Intaglios & Cameos

Above: A fabulous emerald pendant brooch by Collingwood & Co. Ltd., in its original case labelled 'Jewellers to the Royal Family'.We’re excited to share the news of a private collection of superb quality Art Deco jewels which has just arrived in time for...

In 1847 Louis Cartier opened a small jewellery store in Paris.
In 1870 his son Alfred assumed leadership and organised the first exhibition in London.
In I898 his son Louis joined his father Alfred.
In 1898 Alfred’s sons Pierre and Jacques joined the company.
In 1899 the store moved to 13 Rue de la Paix, Paris.

The 20th century Irish born artist Francis Bacon had a very simple view of mortality; “You live, you die. That’s it,”
This may be seen as a very bleak view of one of life’s inevitabilities, but in past centuries, before the development of medical science, death was omnipresent.

I recently acquired a striking opal cameo set in silver as a ring. Depicting Nike, the goddess of Victory in Greek mythology, it has been attributed to the celebrated German gem carver Wilhelm Schmidt (1845-1938) and dated circa 1880.