LONDON – A turquoise and diamond Cartier tiara belonging to Nancy Astor, the American-born British aristocrat and first lady to take up a seat in Parliament, might be auctioned by Bonhams on June 5.
The bandeau tiara, with its carved turquoise plumes, leaves and scrolls, is available on the market for the primary time since Nancy’s husband, Lord Astor, bought it from Cartier in 1930. The pre-sale estimate ranges from 250,000 kilos to 350,000 kilos.
The piece comes from the Astors’ assortment, and was inherited by the current proprietor. It’s the star piece of the broader London Jewels sale, which can happen stay at Bonhams’ New Bond Road headquarters.
Jean Ghika, Bonhams international head of jewellery, stated the Astor tiara “dates to a interval when Cartier London have been on the peak of their inventive prowess. Cartier have been later commissioned to provide the same tiara for Nancy’s sister. Nonetheless, the design of Nancy Astor’s tiara is really distinctive.”
Cartier made the unique tiara in 1929, and later instructed English Artwork Works so as to add the carved turquoise plumes and leaves to the diamond bandeau in 1930.
Ghika added: “The distinctive plumes, leaves and scrolls carved in turquoise have been drawn from Egyptian, Indian and Persian motifs, which have been extensively explored by Cartier all through the early twentieth century. The agency’s Jap-inspired jewels turned massively trendy in consequence. The tiara is exceptionally uncommon, and we really feel honored to have the chance to current it on the market.”
The tiara is about with outdated good, single, and rose-cut diamonds. An outdated brilliant-cut diamond sits on the heart, whereas three fluted turquoise plumes have been set with good and single-cut diamond stems. Both sides of the tiara includes a radiating, fan-shaped turquoise panel design.
Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, was born Nancy Witcher Langhorne in Danville, Virginia. After marrying her second husband, Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor, she settled within the U.Okay.
She later turned the primary lady to take her seat in Parliament, serving from 1919 to 1945. Whereas serving, she advocated for temperance, welfare, schooling reform and girls’s rights.
The Cartier tiara is being bought for the primary time since Nancy Astor acquired it in 1931.
In response to Bonhams, the tiara was first recorded within the Cartier archives in 1929 when the jeweler instructed English Artwork Works so as to add carved turquoise plumes and leaves to an present diamond bandeau.
The finished tiara is listed in Cartier’s information in November 1930, and a month later it was bought to Viscount Astor. In 1931, Nancy wore the tiara to the premiere of “Metropolis Lights” on the Dominion Theatre in London.
At one level she loaned it to her sister, Phyllis Langhorne Model, for a courtroom presentation at Buckingham Palace.
Impressed by the design, Phyllis’ husband, Robert Henry Model, commissioned Cartier to provide the same turquoise and diamond tiara in 1935. That second tiara is presently on show on the V&A’s Cartier exhibition, which opened final month and runs till Nov. 16.
