Adam's FINE JEWELLERY & WATCHES 16 May 2023

T uesday 16 th M ay 2023 . S tarting at 4 pm 44 59 A RARE DIAMOND AND GOLD BRACELET, BY PIERRE STERLÉ, CIRCA 1950 The flexible bracelet designed as four-rows of gold ropework, with bombé ‘C’ motif pavé-set with bril- liant-cut diamonds embellished with ropework trim tassel, mounted in 18K gold and platinum, signed Sterlé Paris, numbered, with maker’s mark for Sterlé (opéra), French assay marks, with gold security chain, length approxi- mately 18cm € 25,000 - 30,000 For similar bracelets illustrations, see in Jutheau,Viviane, ‘Sterlé: Joailler Paris’, Paris, 1990 Pierre Sterlé (1905-1978) was famed for his innovative approach to jewellery design, em- bodying the dynamics of 1950s design. The son of a family of bankers, Sterlé trained as a jew- eller in Paris under his uncle Maynier-Pinçon following the death of his father during the First World War. In 1934, he founded his own jew- ellery making company and was sponsored by many large jewellery houses located on the Place de Vendome, including Boucheron, Chaumet, and Van Cleef & Arpels, who had already used his talents for their own firms. Sterlé’s talent as a designer soon allowed him to emerge from his status as a jewellery manufacturer to a suc- cessful jeweller and artist in his own right. His reputation was cemented when he won the De Beers Diamond Award, a major achievement in the jewellery world, for three years running in 1953, 1954 and 1955. Sterlé’s success as an artist during this time ensured he received large-scale recognition in France as well as on a global scale. He worked for many heads of state and royalty, including Queen Narriman of Egypt and Prin- cess Soraya of Iran and socialised with fellow avant-garde artisans in France, such as Jean Coc- teau, Georges Bracque and Salvador Dalí. His work is distinguishable by his intricate piec- es, wrought with great movement and energy, often using baguette-cut diamonds and coloured gemstones in sweeping, curling lines. Above all, it was Sterlé’s invention of the ‘knitted-gold technique’ or ‘angel thread’ which would lead to his fame at the climax of his career in the 1950s and 1960s. The meticulous use of of gold plaiting and threading enabled him to emulate recreate the intricacies of the natural world, from the textures of f lowers and plants, to the wings and feathers of his famous bird brooches, all executed in a strikingly tactile and dynamic way. Although a talented jeweller, Sterlé did not experience the same level of success at business and suffered the closing of two of his own stores throughout his lifetime. Forced to close his house in 1976, Sterlé continued his work at the Maison Chau- met, where he acted as Artistic Director until his death in 1978.