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The Duchess of Windsor wears her amethyst and turquoise jewels (screengrab) |
Our celebration of royal jewels made by Cartier continues this month with one of the most colorful, modern sets that the firm made for the Duchess of Windsor: her amethyst and turquoise suite. Enjoy seeing this beautiful set of jewelry in motion!
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One of Wallis’s most recognizable Cartier pieces is this amethyst, turquoise, diamond, and gold bib necklace, made for her in 1947
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A sketch of the necklace, which Cartier jewelers designed with Wallis’s input
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Wallis famously wore the necklace to a gala at Versailles in 1953
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Wallis “really liked strong colors and very sculptural, bold jewelry. It wasn’t subtle, but it also was not overpowering or tasteless in any way,” explained Margaret Young-Sanchez, who curated “Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century” at the Denver Art Museum in 2014
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The Duchess’s amethyst and turquoise collection also included other pieces, including this torsade bracelet, made by Cartier in 1954
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In lot notes from a 2013 auction, Sotheby’s described the piece as “designed as five rows of amethyst and two rows of turquoise beads, to a star-shaped clasp, set at the centre with an hexagonal amethyst within a turquoise and diamond border, accented with circular-cut diamonds”
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The bracelet sold at auction in London in 2013 for $45,000 (USD)
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Wallis’s amethyst and turquoise suite was made more than half a century ago, but it still looks strikingly modern today
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