Platinum and Diamond Temple Brooch, Cartier, France

Of architectural inspiration, the temple's dome set with a half moon-shaped diamond weighing approximately .75 carat, accented by trapezoidal-shaped diamonds weighing approximately 1.40 carats and baguette diamonds weighing approximately 2.10 carats, further decorated with smaller variously-cut diamonds weighing approximately .90 carat, signed Cartier, Made in France, numbered 02577 and 7569, with French assay and partial maker's marks; circa 1930.

In good condition with evidence of light scratching to the platinum on the reverse, commensurate with age. The half moon-shaped diamond is approximately I-J color, VS clarity. The remainder of the diamonds are approximately F-I color, VVS-SI clarity. Dimensions approximately 1 1/4 inches in length and 7/8 inches in width.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion. Illustrations in the catalogue may not be actual size. Prospective purchasers are reminded that, unless the catalogue description specifically states that a stone is natural, we have assumed that some form of treatment may have been used and that such treatment may not be permanent. Our presale estimates reflect this assumption.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Cartier’s temple brooches, first introduced at the famed Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in 1925, rank among the firm’s most iconic designs.  Their diminutive size—sweetly at odds with the structures they represent—accentuates their exquisite construction, rendered meticulously and exclusively in diamonds and platinum.  The brooches take on a variety of configurations within the relatively strict vocabulary of the temple form, from Japanese pagodas to neo-classical temples d’amour, to the occasional Taj Mahal.  Each example invited the designer to challenge the gem-cutter who, in turn, entrusted the gem-setter to assemble these petits tours de force of jewelry making.  The form also lent itself perfectly to the incorporation of one of Cartier’s greatest innovations, the baguette cut, introduced in 1912.  These small diamond rectangles created the columns and capitals that support the brooch’s superstructure: rhomboid lintels leading to half-moon domes terminating in lozenge-shaped finials.  By the 1930s, this battery of cutting styles became a cornerstone of contemporary jewelry design, making the temple brooch a miniature codex for the Art Deco period.