughal carving? " Thank you OmerH. I think that the information came from an online exhibition which was once on the Royal Collection site. So far I haven't found any information about the emerald itself in the contemporary press, although Queen Mary's speech of thanks to the Marahanis was widely publicised. We are all familiar with photos showing Queen Mary wearing the brooch on grand formal occasions and as a centre piece for her wing tiara when the large sapphire wasn't used, but the photo below is less well known. As Queen Mary is seen wearing the brooch in an informal situation, I wonder if she appreciated the gemstone itself, as opposed to seeing, and wearing, it as a symbol of fealty? Previous Message According to the Queen's Jewel Vault website the emerald has a rose on the front and a plant at the back. However it doesn't say where the information came from.

Re: Carved gemstones. The Ladies of India brooch. Modern or Mughal carving? Posted by MarcA on December 2, 2018, 9:44 am, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones. The Ladies of India brooch. Modern or Mughal carving? " I would say she greatly the appreciated the brooch on a personal level. The royals don't really seem to be overly bothered about wearing something they don't like or aren't attached to. Which is the brooch at her throat? It doesn't look at all familiar to me. Previous Message Thank you OmerH. I think that the information came from an online exhibition which was once on the Royal Collection site. So far I haven't found any information about the emerald itself in the contemporary press, although Queen Mary's speech of thanks to the Marahanis was widely publicised. We are all familiar with photos showing Queen Mary wearing the brooch on grand formal occasions and as a centre piece for her wing tiara when the large sapphire wasn't used, but the photo below is less well known. As Queen Mary is seen wearing the brooch in an informal situation, I wonder if she appreciated the gemstone itself, as opposed to seeing, and wearing, it as a symbol of fealty? Previous Message According to the Queen's Jewel Vault website the emerald has a rose on the front and a plant at the back. However it doesn't say where the information came from.

Re: Carved gemstones. Brooch at Queen Mary's throat Posted by Beth on December 2, 2018, 7:05 pm, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones. The Ladies of India brooch. Modern or Mughal carving? " When I asked about it on the RJWMB in 2016 some posters thought it was the Ladies of Hampshire brooch with an emerald substituted for the pearl. See the various comments starting with Arthur's opinion at http://members2.boardhost.com/royal-jewels/msg/archive/1458288131.html I am still not convinced.

Re: Carved gemstones. Brooch at Queen Mary's throat Posted by Dave on December 2, 2018, 7:24 pm, in reply to "Re: Carved gemstones. Brooch at Queen Mary's throat" Very interesting topic guys, I have looked carefully and although the black and white has it unclear it does seem to be close in features and therefore a match. The present Queen strikes me as a strict diamond and pearl wearer only going for the odd stone such as ruby, emerald or the big set from brazil only minimally. Regards, Dave. Previous Message When I asked about it on the RJWMB in 2016 some posters thought it was the Ladies of Hampshire brooch with an emerald substituted for the pearl. See the various comments starting with Arthur's opinion at http://members2.boardhost.com/royal-jewels/msg/archive/1458288131.html I am still not convinced.

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