Adam's Fine Jewellery & Watches 8th December 2020

T uesday 8 th D ecember 2020. S tarting at 4 pm 36 34 A RETRO RUBY AND DIAMOND LAPEL WATCH, CIRCA 1945 The stylised surmount of polished gold scalloped design, embellished by calibré-cut rubies within channel-setting and old European and single-cut diamonds, suspending a 17 jewelled manual wind watch, the circular silvered dial with Arabic numerals and bluedsteel sword hands, surmount mounted in 18K gold and platinum, pins mounted in 14K gold and case mounted in 9K gold, French assay marks, movement signed 'Swiss Made' and 'ETSWORMS', length 7.5cm, case width1.8cm € 1,200 - 1,800 The term‘retro’ in the context of jewellery defines an era of design which reacted to the unprecedented cultural changes as a conse- quence ofWorldWar II. From the austerity experienced during the war, to the economic boom and steadfast reconstruction of new wealth following, no period in history has seen such societal shifts of this magnitude.Thus, each piece of retro jewellery is communi- cative of complex transitional era, possessing an incomparably distinct air of history that is inimitable today. Adorning oneself in jewellery continued to be in fashion throughout the war, remaining as a valuable source of portable capital in a time of uncertainty, though how this was achieved was changed. Rather than ceasing output, jewellery houses reinterpreted popula- rised 1930’s designs, renowned for their joie de vivre spirit of creativity.The continuing interest in this motto of ‘live and forget the past’, marked an effort to bring a sense of exaltation into an era marred by war through fashion, in spite of a scarcity of materials. Jewellery design found influence in the avant-garde art deco forms of the 1930’s, while complementarily manipulating the functional aesthetics of industrial design to create boldly geometric and sculptural pieces. When the war ended in 1945, jewellery design changed accordingly. Dior’s ‘new look’ exemplifies the redirection and diversification of fashion to that of opulence; bringing forth an increased use of precious stones and naturalistic inspiration.