Latest Estate Acquisitions
2024, Volume 5

Our primary focus at Ronald Abram this summer has been on expanding our Estate Collection. Alongside important, signed jewels that fall firmly into the iconic category, we have added pieces by independent designers such as Pierre Sterlé, a visionary master craftsman who gained renown for his mid-century depictions of birds. Our desire to introduce clients to brilliant yet little-known masters like Sterlé is central to our collecting philosophy at Ronald Abram.

Birds feature heavily in Volume 5 of our Latest Estate Acquisitions for 2024, which is devoted to jewels that take inspiration from the animal kingdom. These feathered friends are joined by a magnificent panther, whose creator is, of course, Cartier. Rooted in the natural world, the five pieces showcased below are among the most imaginative new antique jewels to join our Estate Collection.

A leaping panther emerges from a carved coral leaf in this masterpiece brooch, signed Cartier Paris. Crafted in 1968, the panther is so lifelike, even his legs move, animating this big cat that is emblematic of the French Maison. Highly collectible, only four of this design were ever made. Its importance in the annals of Cartier history is celebrated in the coffee table book Cartier Panthère, with a whole page given to a preliminary sketch of this exact brooch.

First appearing as a decoration on a Cartier watch in 1914, the panther will forever be Cartier’s iconic animal. Introduced by the designer and tastemaker Jeanne Toussaint, Director of Fine Jewellery at the Maison from 1933 until 1970, the panther aesthetic she cultivated for Cartier remains one of the most recognisable and collectible in the world of estate jewellery.

Eloquently capturing the naturalistic essence of its subject, this animated panther bursts outwards, its jointed legs and paws fully flexible. Pavé set with diamonds and with buff-top black onyx spots, an onyx nose and pear-shaped emerald eyes, the carved coral leaf is especially noteworthy. A protected material, a licence is required to transport coral between countries, which is provided with this remarkable jewel, alongside a certificate of authenticity from the International Antique Jewelers Association.

The design for this brooch is illustrated in B. Geoffroy-Schneiter, V. Becker, J. Hardy andA.L. Talley: Cartier Panthère, Assouline Publishing, New York, 2015, p. 239 and in the chronology section, for the year 1968, p. 293

This second important piece was crafted by Pierre Sterlé, a relatively unknown but very influential Parisian jewellery designer in the late 1940s and 1950s. Sterlé’s dynamic, lyrical designs attracted an elite clientele, particularly his figurative bird brooches, which are widely regarded as among the best examples of his work.

Born into a wealthy family of bankers, he was mentored by his uncle, the prominent French jeweller Maynier-Pinçon, and went on to design for Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels and, later, Chaumet as Artistic Director. In 1945, he established his own workshop on Avenue de l’Opera, away from his rivals on Place Vendôme, increasing his cachet as a highly exclusive designer worthy of being sought out.

Crafted and signed in the 1950s, this lapis lazuli and diamond brooch is a wonderful example of Sterlé’s bold, baroque style, contrasting intricate, textured goldwork with a curved, carved piece of lapis lazuli. Favouring naturalistic motifs such as birds, animals and flowers, his technical mastery and attention to detail were impeccable.

There is no mistaking the Elvis resemblance in this utterly charming carnelian and emerald bird brooch. Created by Cartier London in 1955, this characterful bird, captured mid-song, with one wing thrust dramatically outwards, even has the Elvis quiff.

In 1945, shortly after the Second World War, Jean-Jacques Cartier, grandson of Cartier’s founder, took over the management of the Maison’s London store. On her website, Francesca Cartier Brickell, Jean-Jacques’ granddaughter and author of The Cartiers, describes his love of birds: “My grandfather loved playing around with the window displays in the Cartier London store at different times of year. In the lead up to Easter, he would suggest that Cartier's jewellery designers should focus on designs for bird brooches that incorporated some of the gemstones they had in stock at the time: so an opal could become a kingfisher, a ruby could feature in an exotic bird and chalcedony could be transformed into an owl.”

A private commission from Cartier London, this bird brooch has all the hallmarks of a Jean-Jacques Cartier design. We like to think it would have been completely at home in the Easter-themed window of Cartier London more than half a century ago.

Bird brooches were not the sole preserve of Cartier London. The owl first entered Cartier’s design lexicon in the 1920s and, under the creative direction of Jeanne Toussaint, became a mainstay of its nature-inspired designs.

This brooch, made between 1955 and 1960, is typical of the less-formal designs being created by Cartier New York at the time. A version of this brooch featuring two owls appeared in 1956 and 1961 adverts for Cartier jewellery in the New Yorker Magazine, promoted as “jewelled fancies” and fun Valentine’s gifts.

Accompanied by two certificates of authenticity, one from the IAJA and another from Alain Cartier, fifth generation of the Cartier family and an expert in the Maison’s estate jewels, the brooch reflects the playful spirit of mid-century jewellery design. Using just a few, carefully chosen materials, including an interesting piece of carved matrix turquoise, it also perfectly captures the inquisitive demeanour of an owl.

For our final animal-themed jewel, we offer a change of tempo. This turn-of-the-century brooch, created around 1900, is a reminder that through every era of jewellery design, nature has remained a powerful muse. Perched within a rectangular frame of diamonds, the design centres on a bird, with clusters of cabochon rubies set either side to form flowers.

An exquisitely realised piece to conclude with, the workmanship is superb, with the bird, flowers and brooch itself all outlined in millegrain. This miniature beaded detailing further enhances the artisanal elegance of this classically Edwardian jewel.