Van Cleef & Arpels Paris No-Heat Burma Sapphire Ring

Created in the late 1930s by Van Cleef & Arpels Paris, this Burma sapphire and diamond ring is mounted in platinum. The ring centers three vertically-set cushion-cut sapphires, weighing 1.96, 1.21, and 1.20 carats, flanked by two canted rows of calibré-cut sapphires mounted on either side of an domed step, and arched shoulders set with graduating round-cut diamonds. Densely set with royal blue Burma sapphires, and rich in artistic impact, this streamlined masterpiece by Van Cleef & Arpels is a statement of sculptural monumentality in miniature.

Item #: R-20587
Artist: Van Cleef & Arpels
Country: France
Circa: Late 1930s
Size: (this ring can be sized; please contact the gallery for further information)
Materials: 1 cushion-cut sapphire (approximate total weight 1.20 carats); 1 cushion-cut sapphire (approximate total weight 1.96 carats); 1 cushion-cut sapphire (with approximate total weight 1.21 carats); 10 round diamonds (approximate total weight 1.00 carats); platinum
Signed: Van Cleef & Arpels Brevete. s.g.d.g. 48551 French assay marks and maker's mark
Documentation: Accompanied by American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) reports nos. 1123997, 1123998, and 1123999, all dated 15 July 2022, stating that the three largest sapphires are of Burma (Myanmar) origin, with no evidence of heat enhancement.
Literature: For important mid-century jewels with a similar sculptural character, see Van Cleef & Arpels, Reflections of Eternity, by Marc Petit, fig. 101 and 114.

CURATOR'S NOTES
This beautifully modeled and impactful ring likely dates from late 1930s, when Van Cleef & Arpels Paris created other masterpieces of a similar artistic character. With its powerful evocation of strong, sweeping lines, volume, and interplay of opposing planes and repeating forms, this ring echoes the design sensibility of the firm's spectacular 1937 ruby "jarretiere" bracelet (owned by Marlene Dietrich) and its 1938 diamond "Cambodian" bracelet, worn by Anita Ekberg.