Antique Art Deco pendant necklace. Platinum pendant set with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and a ruby. Made in Europe, circa late 1920s–1930s. Later 14k white gold chain included.
Accompanied by an independent gemstone report.
Measurements:
Combined weight is 7.5 grams. Pendant measures 1 inch (2.6cm) long, including the bail. Chain measures 19 3/4 inches (50cm) long.
Total estimated colored stone weight: 2.70ct. Total estimated diamond weight: 0.44ct.
Description:
A beautifully made, rare Art Deco pendant in the giardinetto or Tutti Frutti style, in the form of a basket overflowing with flowers. The basket, its handle and the bail are a mass of pavé-set diamonds. Within are cabochon colored gemstones: the largest a ruby, with two deep blue sapphires and a pair of emeralds. Beautifully constructed in platinum, with very fine setting typical of the Art Deco period. The generous pear-shaped bail will take chains of various sizes. See the history of jewelry in the form of baskets of flowers and fruit in The Story below.
The 14k white gold chain is not original to the pendant and is included for your convenience. Its links are a variation of the paperclip style, with narrow waists and rounded ends. Spring ring clasp.
Marks and Metal:
No marks on the pendant. The chain is marked 14k and Italy, with another unidentified mark near the clasp.
Condition:
Good, with negligible wear commensurate with age. Please see enlarged pictures and don’t hesitate to ask questions, which we will do our best to answer.
THE STORY:
For centuries, giardinetto (“little garden”) jewelry has been popular: usually a basket or vase of flowers represented by colored gemstones, as in this pendant. We often associate giardinetto jewelry with the Georgian era, but it has been made in many forms ever since.
Early in the 20th century, around 1901, Cartier made Queen Alexandra a necklace of colored stones inspired by India, at a time when the Cartiers were beginning to combine magnificent Indian gems with traditional French design and workmanship. The youngest brother, Jacques, made numerous trips to India from 1911 onward to source gems, including wonderful carved sapphires, rubies and especially emeralds. In the Art Deco 1920s, Cartier introduced its colored-gem “Hindu” jewelry. The name “Tutti Frutti” came into use only in the 1970s and was later registered by Cartier as a trademark. While Cartier may own the name, the style is universal, and many sought-after examples were made by other jewelers.
Interestingly, Cartier was not the first jeweler to look to India. In 1895, Herman Marcus of the New York firm Marcus & Co. toured India with his sons William and George, years before Jacques Cartier’s famous visit for the Delhi Durbar of 1911. The trip inspired the firm’s own “Hindu-style” jewelry, well before Cartier’s Hindu jewelry of the 1920s.
