Platinum, Diamond and Colored Stone 'Rose' Bracelet, Tiffany & Co., 2004

The flexible strap decorated with a meandering rose stem, the petals set with buff-top rubies, the stem and leaves set with calibré-cut emeralds, and the vase composed of square-cut rubies, and decorated at intervals with tiny platinum spheres, the flower set against a ground of round diamonds, decorated at the top with an 'evening sky' composed of emerald-cut sapphires accented at intervals with tiny platinum spheres, set in the center with an oval rose-cut diamond 'moon' weighing 2.53 carats, completed at the ends with a line of round diamonds and a line of emerald-cut sapphires, the total round diamond weight 21.18 carats, length 7¼ inches, signed Tiffany & Co.

The rose-cut diamond is approximately H-I color and VS clarity. The smaller round diamonds are approximately F-H color and VVS-VS clarity. The sapphires weigh 25.43 carats and are medium deep blue color and of good clarity. Nicely matched in color and cut. The rubies weigh 11.81 carats and are a medium pinkish red to medium red and of good clarity. The emeralds weigh 2.61 carats and are a medium green and of good clarity. With scratch number 19421406 on reverse of female end of the clasp next to the signature. In very good condition. Fitted with two safety closures. A copy of the retail replacement valuation from Tiffany & Co. available upon request.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. 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. Illustrations in the catalogue may not be actual size. Prospective purchasers are reminded that, unless the catalogue description specifically states that a stone is natural, we have assumed that some form of treatment may have been used and that such treatment may not be permanent. Our presale estimates reflect this assumption.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Together with the original sketch from Tiffany & Co.

A single red rose in full bloom under the moonlight. It is hard to imagine a more romantic combination of elements than the ones found on the present bracelet. Even the vase from which the rose's long sinewy stem emerges is shaped like a heart. More than any other flower, the rose has remained a universal source of fascination and inspiration. Writers and poets from all ages and cultures have praised its beauty, delicacy and fragrance.

A bracelet known as the "Moonlight Rose," made by Tiffany & Co. in 1925, was sold by Sotheby's in New York in April of 1998.  Although American firms did not participate in the Exposition des Art Decoratifs in Paris in that same year, it is clear that in terms of quality and design, this bracelet would have ranked alongside the best of French jewels from the Art Deco period. The origin of the design is unknown, but it there is a mysterious quality in the unusual subject matter of a rose blooming by the cool light of the moon rather than in the sun. The mosaic-like quality of the lapidary work and the arabesque curve of the rose stem would seem to be inspired by Islamic art. The excellent workmanship might have been that of William Scheer who is known to have manufactured jewelry for Tiffany & Co. at that time. While no original sketches for the bracelet are known to exist, sketches of pictorial bracelets with abstract floral motifs by William Scheer, Inc. are illustrated by Penny Proddow and Debra Healy, American Jewelry: Glamour and Tradition, p. 91.

The bracelet offered here, from the Tiffany Legacy Collection, is an exact mirror image of the original "Moonlight Rose" bracelet. The quality of the stones and workmanship are exceptional. Like the original, it is a tour-de-force of American jewelry making.