Rare Cartier pendant resurfaces

21st January 2025

A fascinating jewel from a limited edition of Egyptian Revival pieces made by Cartier in the 1920s has been rediscovered in the local area. Following extensive in-house research, this unusual diamond and ruby pendant has been traced back to a limited edition of Egyptian Revival pieces made by Cartier amid a wave of ‘Egyptomania’ that surrounded the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.

Cartier had begun exploring Egyptian motifs in their jewels as early as 1910, thanks to a keen interest shown by chief Cartier designer Charles Jacqueau and Louis Cartier himself, who had a personal interest in ancient Egypt. A January 1924 issue of the Illustrated London News, in an edition that included exclusive images of King Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus, also carried a feature on Cartier London’s striking ancient Egypt themed designs set with faïence figurines, scarabs and inscribed tablets, under the headline ‘the ‘Tutankhamen’ influence in Modern Jewellery’. Central to the picture is a diamond pendant supporting a long Egyptian faïence figurine of Nefertem in the centre on an onyx bead necklace, closely matching lot 591 in the upcoming Fine Jewellery sale.

This Cartier pendant has clearly been reworked from its original form, with the addition of cabochon rubies in a giardinetto floral arrangement where the faience head would once have sat. This alteration is believed to have been executed by Cartier not long after the piece was originally made.

Egyptian revival jewels were quickly phased out by Cartier following a fall in appeal which could be attributed to a change in fashion due to the misfortune that seemed to dog archaeologists connected with the discovery of the untouched boy king’s tomb and the death of Lord Carnarvon in 1923.  Hans Nadelhoffer noted in his book ‘Cartier: Jewellers Extraordinary’;

‘a fear of impending tragedy clouded the Egyptian expedition. Collectors disembarrassed themselves of their treasures and rushed to commit them to the British Museum.’

Lot 591, this stunning pendant, formed part of the Fine Jewellery sale that took place on 29^th and 30^th January at our City Centre Salerooms and sold for £69,300 (inc. buyer's premium) against a pre-sale estimate of £20,000-£30,000.

Highlights of the auction also included the sale of a Boucheron, a sapphire and diamond ring, set with a baguette-shaped sapphire weighing 4.969 carats, that sold for £233,100*. A diamond line bracelet, formerly the property of Elizabeth Taylor, that sold for £119,700* and A diamond and aquamarine tiara, circa 1900, that sold for £35,280*.

(all prices include buyer's premium and can be found listed on our website.)