Cartier Paris Ceylon Sapphire and Emerald Boule Ring

Created by Cartier Paris circa 1997, this beautiful boule ring is set with a 10-carat plus Ceylon sapphire mounted in platinum and 18K gold. The high domed ring centers a Ceylon sapphire weighing 10.98 carats, flanked by pairs of carved sapphire leaves, and surrounded by sapphire and emerald beads. A dome ring in the taste of Jeanne Toussaint, with elements of the firm's 1920s "Hindou" or "tutti frutti" style, this glamorous jewel set with a specimen sapphire reflects Cartier's history of leadership in avant garde design.

Size: 6 or 53 (European)
Materials: 1 cushion-shape sapphire (weighing 10.98 carats); 17 sapphire beads; 27 emerald beads; 4 carved sapphire leaves, Platinum and 18K gold
Signed: Cartier, with French assay marks, 53
Documentation: Accompanied by American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) report 1144693 dated 9 December 2024 stating that the sapphire is Ceylon (Sri Lanka), with no evidence of heat, and by Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) report no. 114828 dated 13 October 2020 stating that the stone is of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) origin, no indications of heating.

CURATOR'S NOTES
After Jacques Cartier attended the Indian Durbar in 1911, he returned to Europe with new inspiration and clients. Soon after, in 1913, the firm held an influential exhibition in the newly established New York office showcasing a collection of 50 new "Jewels...created by Messieurs Cartier...from the Hindou, Persian, Arab, Russian and Chinese", and including 20 pieces of work "From Indian art.". Significant commissions from Indian royalty soon followed, and the firm also purchased important Indian specimen gems and carved rubies, emeralds and sapphires to be set in Indian-inspired jewelry intended for European and American customers. Bracelets and bandeaus designed as meandering diamond vines with carved gemstone leaves and berries came to be known as the firm's "Hindou" style. Lady Edwina Mountbatten's head ornament, Daisy Fellowes' necklace, and Mrs. Cole Porter's wide strap bracelet in this style, viewed as works of art, are among the most valuable items of jewelry ever made. The firm revisited the Hindou style, now called "Tutti Frutti" beginning in 1960s, and continuing with the Art Deco revival of the 1970s, as well as in this century with the Inde Mysterieuse collection, explaining: "Cartier honors modern India with its vibrant energy, serene spirituality, and mysterious sensuality."