Fine Art Déco Dress Clip with Diamonds in Platinum, Vienna c. 1930

In the early 20th century, the jewellers of Europe's metropolises were looking for new ways of expression. One of the most innovative pieces of jewellery of the time was the so-called dress clip, which differed from the conventional brooch in that it was not mounted with a pin, but with a toothed hinged clip on the back. The novelty of this new type of brooch was the variety of its applications, adapted to the new fashion of those years: on the neckline of an evening dress, on the lapel of a blazer, on the strap of a silk dress, even as a sparkling accent on the back neckline, we encounter these clips in photographs of the film stars of that time. A clip was also worn on a hat or even in the hair, as well as in the middle of the décolleté. This platinum dress clip is particularly luxurious. A total of 5.66 ct of diamonds, divided among 111 stones in various cuts, occupy the entire surface of the clip and bathe it in a white sparkle. The design, with its only partially suggested plasticity and its precise recesses, seems to have been inspired by Chinese jade carvings, which also moved the world of jewellery in the Art Deco period: for chinoiseries were intended to breathe new life into the stagnating Western world of forms. The upper part of the clip in particular is reminiscent of the openwork attachments of Chinese bi-discs. The resulting design language is modern and geometric, without sacrificing filigree workmanship. Indeed, even for an Art Deco jewel, the piece is remarkably precise and finely crafted: Even the side sections and the back itself are richly engraved by hand. In keeping with the style of the period, it is made of solid platinum, although the clip mechanism is made of white gold, which is more resistant than the platinum alloys of the time. The precious clip bears Viennese platinum hallmarks as well as the master mark of Karl Bayer, a goldsmith and silversmith who was based at Gansterergasse 7 in Vienna from 1921. A small masterpiece of Art Deco that we were able to discover here in Berlin and that even under the magnifying glass inspires. We have had a detailed certificate made, which also confirms the fine quality of the diamonds.

Estimate:£8,403.6

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