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1.01 carat asscher cut diamond three stone ring.

I have a crush. A big one.

1.01 carat asscher cut diamond three stone ring.
Look at it. It’s basically perfect.
1.01 carat asscher cut diamond three stone ring.
The central 1.01 carat asscher-cut diamond is flanked on either side by a square emerald cut diamond.  The diamonds themselves would make a fan of this ring, but the delicate unfurling of the engraving down and around the sides makes me fall head over heels.
1.01 carat asscher cut diamond three stone ring.
Love love love love love.
1.01 carat asscher cut diamond three stone ring.
The scolling even continues around the bottom! Perfection.

1.01 carat asscher cut diamond three stone ring.

I couldn’t resist putting it all together.
This 1.01 carat asscher cut diamond three stone ring is currently for sale at Lang Antiques. All images and info are thanks to Lang.

Art Deco diamond, conch pearl, and enamel bracelet, Cartier.

This bracelet really is extra super pretty. It’s more than that; it’s spectacular, magnificent, incredible. It deserves to be described in only multi-syllabic superlatives.

Detail; Art Deco diamond, conch pearl, and enamel bracelet by Cartier. Circa late 1920's. Via Diamonds in the Library.

You see my point? I’ve been saving this one to unveil on my birthday week, and there’s no question in my mind that it was worth the wait.

This unique, rare, and exceptionally beautiful bracelet is the work of Cartier,and is from the late 1920’s. It’s designed as a highly-articulated (read: fully flexible), vine set with set with cushion-shaped, circular-, single-cut, and rose diamonds. The diamond vine is blossoming with conch pearl fruits or flowers and is embellished with black enamel. It’s subtle and opulent all at the same time.

Art Deco diamond, conch pearl, and enamel bracelet by Cartier. Circa late 1920's. Via Diamonds in the Library.

The use of conch pearls is what makes this piece so unusual. An informative tidbit thanks to the Sotheby’s Catalogue Note:

“We know of no other significant Cartier jewel that employed the charming baby pink conch pearl in conjunction with black enamel and diamonds. The fruiting vine central motif is shared with other highly chromatic ‘tutti frutti’ bracelets designed in the company’s workshops at this date. Although the design is totally balanced and harmonious, the principal gems, all of different sizes and slightly different shades of colour are placed asymmetrically giving the jewel a sense of tension which is highly unusual. ” Excerpt from the recently released book ‘Celebrating Jewellery: Exceptional Jewels of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries’, by David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti, Woodbridge, Suffolk, 2012, page 159.

So there you go. This is no run-of-the-mill piece, even among antique Cartier bracelets.

Sigh. It contains so many of my favorite design elements that I can’t even stand it. Try not to drool on your keyboards too much.

This miracle of a bracelet was listed in Sotheby’s November 2012 Magnificent Jewels sale. All images and info are thanks to Sotheby’s.

 An exceptional Art Deco diamond, conch pearl, and enamel bracelet by Cartier. Circa late 1920's. Via Diamonds in the Library.

The Duchess of Windsor’s Cartier panther bracelet.

It’s my birthday!! Happy birthday to me. My present to myself (besides the jewelry I already bought myself last week…oops) is that we are going to look at one my favorite pieces of all time.

My goal for this post is to sound as little like Gollum as possible. We’ll see how it goes.

The Duchess of Windsor's Cartier panther bracelet. The fully-articulated piece is pavé-set with brilliant- and single-cut diamonds and calibré-cut onyx. It was made by Cartier in 1952.

Edward, Duke of Windsor and almost-King of England, did a really good job of proving that he loved Wallis Simpson. Sure, it was no small thing when he abdicated the throne for her. But what really impresses me is the fact that he bought her some of the most amazing jewelry the world has ever seen, much of it specially commissioned. We are only going to talk about one piece today: her Cartier panther bracelet, but you can see several other spectacular pieces here.

