Highly Important and Exceptionally Rare Diamond ring, Alexandre Reza

Of cross over design, set with a fancy vivid blue pear-shaped diamond weighing 5.02 carats and a pear-shaped diamond weighing 5.42 carats, to a platinum mount, size 52, signed A. Reza, French assay and maker's marks.

Stamped Pt 950 for platinum. Inscribed B 5.02 and W 5.42 corresponding to the weight of each diamond. Please refer to GIA reports for further details on the diamonds. As indicated on the GIA report, the 5.02 fancy vivid blue diamond has a few small chips around one side of the girdle, visible under magnification, commensurate with normal wear. In very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Please note that colour, clarity and weight of gemstones are statements of opinion only and not statements of fact by Sotheby's. We do not guarantee, and are not responsible for any certificate from a gemological laboratory that may accompany the property. We do not guarantee that watches are in working order. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue, in particular to the Notice regarding the treatment and condition of gemstones and to the Notice regarding import of Burmese jadeite and rubies into the US.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Alexandre Reza, the celebrated Paris-based jeweller, was born in Moscow in 1922. During his career, that began after the Second Wand which spans four decades, he assembled one of the largest, most diverse and precious collections of gems in the world.

He travelled widely to select each stone individually, and then transformed them with his vision, and the skill of his virtuoso craftsmen, into miniature works of art that are the exquisite suites of necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings for which Alexandre Reza is justly renowned. The creative process was unhurried and uncompromising.

He first supplied gems to, and manufactured for some of the greatest jewellers of the 60s and 70s such as Cartier, Chaumet, Gerard, Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bvlgari and Boucheron. He then decided to found his own brand and established his own retail operations 30 years ago on the Place Vendôme in Paris, in Geneva and in the South of France, offering some of the greatest Haute Joaillerie of the day.

The jeweller's art begins with an understanding that jewels are the most personal of decoration and are meant to be worn to reflect and enhance a woman's beauty. Reza was inspired in his designs both by historical jewels of royal provenance that he recreated to appeal to a contemporary audience, as well as by a modern classicism of his own creation. He framed sumptuous colours in three dimensional diamond-set mountings that defy the hardness of metal and are like fabric, soft and supple, nestling on the ear and settling around the neck or wrist in the most flattering way. Movement, lightness, composition and harmony are the key words of his designs.

Each of Alexandre Reza's creations is imbued with his special understanding of and appreciation for both the physical beauty and the metaphysical properties of the precious gems with which it is set. His is a unique interpretation – respectful of the past, celebratory of the present and enduring in the future.

Today his family continues his legacy on the Place Vendôme, focusing on the most precious gems and high quality manufacture for a discerning elite clientele.

The ring in this catalogue, with its refined, immensely chic design and use of truly exceptional gemstones, is a perfect illustration of the excellence of Alexandre Reza creations.