A RARE DIAMOND AND GOLD BRACELET, BY STERLÉ, CIRCA... Lot 59

A RARE DIAMOND AND GOLD BRACELET, BY STERLÉ, CIRCA 1950 The flexible bracelet designed as four-rows of gold ropework, with bombé 'C' motif pavé-set with brilliant-cut diamonds embellished with ropework trim tassel, mounted in 18K gold and platinum, signed Sterlé Paris, numbered, with maker's mark for Sterlé (opéra), French assay marks, with gold security chain, length approximately 18cm Pierre Sterlé (1905-1978) was famed for his innovative approach to jewellery design, embodying the dynamics of 1950s design. The son of a family of bankers, Sterlé trained as a jeweller in Paris under his uncle Maynier-Pinçon following the death of his father during the First World War. In 1934, he founded his own jewellery making company and was sponsored by many large jewellery houses located on the Place de Vendome, including Boucheron, Chaumet, and Van Cleef & Arpels, who had already used his talents for their own firms. Sterlé’s talent as a designer soon allowed him to emerge from his status as a jewellery manufacturer to a successful jeweller and artist in his own right. His reputation was cemented when he won the De Beers Diamond Award, a major achievement in the jewellery world, for three years running in 1953, 1954 and 1955. Sterlé’s success as an artist during this time ensured he received large-scale recognition in France as well as on a global scale. He worked for many heads of state and royalty, including Queen Narriman of Egypt and Princess Soraya of Iran and socialised with fellow avant-garde artisans in France, such as Jean Cocteau, Georges Bracque and Salvador Dalí. His work is distinguishable by his intricate pieces, wrought with great movement and energy, often using baguette-cut diamonds and coloured gemstones in sweeping, curling lines. Above all, it was Sterlé’s invention of the ‘knitted-gold technique’ or ‘angel thread’ which would lead to his fame at the climax of his career in the 1950s and 1960s. The meticulous use of of gold plaiting and threading enabled him to emulate recreate the intricacies of the natural world, from the textures of flowers and plants, to the wings and feathers of his famous bird brooches, all executed in a strikingly tactile and dynamic way. Although a talented jeweller, Sterlé did not experience the same level of success at business and suffered the closing of two of his own stores throughout his lifetime. Forced to close his house in 1976, Sterlé continued his work at the Maison Chaumet, where he acted as Artistic Director until his death in 1978.