Cartier made the Duchess of Windsor's panther bracelet in 1952. The piece is pavé-set with brilliant- and single-cut diamonds and calibré-cut onyx. It is fully articulated for movement.

Image via Bride-to-be.

Cartier created this bracelet in Paris in 1952. The finely-sculpted body is pavé-set with brilliant- and single-cut diamonds and calibré-cut onyx. Each eye is carefully set with a marquise-shaped emerald. It is 195 mm long and wears as if it’s 165 mm long. In American, that means it’s 6.5 inches and would fit me perfectly. Be still my heart.

I usually don’t mention prices, but you should be aware that this baby sold for just over 7 million dollars. I’m pretty sure it’s worth every penny.

The most remarkable feature of this bracelet – besides the sensuous lines and emerald eyes of the elegant panther –  is the piece’s extensive articulation. The panther is jointed along its entire length to allow the bracelet to drape itself around a lucky wearer’s wrist rather than remaining rigid like a bangle.

Here, the Duchess of Windsor’s Cartier panther bracelet is displayed by a Sotheby’s employee in front of a portrait of the Duchess.

Here, the bracelet lounges languidly on a white-gloved hand in front of a Cecil Beaton portrait of Wallis Simpson at Sotheby’s auction rooms in London. Photo by Kirsty Wigglesworth, AP, via Pricescope.

The Duchess of Windsor's Cartier panther bracelet. The fully-articulated bracelet, made by Cartier in 1952, is pavé-set with brilliant- and single-cut diamonds and calibré-cut onyx.

Sotheby’s says the piece is “designed to encircle the wrist and to assume a stalking attitude.” Sounds like an accurate description to me. Just look how perfectly detailed he is; the perk of his ears, the shape of his paws.

Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, looking happy in her Cartier panther bracelet and assorted other jewels. Via Diamonds in the Library.

Here is the fabulous Duchess of Windsor herself, looking happy in her bracelet (and why shouldn’t she be?).

A Sotheby's employee pose with a 1952 onyx and diamond panther bracelet on display at the auction house in London, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010. The bracelet made by Cartier, formerly in the collection of the Duchess of Windsor is to be auctioned in 'The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor' sale on Nov. 30 with an estimated price of 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 pounds (US$1,566,416 to 2,349,624 or 1,175,595 to 1,763,392 euro). (AP Photo/Sang Tan)

A lovely view here of the bracelet’s fluidity, thanks to Technology Marketing Corporation.

Sotheby’s catalogue photo from the sale of the Duchess of Windsor's famous Cartier panther bracelet. Circa 1952. Fully articulated for movement.

Here the bracelet is stretched out to its full length for the Sotheby’s catalogue.  Isn’t it crazy to think of such an iconic piece having something as mundane as a clasp? I would have just expected the panther to come momentarily to life and clasp its own tail in its paw.

Cartier made the Duchess of Windsor's famous panther bracelet in 1952. As this image shows, the panther is fully articulated for movement.

More stalking. The Independent described the lady modeling the bracelet in this image as “A person.”

The Duchess of Windsor’s Cartier panther bracelet rests in its box. The fully-articulated bracelet was made by Cartier in 1952.

A photo of the bracelet napping in its Cartier box, via News.com.au.

Cartier made the Duchess of Windsor's famous panther bracelet in 1952. The panther is fully articulated for movement. Via Diamonds in the Library. Image via Lasca Sartoris.
I enjoy this series of photos because it both illustrates the range of motion of this remarkable bracelet and shows what I would do all day if I ever got my hands on it.
 Sotheby’s catalogue photo from the sale of the Duchess of Windsor's famous Cartier panther bracelet. Circa 1952; pavé-set with brilliant- and single-cut diamonds and calibré-cut onyx.

One last photo to give us a new view of the face and limbs. Goodbye for now, precious panther. I’ll see you in my dreams.

This bracelet was listed in Sotheby’s Exceptional Jewels and Precious Objects Formerly in the Collection of The Duchess of Windsor sale. All images and info are thanks to Sotheby’s unless otherwise noted.

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