Cartier - Half-Jewelry set convertible into yellow gold and emeralds

Cartier Paris

Convertible demi-Jewelry set in Colombian emeralds and textured 18-karat yellow gold.

Circa 1960, by André Vassort.

A rare and highly sculptural convertible demi-Jewelry set Cartier Paris, composed of a domed ring and a matching pair of floral clip earrings, crafted in richly textured 18-karat yellow gold and entirely set with natural Colombian emeralds. Each jewel incorporates an interchangeable and fully functional central element. branded Cartier Paris, numbered and stamped with the workshop mark of André Vassort's Paris atelier. In its original custom Cartier case.

Both jewels are made using the same technique: an openwork mesh of twisted gold wires, shaped into overlapping scrolls evoking petals radiating from the center and catching the light along their entire length. The result is a stylized, three-dimensional, and deliberately tactile flower, with that braided-gold aesthetic that defined the most refined Parisian production of the period and characterized the Paris workshops of Cartier during the decade when maison turned away from the polished platinum vocabulary of the prewar years toward warm, sculptural gold.

The clip earrings

The clip earrings take the form of stylized flowers in finely textured and openwork yellow gold. Each is centered by an interchangeable emerald-set element, the natural round Colombian emeralds being individually secured by bead and prong settings. Designed for unpierced ears, the clips retain their original screw-back mechanisms.

Each clip is branded “Cartier Paris” and numbered, and bears the maker's mark of André Vassort, whose hallmark was registered in Paris in 1943.

The ring

The matching domed ring reprises the floral language of the earrings: a finely textured and openwork 18-karat yellow gold structure, surrounding an interchangeable central element set with natural round Colombian emeralds, in bead and prong settings. branded inside “Cartier Paris” and numbered, it bears the maker's mark of André Vassort.

Convertible design

Modularity is the principal characteristic of this Jewelry set. The three central elements can be removed using threaded posts while remaining fully functional, allowing the emerald clusters to be detached while the textured gold structures can still be worn. Convertible jewels of this kind were at the heart of Cartier’s philosophy in the mid-20th century: this was a unique commission that the wearer could reconfigure, rather than a fixed object. The Jewelry set therefore represents not simply a ring and a matching pair of earrings, but a transformable Cartier jewelry system. No additional interchangeable centers accompany the Jewelry set.

Parures of this type survive intact far less often than they were made. The interchangeable elements, small and easy to separate, generally became dispersed within a generation. A ring and a matching pair of earrings retaining all three functional central elements constitute a rarity.

The emeralds

These jewels are entirely set with natural Colombian emeralds, whose intense green offers a striking contrast with the warmth of yellow gold. For centuries, Colombia has been the source of the world’s most celebrated emeralds, and this stone is particularly well suited to a Cartier jewel of this period, lending the ensemble additional gemological interest.

André Vassort

André Vassort (1911–2002) was a renowned Parisian master jeweler and manufacturer whose workshop produced major works for several leading French houses from the mid-20th century until 1997, when the workshop closed. He became one of the most sought-after makers on the Place Vendôme, creating pieces for Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Boucheron, Mauboussin, Chaumet, Hermès, Fred and Harry Winston, among others.

By tradition, these workshops operated anonymously: they did not advertise, did not name their clients, and were never mentioned in the display windows of the houses whose signature they bore. The craftsman’s mark engraved inside a setting is often the only trace that remains. The closure of the workshop in August 1997 marked the end of the era of the great independent Parisian workshops.

Vassort’s work is particularly distinguished by its textured, openwork, and sculptural gold surfaces, often combined with sophisticated precious-stone settings and technically innovative design. All of these characteristics are present here. His mark is of particular interest to collectors, as it identifies the specialized Parisian workshop responsible for manufacturing a jewel bearing the name of a major maison, and its presence adds an important dimension to the attribution and artisanal craftsmanship of these jewels.

Condition

Very good, with light traces of surface wear to the gold, consistent with its age and careful use. The three convertible elements disassemble and reassemble properly on their threaded posts. The clip fittings retain their tension and the screw mechanisms operate smoothly.

Accompanied by

The original custom-made Cartier case.

Provenance

French private collection.

Ring size: 52 (FR).