Spectacular Pair of peridot and Fancy Yellow-Brown 28.75 and 31.51 carats diamond pendant ear clips, Taffin

Each surmount set with an oval peridot suspending a fancy yellow-brown pear-shaped rose-cut diamond weighing respectively 28.75 and 31.51 carats, to a blue titanium border, mounted in yellow gold, signed Taffin and numbered. Estimate 515,000—730,000 CHF- Unsold.

Accompanied by GIA reports no. 13807693 and no. 13807761 stating that both diamonds are Fancy Yellow-Brown, Natural Colour.

NOTE: Taffin was started by James Taffin de Givenchy, a French-born designer who operates a discreet and elegant atelier on Fifth Avenue in New York. Despite a name that is synonymous with haute couture, James de Givenchy chose to pursue his artistic vision in the world of contemporary jewellery.

After studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology, de Givenchy worked in the auction and retail business before starting his own firm in 1996. Like fellow European-born designers Verdura and Schlumberger, he entered the world of American jewellery design with enthusiasm, a love of beauty and exquisite taste. One of de Givenchy's credos is that the manufacturing of a jewel is as important as the design. He relishes the challenge that each stone brings in trying to merge the technical and the artistic.

De Givenchy harks back to another time when client and jeweller worked hand in hand in creating special, one of a kind, pieces. Unusual combinations of stones, both precious and semi-precious, and mountings that extend beyond the traditional to rubber and steel, are all part of his repertoire. The exquisite ear clips on offer here are a perfect example of his creative genius.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels. 19 Nov 08. Geneva. Photo courtesy Sotheby's. www.sothebys.com