Adam's FINE JEWELLERY & WATCHES 16 May 2023

93 134 A TOPAZ ‘STELLAR’ HEADDRESS, BY MICHELE DELLA VALLE Designed as a series of nine graduated stars, each pavé-set with circular-cut blue topazes of various sizes, mounted in 18K gold and silver, signed Michele dellaValle, with maker’s mark, numbered, Italian registry mark, length approximately 42cm € 8,000 - 9,000 The history of headbands is one which is surprisingly sto- ried and fascinating. Now perhaps thought of as the stylish accessories of young girls or as Gossip Girl’s Blair Waldorf’s preppy staple, the headband has had its place in fashion and society for over two millennia. The first form of the headband dates to circa 475 BC with the ancient Greeks who would wrap their hair in wreaths for spe- cial occasions, a trend that is replicated by festival attendees to this day. The practice of wearing a circular wreath of f low- ers continued into the medieval period until wealthy women, wanting to signal their power and access to fine materials, re- placed the f loral crowns with bands of gold, diamonds, and gems. By the 16th Century, headwear worn by noble women reached new heights of elaboration, with Anne Boleyn’s “French Hood”, whose large, rounded shape exposed the front of the wearer’s hair being the most famous. The 17th to the 19th Centuries saw a decline in the wearing of headbands as hats reigned the fashionable supreme. By the 20th Century how- ever the headband made a comeback and would go through an abundance of styles. The 1990’s proved to be a heyday for headbands with Alicia Silverstone in Clueless and Selma Blair in Legally Blonde be- coming fashion icons for their enviable headwear. In recent years Prada and Dior have been noted for their inclusion of headbands in their high fashion shows, while social media is awash with lists of celebrities reigniting the 90’s by donning the versatile and chic hairpiece. Michele della Valle’s Blue Topaz Headband would not be out of place atop the head of a modern fashion starlet. The nine stars that make the “crown” of the band sparkle with the fine clear blue gems and begs the wearer to incorporate it into a party outfit or to dress up plain clothes with its gleaming ref lection of light. The stars cleverly utilize a varied shape of gems to ensure the gleam of light is beautifully caught and ref lected. This mixing of playful design and exquisite materials is not unexpected from della Valle who is one of the most revered jewellers today, a designer who works by appointment only and is sought after by fine jewellery lovers across the world.