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René Lalique Diamond and Carved Crystal Brooch
Created circa 1905-1906, this diamond, moonstone, and carved crystal glass brooch by René Lalique is mounted in platinum. The brooch is designed as an elongated crystal plaque reverse-carved to depict the figure of a young woman loosely encircled by a diaphanous wrap, highlighted by a triangular sugarloaf moonstone, suspending an old mine-cut pear-shaped diamond of 2.51 carats (F color, SI1 clarity) accented by leafy diamond tendrils. Belonging to an early group of experimental glass jewels, this brooch conveys the subtle and evanescent beauty of organic forms, while exploring the interplay of precious gem materials with carved art crystal.
- Product Details
- Curator's Notes
Item #: BO-21495
Artist: René Lalique
Country: France
Circa: 1905-1906
Dimensions: 3" length, 1.5" width.
Materials: 1 carved crystal glass; 1 old pear cut diamond (with approximate total weight 2.51 carats with SI1 clarity and F color grade); 1 sugar loaf moonstone; old mine single and rose-cut diamonds; Platinum
Signed: LALIQUE
Documentation: Together with GIA report no. 2239207286 dated 27 February 2024 stating that the pear-shape diamond is F color, SI1 clarity.
Literature: A small number of brooches and pendants of reverse-carved crystal glass are pictured in René Lalique, Schmuck und Objets D'art 1890-1910, by Sigrid Barten, including figures 806, 807, 809, and 810. No. 806, a pendant necklace, has been in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1944.
According to his monographer, Sigrid Barten, glass had fascinated Lalique and inspired him to experiment since 1890. His jewelry incorporated glass crystal in three principal ways. Often combined with gems and enamel, these forms included relief-carved, enameled and shaped crystals (such as his astonishing devant-de-corsage "Winter", 1896), high quality molded glass pieces that were further worked by hand, such as leaves, fruits, animals and human figures, and finally reverse carved crystal plates, the technique used here. Crystal allowed Lalique to achieve numerous artistic effects possible in no other material, and his superb handling of glass made it fully worthy of combination with precious materials.