Luxurious Rivière Necklace with 38.50 ct Brilliant-Cut Diamonds, c. 1990

Rivières are classics of diamond jewellery. Their name comes from the French word for “river”, a reference to the gently flowing lines of this jewellery type. Sparkling diamond rivières were considered the pinnacle of jewellery – especially during the Belle Époque, as there was scarcely a lady of the high nobility or the wealthiest industrialist families who did not own such a piece. Young women usually came into possession of a diamond rivière, as well as other particularly exquisite pieces of jewellery, upon their marriage. The rivière presented here follows this tradition– yet it was created some 100 years later, around 1990. In between lay the hard-won right to vote for women and the beginning of a long period of social change. By the end of the 20th century, a woman’s marital status no longer determined whether she was socially permitted to wear a diamond rivière or other exquisite jewellery. Gifted pieces of jewellery were now, just like the tailored suit, an indispensable element of power dressing. As if paying tribute to this new age, the classic rivière appears here in a fresh guise: rooted in history, yet modern, minimalist, and almost deconstructed in its design. Thirty-four carefully selected natural diamonds in modern brilliant cuts are set in platinum mountings, forming a dazzling stream of reflected light. Together, the diamonds weigh approximately 38.50 carats. The graduated arrangement begins with stones measuring approximately 5.9 mm in diameter (around 0.75 ct) and culminates in a magnificent central diamond of 8.4 mm diameter (approximately 2.25 ct). Despite its impressive presence, the necklace retains an extraordinary sense of lightness. Delicate white-gold bars connect the individual diamonds in their almost invisible claw settings, creating an effect reminiscent of a constellation of stars. These slender bars, which appear almost impossibly fine when viewed from above, derive their strength from their depth. This technique, known as knife-wire construction, first emerged during the final third of the nineteenth century as a means of presenting exceptional diamonds within the most minimal metalwork possible. We were able to acquire this luxurious rivière from an important German private collection which was largely assembled during the last two decades of the 20th century. It is in excellent condition and comes with an independent gemmological report.

Estimation:€249,800

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