Inspection off.
Move the pointer across the plate for a magnified crop, as you would run a loupe over the surface in the viewing room. Using a keyboard, step between the named details instead.
Further plates
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Detail. -
Macro detail, raking light.
Unsigned
French, circa 1925
An Art Deco diamond and sapphire brooch
Platinum, set with old European and baguette-cut diamonds and calibré-cut sapphires
Length 2 3/8 in. (6 cm); gross weight 24.1 grams
Bidding on lot 6
Current bid
$32,000
- Estimate
- $28,000 – 40,000
- Next minimum
- $34,000
- Increment here
- $2,000
- Closes
- Tue, Sep 8, 2:00 PM EDT
Anti-sniping
A bid placed inside the final 3 minutes of this lot extends its close by a further 3 minutes, from the moment of the bid, and does so again for every bid inside the window. Only this lot is extended; the rest of the sale runs on. The rule exists so that a lot is won by the highest bidder rather than by whoever has the fastest connection in the last two seconds. The countdown above shows the extension as it happens.
Or bid another way
- Absentee. Leave a written maximum with the clerk. The house bids on your behalf up to it, and no higher, taking the lot as cheaply as the competition allows.
- Telephone. A member of staff calls you before the lot and bids to your instruction. Arranged at least 24 hours in advance.
- In the room. Register at the desk and take a paddle number.
Demonstration site. Hammer & Co is a fictional auction house; every lot, estimate, bid, result and provenance chain on this site is invented for the purpose of showing the design. No bid placed here is a real bid and nothing here is offered for sale.
Catalogue note
Of stepped geometric form, the centre set with an old European-cut diamond weighing approximately 1.85 carats, within a border of calibré-cut sapphires and baguette diamonds. Total diamond weight approximately 5.6 carats. The sapphires are of good even colour and have not been tested for treatment; the department states this plainly rather than describing them as untreated.
Condition report
Very good Reported by Nadia Behrens on August 26, 2026
All stones present and secure. Two calibré sapphires with minor abrasion at the girdle, visible under magnification. The pin and catch are original and function correctly. Some minor scratching to the reverse consistent with wear. French assay mark to the reverse of the pin stem.
A condition report is an opinion, honestly held, given as a courtesy and not a warranty. It is not a substitute for examining the lot yourself, and the absence of a reference to a defect does not imply that the lot is free from it. Every lot is sold as is.
Provenance
- circa 1925 Acquired in Paris by the great-grandmother of the present owner.
- to date By descent.
Literature
- Accompanied by an independent laboratory report for the centre stone.
Every provenance chain on this demonstration site is invented. No real collection, sale or ownership history is described.
The bidding ladder
Bids step by a published ladder, not a percentage. At $32,000 the step is $2,000, so the next admissible bid is $34,000. The auctioneer may vary the increment at their discretion.
| Bid at | Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 – $199 | $10 |
| $200 – $499 | $25 |
| $500 – $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 – $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 – $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 – $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 – $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 – $49,999 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 – $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 – $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 – $499,999 | $20,000 |
| $500,000 – $999,999 | $50,000 |
| $1,000,000 and above | $100,000 |
