to-be Queen Elizabeth II) when she married Prince William in 2011. The Prince of Monaco, Prince Rainier III, proposed to Grace Kelly with an exquisite platinum Stellar stones ring boasting a 10.47 carat The historical magnitude of classic luxury jewellery brands Cartier, Graff, Harry Winston emerald-cut flanked by and Van Cleef & Arpels is quite astonishing, just like the they pride themselves two baguettes. The piece was upon. Jewellery expert Rachael Taylor reports matched with a three-strand Cartier diamond necklace, totalling 58 carats, and a Cartier platinum tiara CARTIER of 128 flawlessly matched natural New Bond Street houses London’s set on their wedding day in 1956. From the wife of wealthy financier, pearls (valued in 1912 at $1m flagship store with an additional None of the aforementioned Morton Plant, to the Duchess of – close to $20m today) and a deal 200 boutiques in 125 countries. were the most expensive Cartier Cambridge, Cartier has been in was done, with Plant pocketing an Ever since Pierre Cartier and item ever sold however. The Hutton- vogue and in demand since master additional $100 cash. Today, that his brothers, Louis and Jacques, Mdivani Jadeite Cartier necklace, jeweller Louis-François Cartier mansion is Cartier’s travelled to Russia and enchanted made up of emerald green jadeite took over his mentor’s Parisian New York flagship store, and the imperial family and aristocracy, beads and secured with a ruby, workshop in 1847. one of three Cartier Temples Cartier has been considered the diamond, platinum, and gold clasp, When Cartier’s grandson, (Historical Maisons). jeweller to royalty and the UK’s sold at auction in 2014 for $27.4m Pierre, knocked on the door Paris’ Rue de la Paix is home Duchess of Cambridge, Kate to the Cartier Collection. This famed of Plant’s neo- to the global headquarters and Middleton, has not broken tradition. necklace was owned by socialite renaissance mansion 65 years Featuring almost 1,000 diamonds, Barbara Hutton, heiress to the later, he fell in love with the Above: Van Cleef & Arpels Middleton wore a 1936 Cartier Woolworth fortune, and Georgian place. Plant’s wife fell in love with Pétale de Papillon brooch and halo platinum and diamond tiara Princess Nina Mdivani. Cartier’s double-stranded necklace the Papillon secret watch (on loan from her mother-in-law- (cartier.com) ➤

July-September 2018 Upward Curve 11 Jewellery

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS As if the Cartier pieces were not enough, the Prince of Monaco later gifted Grace Kelly a Van Cleef & Arpels diamond and pearl three- strand necklace with matching diamond ear clips from the jeweller’s New York boutique. The Heritage Collection of jewels, once owned by famous names, including American socialites Brooke Astor and Barbara Hutton, share in the brand’s rich and illustrious history. Only five of Van Cleef & Arpels Clockwise from above: Cartier The gem was returned to Harry rough diamonds, including the stores in the world carry this Magicien Quetzal bracelet and Winston in 1949, who added it to Lesedi La Rona (1,109 carats) the collection, one of which is the ION ear cuffs; Graff Eternal Twins his philanthropic travelling gemstone second largest rough diamond ever Orchard boutique in Singapore. earrings and diamond; Harry exhibition, The Court of Jewels, to uncovered. (graffdiamonds.com) ■ One of Van Cleef & Arpels’ Winston holds some of his most raise funds for local charities before wearable icons is the Alhambra famous stones; The Harry donating it to The Smithsonian – collection, which celebrated its 50th Winston Hall Sapphire necklace via regular US mail. anniversary last year, with precious (harrywinston.com) cuts of gems like mother-of-pearl on brooches. Craftsmanship is also or onyx in the shape of four-leaf at the heart of the jewellers heritage LAURENCE GRAFF clovers, designed to bring luck. and in 1933, its setters invented the British jeweller Laurence Graff has Fitting, perhaps, as the Parisian Mystery setting, which allows gems rare diamonds around the world. brand born out of a romance, when to be secured in gold rails so that no His latest offering is the Tokyo store Estelle Arpels, daughter of a gem metal is visible from above. at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi where dealer, married Alfred Van Cleef, (vancleefarpels.com) brushed gold showcases line the the son of a lapidary and diamond walls displaying the very finest broker at the end of the 1800s. HARRY WINSTON jewels incorporating scintillating Together, in partnership with Harry Winston bought a 2ct emerald diamonds and vivid gemstones. Van Cleef’s brothers, they would from a junk shop for 25¢ in 1908, Graff’s beginnings however, create a world of fantasy and aged 12. Two days later, he sold it were far more humble. In a tale of intrigue to complement the sweetest for $800. The King of Diamonds, rags to riches, he masterminded his of fairytale moments. as he is now known, founded the own rise from a tough working-class One of Van Cleef & Arpel’s most brand in 1932 and went on to 1930s background in East London enduring motifs, first introduced in acquire some of the world’s most and an apprenticeship in Hatton the 1940s, are its ballerinas and spectacular diamonds. Garden to the Central School and fairies, which can be found dancing His insurance company his multi-million dollar empire today. famously refused to insure a The transformation of four 726 carat rough Jonker diamond, significant rough stones into five when he wanted to cleave it into exquisite new diamonds marked 12 separate stones, for fear of 2016 as a record breaking year breakage. He succeeded though, for Graff. The 105.07-carat and the largest of those stones pear-shaped Graff Vendôme, was a 125.35ct emerald cut. the 52.41-carat cushion cut Star The , an of Audrey and the 50.23-carat extraordinary 45.52ct deep blue emerald cut Graff Eternal Twins diamond that some believe carries were revealed, topped off by The a curse (it is said to have been Graff Venus which, at 118.78 carats, stolen from a sacred temple in was certified by the GIA to be the Golconda, India), was purchased largest D Flawless heart shape from royalty in 1911 by superstitious diamond in the world. Just last year, socialite Evelyn Walsh McLean. Graff acquired four exceptional

12 Upward Curve July-September 2018