Adam's Fine Jewellery & Watches 15th September 2020 at 4pm

14 T uesday 15 th S eptember 2020. S tarting at 4 pm 7 A PORCELAIN ‘CHANDRA’ BRACELET, BY BULGARI, CIRCA 1995 The uniform series of white porcelain beads with stylised lotus petal motifs, mounted in 18K gold, signed Bulgari, Italian assay mark, length 22cm € 2,400 - 2,800 8 A TOPAZ AND PORCELAIN ‘CHANDRA’ RING, BY BULGARI, CIRCA 1995 Set with an oval-shaped cabochon blue topaz within collet-setting, to a white porcelain ring with stylised lotus petal motifs, mounted in 18K gold, signed Bulgari, Italian assay mark, with maker’s case, ring size K € 700 - 900 9 A DIAMOND ‘CADENAS’ WRISTWATCH, BY VAN CLEEF & ARPELS, CIRCA 2000 5-jewel quartz ETA-movement, the diamond-set dial within an oval bombé bezel pavé-set with brilliant-cut diamonds throughout, to the twin snake-link bracelet, mounted in 18K gold, signed Van Cleef & Arpels, numbered, maker’s mark, Swiss assay mark, serial no. 1430**, with maker’s pouch, length approximately 16.5cm € 4,000 - 6,000 10 A PAIR OF ‘SWEET ALHAMBRA’ MOTHER-OF-PEARL EARSTUDS, BY VAN CLEEF AND ARPELS Each butterfly mother-of-pearl plaque within a gold ropetwist border, mounted in 18K gold, signed VCA, numbered, maker’s marks, Swiss import mark, within maker’s pouch, length 8mm € 1,200 - 1,800 11 A GOLD ‘B-ZERO’ RING, BY BULGARI The 18K gold segmented four-band ring, both sides en- graved ‘Bvlgari’, numbered, Italian assay mark, Swiss import mark, with maker’s pouch, ring size K € 500 - 700 Accompanied by its card of authenticity dated May 17th 2019, from Bulgari Monte-Carlo With the Chandra collection which was first launched in 1994, Bulgari took their experimentations with materials a step further.The luminous smoothness of white porcelain inspired Paolo Bulgari to combine this material with gemstones: “I wanted to create jewels that were different, fun and transgressive”.The use of porcelain enhanced the tactile nature of the pieces, making them luminous in appearance and smooth to the touch.The designs incorporated the typical round shapes favoured by the brand which were harmonious with the new material. Moreover, when worn the porcelain beads produce a pleasing sound that made these creations more fun, unique and playful. Van Cleef & Arpels were amongst the first designers who had the ingenuity to turn the watch into a work of art.The famous model Agrafe was released in 1935 and then renamed Cadenas from 1938 onwards. The original dial was angled, viewed from the side and visible only to its wearer in order to pay tribute to a classical convention: a lady should only ever glance at her watch, so as not to offend the assembled company. The straight lines of the Cadenas’s gold case echo 1930s industrial design, while a double snake-chain bracelet extends into a rounded padlock-style clasp - hence the name, “cadenas”, which is French for ‘padlock’. When the Duchess ofWindsor fell in love with this watch, every other woman in their 30s followed suit.Yet despite its success, it wasn’t until eighty years after its invention, in 2015, thatVan Cleef &Arpels returned to the Cadenas’ ingenious design. Several subtle changes were introduced to the dial, the padlock clasp and the stone settings, but the soft and supple double-snake chain bracelet still encircles the wrist like a second skin. The Cadenas remains as much a piece of art as it is a functional timepiece whose design unlocked the codes of watchmaking and jewellery.