Adam's Fine Jewellery & Watches 14th May 2024

53 70 A DIAMOND AND GOLD ZODIAC PENDANT, BY FRED PARIS, CIRCA 1975 The rectangular plaque depicting the Aries zodiac sign, the horn highlighted with brilliant-cut diamonds, within a textured gold frame and bale, mounted in 18K gold, signed Fred, with maker’s mark ‘Sté LFV’ for Lasbleiz Fournier Vitiello, French assay mark, length (including bale) 5.3cm € 4,200 - 4,800 Lasbleiz Fournier Vitiello was a Parisian workshop found- ed in 1962 and worked for prestigious jewellery houses such as Fred, Van Cleef & Arpels, René Boivin amongst others. On August 12, 1976, the day dawned with relentless rain. For months, the entire FRED team had diligently pre- pared for the grand opening of their boutique at the Loews Hotel in Monte Carlo, situated within the principality. Fred Samuel himself meticulously oversaw every detail, from the paintings and wallpaper to the woodwork, windows, and furniture. A special highlight was planned for the es- teemed presence of Her Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco, renowned as one of the world’s most beautiful and illustrious women. Graciously, the princess accepted the invitation to grace the evening with her presence, ac- companied by her eldest daughter, Princess Caroline, then nineteen years old. Notably, Princess Grace had recently witnessed the success of the musical “A Chorus Line” on Broadway during her visit to NewYork. In a spontaneous © PICTURE-ALLIANCE/KPA/UUNITED ARCHIVES gesture, Samuel arranged for an impromptu stage to be constructed atop the hotel’s rooftop swimming pool and engaged a professional troupe to entertain Princess Grace with this special interlude. How- ever, the relentless rain threatened to disrupt the plans.Thankfully, just as the clock struck seven in the evening, the downpour ceased. An hour later, the official car announced the arrival of the two princesses, exuding supreme elegance. In commemoration of this auspicious occasion, Fred Samuel presented Princess Grace with a Scorpio zodiac necklace adorned with meticulously paved rubies. The Princess’ penchant for star signs had long been public knowl- edge: In 1956, Hollywood astrologer and horoscope columnist Carroll Righter was photographed visiting Kelly on the set during the filming of one of her last films, “The Swan.” Shortly after her engagement to Rainier. Righter dedicated one of his columns in the Chicago Tribune to championing the pair’s astrological compati- bility, providing details of Kelly’s horoscope over “the last several years.” Then on Saturday November 15,1969, the American film star- turned-princess threw herself one of the most peculiar and extrava- gant birthday parties in history. Centred around the eighth astrolog- ical sign, with a strictly scorpion only guestlist. Mercifully, spouses of Scorpios were also permitted, as were Kelly’s family members. For Fred Samuel, the grand opening of his boutique at the Loews Hotel in Monte Carlo is an apotheosis. “Monte-Carlo marked the course of my career with particular bril- liance. It symbolized a key moment in the development of our com- pany and, more secretly, the place where the light of the stones was somehow restored to me. For a moment, I rediscovered the daz- zlement of childhood and it seemed to me that beyond and beyond the war, the two halves of my life came together to simply affirm its vocation to the light!”