Latest Estate Acquisitions
2024, Volume 6

France was the birthplace of the Art Deco movement, and Paris its epicentre. Home to the Maisons whose creations came to personify 20th-century modernity, some of the finest Art Deco jewels were crafted in the French capital during this influential era.

All but one of the estate pieces showcased below were made in Paris between 1926 and 1936. A blink of the eye in the history of jewellery design, this decade, sandwiched between the first and second world wars, represented a radical departure from what came before.

With their restrained lines, geometric motifs and resolutely innovative spirit, the jewels crafted in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s optimistically looked to the future, attracting global acclaim—and serious collectors today. Explore five recent Art Deco acquisitions by three legendary French jewellers, below.

Boucheron was at the height of its power in the early 20th century. The Maison’s bold artistry and technical mastery attracted a clientele of the world’s wealthiest elite, with the Art Deco age a defining moment in its history.

French for “whirlwind”, the term tourbillon perfectly describes the dynamism of this brooch, which dates from 1934. Featuring a vortex of diamonds that swirls outwards to circle nine Burmese rubies, the pairing of baguette cut and round diamonds creates a striking contrast between the linear and the brilliant. The antique Burmese rubies, radiant and vivid, reinforce just how rare this brooch is.

Discovered in Boucheron’s archive of Art Deco creations during the authentication process, an original photograph of the Tourbillon brooch is included in the Certificate of Authenticity that accompanies this piece.

Exemplifying the geometric precision of the Art Deco movement, this pair of Art Deco diamond clips, signed Boucheron Paris, were crafted in 1936. Presented in the original Boucheron box, close to 10 carats of diamonds have been meticulously set in white gold and platinum to form waves of stones, bordered by rows of baguette cut diamonds.

The clips display perfect symmetry, indicative of Boucheron’s artistic mastery at the time. Designed to be worn singly or together, pairs of Art Deco clips such as these are always popular with our clients, who appreciate their versatility.

Cartier created some of its most memorable jewels in the Art Deco era, with this chic geometric bracelet very different to our other featured pieces. Perhaps this is because it was made in London, rather than Paris. Or that it was crafted in 18 carat yellow gold. With white metals, particularly platinum, more prevalent at the time, choosing to use gold was a bold choice.

Created in 1935, this striking period piece is an early example of a tank bracelet. So-called because the design resembles the tracks on a battle tank, the chunky, square links in 18 carat yellow gold are channel set with step-cut rubies to form unbroken lines of colour. Eliminating ornamentation in favour of minimalism, the design embodies the clean, industrial aesthetic of the Modernist style embraced by Cartier throughout the 1920s and 30s.

Characteristic of the designs emerging from the Maison’s Paris workshop in the 1930s, clip brooches like these became closely associated with Cartier during this period. Made in 1936, they capture the essence of Art Deco design, with the sleek lines of the fan motifs adorned with more than 14 carats of brilliant and baguette cut diamonds.

Cartier’s clip brooches are very well liked among our female clients. With the recent resurgence in men’s jewellery, particularly brooches pinned to dinner jackets, the timelessness of this design makes these twin pieces an excellent choice for gentlemen also.

Sophistication reigned during the Art Deco era, with jewels like this exquisite bow brooch by the esteemed Maison Van Cleef & Arpels showcasing the wonderful possibilities of platinum, a relatively new metal. Harder to manipulate and therefore less likely to bend out of shape, it became the go-to metal for creating intricate and enduring designs such as this.

A recurring theme in Belle Époque jewellery, Van Cleef & Arpels’ bow, created in 1926, is a gentle evolution of this timeless motif. Its ruffled silhouette may have been familiar to the Maison’s clients, but the crispness of the bow’s curves and the impeccable setting of different-sized diamonds to cover every surface are pure Art Deco.