An art deco sapphire and diamond bracelet, by Paul Flato. Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2012

Designed as an openwork rectangular-cut sapphire and diamond bricklink band, mounted in platinum, circa 1935, 7 ins. Signed Flato for Paul Flato. Estimate $120,000 - $180,000. Price Realized $338,500 

Notes: Famed American jeweler Paul Flato moved from his native Texas to New York in the 1920s. He began selling wristwatches and by the 1930s had opened two jewelry shops, one in Los Angeles, and the other on 57th Street in New York City. With a sharp eye for style, he became famous not only for his charming personality but for his whimsical designs in gold and precious gems, catering to the most fashionable ladies in Hollywood, including Joan Crawford and Katherine Hepburn.

The consignor of this elegant sapphire and diamond bracelet by Paul Flato recalls playing with her mother's "blue bracelet" as a child in the mid-1940s.

Christie's. Magnificent Jewels, 10 December 2012. New York, Rockefeller Plaza.