Ruby and diamond brooch, 1940s

Cf.: Nadine Coleno, Amazing Cartier, Jewelry Design since 1937, 2009, pg. 384, for an illustration of a brooches of similar design.

Cf.: David Bennett & Daniela Mascetti, Understanding Jewellery, 2003, pg. 384, for an illustration of a brooch of similar design.

A similar brooch by Cartier sold as lot 211 on 18 March 2015 in the London Fine Jewels sale.

Silhouettes of post war jewellery remained voluminous, as was the case in the 1930s, but gone was the preference for platinum, instead gold became the preferred choice of jewellery houses around the world. The world of nature provided ample inspiration and during the 1940s and 50s we see an influx of flowers and foliage motifs being crafted from thin sheets of gold, allowing for simple details such as a scrolled leaf or petal edge. Flowers have always been inextricably entwined in Cartier’s design history, from the garland style of symmetrical naturalistic compositions, the famous Tutti Frutti style of carved gemstones to pieces similar to the one offered here. Late 1940s Cartier designs saw flowers rendered in gold, the stamens, stems or leaves highlighted by coloured gemstones, giving rise to rich, sumptuous and harmonious designs.