Adam's Fine Jewellery & Watches 8th December 2020

T uesday 8 th D ecember 2020. S tarting at 4 pm ©Walter Crane (1845 - 1915) 114 AN IMPRESSIVE GREEN QUARTZ ‘DAME DU LAC’ COCKTAIL RING, BY JULIE GENET The oval-shaped mixed-cut green quartz weighing 32.70cts, within multiple-claw setting, claws and gallery pavé-set with circular-cut green demantoid garnets weighing 2.26cts total, mounted in 18K gold, signed ‘JGJ, for Julie Genet Joaillerie, with maker’s mark, French assay mark, with maker’s box and pouch, ring size N € 2,800 - 3,800 The Lady of the Lake is an ambiguous figure ofArthurian legend. She represents not one character but a culmination of several enchant- ed women who each play a pivotal role in the lives of KingArthur and his accomplices. Perhaps most famously, la Dame du Lac was responsible for passing Excalibur into the care of King Arthur, represented by a ghostly hand slipping between the muddy waters.At other times, the Lady is shown as cruel and manipulative. She ensnared the magician Merlin with her beauty and persuaded him to part with his secrets. On learning all that she could, she then trapped the wizard, keeping him prisoner.Assuming a more motherly position, the young Lancelot was swept away by the Lady following the death of his father,King Ban. She then imbued himwith courage and wisdom, taught him literature and art and raised him to be an unparalleled warrior.At times when madness threatened to overtake Lancelot, the Lady returned and led him back to sanity. Part of Julie Genet’s Legends Collection, this ring draws inspiration from the strength represented by all facets of the Lady of the Lake.The ethereal blue-green quartz evokes the magic lying just below the lake waters. Hidden from sight, we are pulled forwards by the mystery that could wait within.The play of light on the surrounding garnets mirrors the changes of character. It evokes the wearer to rejoice in the dappled aspects of their own personality, promising beauty in the unexpected. First appearing in the works of 13th century French authors, the Lady of the Lake has continued to ignite creative minds. She appears in books, films,TV adaptations, plays and poetry. Her draw is not what or who she is but rather the mystery of what she could be. For Julie Genet ,medieval architecture with its impenetrable castellated walls inhabited by knights’ whose tales and thwarted love stories, have been a constant fascination. This period is a source of inspiration for the design of certain pieces, with Julie using its symbols and legends as the foundations of her craft. It is, however, a fictional Middle Age, where magic exists and heroes of my- thology, legends, literature and cinema intermingle. It is a world where women are strong and muses have superpowers. Each of the collections is conceived as a kingdom populated by jewel characters.Constellation, fabulous galaxy studded with multi-coloured meteorites, flaming golden stars, revolves aroundVegas,Tatooine's twin planet. Here, the codes of the game world - poker, backgammon, checkers, chess - have breathed life into the escaped kings and queens of the Legends kingdom where King Frog, Ulysses, Aragorn and Bluebeard are waging a merciless war for the hand of the Lady of the Lake. Each of Julie's pieces of jewellery is a wonderful creature from this fantastic world, making them unique, precious and playful pieces. Despite her initial career as a dental surgeon, she always had an interest in creating jewellery. She took advantage of dental prosthesis techniques, similar to that of classic jewellery, to create her models. She graduated from the GemologicalAssociation of Great Britain in 2011, with a collection of pieces, with a strong sense of style and character based around her fantastical universe. She built up a small but loyal clientele and now devotes herself full time to the creation of precious jewellery. In 2016, in collaboration with her sister Caroline, she launched the eponymous brand Julie Genet Joaillerie.