Under the Sea

Vintage Turtle Brooch with Turquoise and Diamonds in Gold, Paris, c. 1970s

€ 6,490.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

Vintage Turtle Brooch with Turquoise and Diamonds in Gold, Paris, c. 1970s

Description

This description was automatically translated from German. If you have any questions about this piece of jewellery, we will be happy to help!

A sparkling turtle has swum to us from the vastness of the world's oceans. The reptile's shell is studded with sparkling diamonds and turquoise. Numerous other diamonds adorn its neck, head and flippers. Two fiery red rubies set the eyes and give the finely crafted animal a mysterious look. The brooch is made of high-carat yellow gold and comes from Paris, as the hallmarks on the back of the piece prove. Here, in the metropolis on the Seine, a whole menagerie of witty animal brooches has been created in the major jewellery houses since the 1960s. Van Cleef & Arpels made the start, but Cartier and Maubussin also had numerous animals in their range. Unfortunately, we do not know which maison this brooch comes from. However, the piece is of exceptionally high quality. Making a turtle out of jewels, of course, has an ulterior motive. The animal has not only been a symbol of knowledge, wisdom and long life since time immemorial. Jean Floressa's Des Esseintes, the protagonist of Huysmans' À Rebours from 1884, had already transformed a living tortoise into a precious work of art by setting it richly with precious stones. Since then, the turtle has been at home in the art of jewellery. The turtle can be worn as a brooch thanks to a sophisticated clip. We discovered it in the south of France. Based on the materials used and the techniques, such as 8/8-cut diamonds set in yellow gold, we think it was created in the 1970s. For the history of animal brooches with many examples, see David Bennet and Daniela Mascetti: Understanding Jewellery, Woodbridge 2010, p. 428, p.431.

Size & Details

Under the Sea

€ 6,490.00 ^*

Content 1 piece

Incl. VAT, Shipping

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