Lot 497. Ruby and diamond jarretière bracelet, Cartier, 1930s. Estimate 56,000 — 85,000 CHF. Lot sold 434,500 CHF. Photo: Sotheby's 2012

Designed as a band set with lines of carré-cut rubies in concealed settings, to a diamond clasp of stylised bow design set with circular-cut and baguette diamonds and a tassel of navette and baguette diamonds, lengthapproximately 195mm, signed Cartier and numbered, maker's mark, fitted case signed Cartier.

Literature: Cf: Franco Cologni and Eric Nussbaum "Platinum by Cartier, Triumphs of the Jeweler's Art" , Harry N. Abrams Inc, 1995, page 217 for an illustration of a Cartier brooch employing concealed settings.

Note: Beginning in the early twentieth century, many jewellers experimented with the concept of mounting gem stones so that the setting was concealed from the reverse.  This ‘invisible setting’ or ‘mystery setting’ was created by using stones calibrated to very close tolerances, cut with grooved girdles and locked in place with a thin wire framework.