Christie's announce the sale of the largest private collection of
jewellery parures will come to auction on 27 October 2010 in Dubai. The
Jumeirah Emirates Tower's Hotel view will be ablaze with these sumptuous suites
of jewellery, set with a total of 2,180 carats of rubies, 1,970 carats of
emeralds, 1,630 carats of sapphires and 6,460 carats of diamonds from Sunday, 24
October until Wednesday, 27 October.
David Warren, International Director of Christie's Jewellery department and Head
of Jewellery Middle East says: "This is a significant opportunity for anyone who
is passionate about jewellery. From Ancient Egypt through to 1950s Hollywood
glamour and beyond, the parure provides the ultimate jewellery gift. Whether you
wear a single ring or you wear the whole suite, a parure provides flexibility,
variety and extravagance to last a lifetime."
From Antiquity to 17th Century: The Historic Setting for Must-Have Jewellery
The word "parure" refers to a set of three or more matching pieces of jewellery,
traditionally consisting of a necklace, bracelet, ring and a pair of earrings.
The name was first applied in the 17th century although the fashion of matching
suites of jewellery extends far further back, over 5,000 years, to Ancient Egypt
and Rome, where women adorned themselves with sets of jewellery.
The story develops during the French Empire as the parure reached a height of
popularity in the Neo-classical period (1760-1830), most particularly during the
Napoleonic era (1800-1814). Napoleon Bonaparte restored Paris to its former
glory and extended his patronage to the jewellery craftsmen in the city. His
court jewellers designed expensive and elaborate parures for the court, made
from the best gemstones available. Napoleon lavished expensive parures on the
ladies of his court; predominantly for his first wife Empress Josephine and
later for his second wife Empress Marie-Louise.
