A DIAMOND AND ENAMEL 'LUDO HEXAGONE' DRESS CLIP,... Lot 33

A DIAMOND AND ENAMEL 'LUDO HEXAGONE' DRESS CLIP, BY VAN CLEEF & ARPELS, CIRCA 1937 Designed as a stylised buckle of hexagonal-shaped links, each centring a single-cut diamond, the arched clasp pavé-set with old European-cut diamonds between black enamel borders, signed Van Cleef & Arpels, numbered, with maker's mark 'Pery & Fils', French assay marks, length 3.7cm, width 2.8cm For a comparable piece, see Bennett, D. and Mascetti, D., eds. (2003) Understanding Jewellery. Antique Collector's Club, Suffolk. The iconic Ludo bracelet first emerged from Van Cleef & Arpels in 1935. It was named after one of the founders of the business, Louis Arpels, who was known as Ludo by his close family and friends. The bracelet was the Maison’s first brick-link mesh bracelet, with an intricate clasp inspired by a belt buckle. Van Cleef & Arpels experimented with the design pattern of the links, and one which became particularly popular was the beehive pattern, composed of a mosaic of small articulated hexagons in polished gold. Since the year it emerged, the Ludo bracelet has developed in a number of iterations, but always with the incorporation of a buckle-like element as the decorative focus, sometimes unadorned and sometimes studded with various gemstones in an ornamental motif set with brilliants, baguette diamonds or cabochon rubies. The Ludo bracelet has remained relevant and popular ever since, partly due to the great dexterity of its mesh band, embellished in either a brick or hexagonal link motif, and undoubtedly thanks to its sleek and timeless aesthetic.