An exceptional and highly imaginative Art Deco brooch by Cartier Paris, dating to circa 1930 and signed to the reverse. The subject is a carved coral hand — a surrealist motif that was a particular fascination of the Art Deco period — rendered with extraordinary naturalistic detail and wearing a twisted 18ct gold and black enamel bracelet at the wrist, alongside a scalloped platinum cuff set with rose-cut diamonds. The hand holds a polished gold stem crowned with a large flower, at the centre of which sits an old European-cut diamond. The combination of carved coral, black enamel, rose-cut diamonds, and an old European-cut centre stone is a masterclass in the Cartier Art Deco aesthetic. French assay marks for 18ct gold and platinum.

A piece of the very highest order — signed Cartier Paris Art Deco jewels of this complexity, subject matter, and condition are museum-quality objects that appear on the market only rarely.

The Details

• Maker: Cartier Paris
• Style: Art Deco
• Circa: 1930
• Materials: Carved coral, 18ct yellow gold, platinum, black enamel
• Diamonds: Rose-cut (cuff) and old European-cut (flower centre), c.0.25ct total
• Subject: Hand holding a flower stem
• Weight: 13.1g
• Dimensions: 4.8 × 3.5cm
• Hallmarks: French assay for 18ct gold and platinum, signed Cartier Paris