Archives for August 2020

Stefen Chow/Getty Images for Cartier

How about a little seasonal sparkle for your Friday? Today, we’re taking a closer look at a lovely suite of peridot and diamond jewels from Cartier.

Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

This stunning necklace and bracelet set were made in 1936, and they’re excellent examples of design from the Art Deco period. Both pieces were made by Cartier in London. The date and location of their construction may give us a hint of the reason behind their creation: the upcoming coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (originally scheduled as the coronation of King Edward VIII). There was a rush for jewelry at the time, and Cartier created numerous notable pieces for the event, many of which were set with semi-precious stones — peridot, of course, but also aquamarines and topazes.

Press image of the suite from Cartier

Today, the diamond and peridot suite has returned to its original home. It’s part of the Cartier Collection, a grouping of particularly fine examples of the firm’s work over the course of its history. The jewelry from the Collection is often displayed in various exhibitions.

Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

The necklace is made of platinum and set with both round and baguette diamonds and emerald-cut peridot. Note the unique way that the diamond setting curls underneath the peridot stones, giving the necklace extra dimension. The large peridot pendant weighs in at 63.48 carats.

Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

Here’s a closer look at the pendant. The diamond work above the pendant reminds me quite a bit of the arrangement of stones in the brooch that used to be part of Princess Anne’s Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara — which, of course, was also made by Cartier around the same time.

Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images

This image is a bit dark, but it gives you a fairly decent idea of the shape of the coordinating bracelet, which is also made of platinum and set with diamonds and peridot. Like the necklace, it features an enormous emerald-cut peridot in its center. This one measures at precisely 68.93 carats.

Stefen Chow/Getty Images for Cartier

The necklace is often showcased in various Cartier exhibitions. Over the past decade or so, it has been displayed in Beijing (2009), in Madrid (2012), and in Canberra (2018). PS: that tiara in the background of this case, photographed during the 2009 Chinese exhibition, is a turquoise example that was also made for the 1937 coronation!