Precious Set With Burma Rubies & Diamonds Set in Gold by Paul Lévy

What a glowing red! This exquisite set consisting of a brooch, ear clips and a ring originates from Paris, from the vibrant years of Art Deco. Warm, lustrous rose gold is shaped into dynamic curves—sometimes smoothly polished, sometimes textured like fine knitwork. Precious rubies are set throughout. These are untreated Burmese rubies, wonderfully transparent and of the finest quality. The set, a so-called demi-parure, is signed. It bears the maker’s mark of Paul Lévy, who founded his business at 16 Boulevard de Magenta in Paris in February 1919. A bold step so soon after the First World War, yet Lévy quickly gained great popularity. He created pieces for major firms such as Van Cleef, but also sold under his own name as well as under his wife’s surname, Sasportas. His creations reflected the many facets of Art Deco style, but he also worked in historical styles according to his clients’ wishes. The combination of rubies, a few diamonds, and rose gold, along with the set’s sculptural aesthetic, places it in the later years of the Art Deco era—in the so-called “Retro Style” of the late 1930s and 1940s. The jewellery of this period was no longer white, as it had been in the early Art Deco years, but revelled in warm tones and bold, sculptural forms. Many of the designs from this era resemble wind-blown drapery, full of dramatic dynamism—a touch of which can be seen, for example, in the design of the brooch. Paul Lévy died on September 2nd, 1940. As such, he did not live to witness the Aryanisation of his business under German occupation. We therefore date this set to the final years of his life. Independent expert reports confirming the quality of the materials are included with the pieces.

Estimate:$33,500.16

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