Aquamarine, sapphire and diamond ring, Suzanne Belperron, 1950s

Of oblong form, set at the centre with a step-cut aquamarine bordered by oval and circular-cut similar stones, marquise-shaped sapphires, circular-, single- and brilliant-cut diamonds, mounted in platinum, French assay and maker's marks. Estimate 10,000--15,000 CHF - Lot Sold.  25,000 CHF

NOTE : Lots176 to 179 are the work of the talented and intensely private designer Suzanne Belperron. Born Suzanne Vuillerme in 1900, she left her village near the Swiss border to attend the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris while fairly young. In 1923, she joined the firm of Boivin, a result of her friendship with fellow designer Germaine Boivin, daughter of the firm's late founder René. By 1933, she struck out on her own, forming a partnership with the pearl merchant Bernard Herz. Here she had artistic freedom and total control of her designs, resulting in the unusual, highly recognizable jewels that have since become her trademark.

Beginning with an Art Deco sensibility, Belperron softened her designs to include sculptural, undulating forms which she often set with large stones. She had less regard for the price of the material than for the design itself and often mixed precious and semi-precious stones together in one piece. She is largely credited for the idea of avoiding metal by sinking a diamond into rock crystal or a sapphire into chalcedony. Her total departure from the restraints of classic jewellery design brought her to the attention of Elsa Schiaparelli who wore Belperron's jewellery in Vogue in 1933. Her reputation soon spread entirely by word of mouth and before long clients on both sides of the Atlantic, including Grace Kelly, Colette, the Duke of Windsor, Daisy Fellowes and movie stars like Gary Cooper and Charlie Chaplin, were visiting her Paris salon. Belperron never signed her pieces in the belief that her designs, like couture, were recognizable on their own.

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