Vintage 38 Carat Diamond Gold Bracelet, circa 1960s

About the Item

When baguette diamonds—those linear, sleek, rectangular fancy cut stones that reached their height of popularity in the 1920s—are used to deftly drive the dynamic movement within a jewelry composition, it borders on pure poetry. This Vintage Diamond Articulated Bracelet is made in the middle of the XX century, circa 1960s, however, it certainly demonstrates a dexterity and technical prowess associated with multiple glorious jewelry periods from the last two centuries. Crafted in 18K white gold, the bracelet features baguette-, emerald-, round brilliant-, and marquise-cut white diamonds with an estimated total weight of 38.00 carats. The diamonds are not certified and are equivalent to D-F color and VS clarity. Within the 6.63-inch long (16.84 cm) bracelet, lyrical fluid lines of baguette diamonds effectively create 8 articulated navette-shaped sections or plaques. There are two distinct yet related sections which alternate. One has a good deal more fanfare, like a spectacularly glamourous eye of a flapper with dramatic lashes. This section or plaque is defined by two arcing lines of baguettes which overlap and underlap at the corners of the pointed oval inner border before flowing into the neighboring section. If we continue a bit further with the idea that the abstract design represents an eye, because once you see an eye, you simply cannot unsee it, the central marquise diamond not only repeats the shape the baguettes trace, but also seems to fix us dramatically with its gaze. The bracelet design is perfectly symmetrical if you bisect the length of it with a line through the middle. There are 5 round brilliant-cut diamonds decorating both the upper and lower “lids” like bold coquettish lashes. The second plaque is a cool and gleaming counterpoint to the first, centering on 3 emerald-cut diamonds bordered on top and bottom with 10 baguette cut diamonds. This section has an opulent shimmer like ripples on water that seems straight out of the Art Deco period. The baguette and emerald cuts both have that unmistakable hall-of-mirrors effect created by parallel step cuts. To add some sparkle—because you can never have too much—4 smaller rounds accent the flanking square emerald-cuts. The clasp is part of this plaque, which is so skillfully and seamlessly integrated, so as not to interrupt the elegant arc of baguettes. The baguette-cut diamond helped to develop the symmetrical geometric style that is synonymous with the Art Deco movement. Art Deco jewelry continued the shimmering opulence of “white jewelry” created during the Edwardian era in England and La Belle Époque in France, all of which this contemporary piece nicely references. This bracelet certainly portrays the sophisticated glamour of the Jazz Age with symmetrical abstracted patterns and geometric shapes, but also softens the silhouette with the curves, lightness, and openwork established a few years before. The diamond bracelet is a true tour-de-force of artistry that sparkles through the centuries. Measures approx. 6.63” in length. Diamond weight approx. 38.00 carats total; estimated DEF colors, VS clarity. Appraisal available for potential buyers. Overall weight approx. 71.70 grams, made in 18k white gold. Circa 1960s.

Metal:

18k Gold

Stone:

Diamond

Stone Cut:

Mixed Cut

Dimensions:

Length: 6.63 in (168.41 mm)

Place of Origin:

United States

Period:

Mid-20th Century