Beauty and Mystery of Composed Jewelry

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

The composed jewel mostly escapes from my research on the relationship between the art market and the history of culture. When was it made, by whom, for whom? Who drew it? Often this information is not available, the only remaining information is an item description and a certification often performed in conjunction with the sale.

Much worse for a historian: how long will the jewel survive before it is dismantled and its components are recovered for other pieces better matching the fashion of the time?

Here is an example, at Christie's on June 11 in New York. This is a necklace on which are suspended three beauties on a line: in turn one blue diamond, one pink diamond and another blue.

Both pear shaped, the fancy intense blue diamonds are each surrounded by a micro-pave of diamonds. They weigh 5.01 and 2.03 carats. Between them, the fancy intense pink diamond of 3.01 carats is hexagonal.

Now, enter the catalog. The three diamonds were analyzed by the Gemological Institute of America at dates ranging between December 2008 and March 2009. Was the necklace assembled after the certification?

The price of a jewelry consisting of such a set of rarities is difficult to determine. Christie's has not published an estimate for this lot.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Unsold, of course, this jewel without estimate that had no history. But it was beautiful in the catalog, to attract buyers on the strengths of the sale. In my opinion, the three diamonds will now be separated.