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Property of a New York Collector
Lot 101
A lapis lazuli rosary ring, Cartier
26 September 2019, 13:00 EDT
New YorkUS$5,000 - US$8,000
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A lapis lazuli rosary ring, Cartier
the band designed with nine lapis lazuli beads, each accented with a single cut diamond, to a cross top; one bead deficient; signed Cartier, no. 1734; accompanied by a signed pouch; mounted in 14k gold; size 8
Footnotes
A fascinating merger of the sacred and secular, the gold and lapis lazuli rosary ring by Cartier is an unusual piece of fine jewelry with roots in the Basque culture. Most likely worn as a pendant, Cartier manufactured such rings in various types of stone, though they have rarely been seen at auction. An almost identical piece was a part of Marion Rumsey Cartier's own private collection, which, in 1989, was agreed to be entrusted to the Saint Louis University. It was known that Marion's father, Pierre Cartier, was brought up Roman Catholic, while her grandfather, Alfred Cartier, was extremely devout. In 1932, she herself would convert to Catholicism and begin her own spiritual journey. Her only son, Pierre, born in 1948, was a sickly child and she spent much of her time by his bedside attending to his needs. When she could not visit the church as often as she desired, she ordered the rosary so she could pray more easily while caring for her son. This ring is a fine example of Cartier's commitment to both style and devotion.
Cf. S. Neely and D. Cassens, The Legacy of Elma Rumsey Cartier, Saint Louis, Saint Louis University, 1995, p. 30.