An Important Diamond Ring, By Jean Schlumberger, Tiffany & Co.

Set with a circular-cut diamond, weighing approximately 8.23 carats, within a circular and marquise-cut diamond bee surround, each with polished gold wire detail, mounted in platinum and 18k gold, with French exportation marks and maker's mark, in a Tiffany & Co. black suede box. Signed Tiffany & Co., Schlumberger . Estimate $800,000 - $1,200,000

With report 17474060 dated 30 July 2008 from the Gemological Institute of America stating that the diamond is D color, VVS2 clarity

Notes: Cf. Chantal Bizot, The Jewels of Jean Schlumberger, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 2001, page 55

Jean Schlumberger (1907-1987), who designed for Tiffany & Co. in the mid 20th century, became noted for his naturalistic and whimsical designs. Always looking for the unique in the mundane, his designs offer a glimpse into a remarkable imagination where jewel-encrusted flora and fauna depict a world of glamorous Surrealism. During the height of his career at Tiffany, which began in 1956, Schlumberger's designs were worn by twentieth-century icons such as Greta Garbo, Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Onassis. His creations possess a timeless quality, as he transformed simple, realistic images, which he either studied or, more often, received intuitively, into reinvented objects of an unpredictable reality, which were all his own and which he expressed with fascinating complexity.

In was nature above all that Jean Schlumberger celebrated in his favorite themes. He was most inspired by the idea of blossoming, which suggests the movement that animates all his jewelry, from the coiling of branches and rising of stems, to the discreet presence of butterflies or bees, lightly resting on the edge of a necklace or ring. Bees and beetles flew and crawled on jewelry pieces he created often incorporating gemstones into the design which demarcated entire segments of the insect's anatomy. Such is the case on this ring, as sculpted gold bees accented by diamond bodies and wings surround the central diamond. Schlumberger masterfully turns an everyday diamond ring into a remarkable piece of art, pulsating with life.

Christie's. Jewels: The New York Sale. 15 October 2008. New York, Rockefeller Plaza - www.christie's.com - image Christie's Ltd 2008