Jean Schlumberger 'Sombrero' Brooch by Tiffany & Company

This rare brooch pin is a design by Jean Schlumberger known as 'Sombrero' and was made by Tiffany & Company in France. The impressive piece is modelled as a sombrero flower which are sometimes also known as a 'Mexican hat flower' and originate in North America. The stylised pin features six petals crafted from platinum and 18 karat white gold which have been set with round brilliant cut diamonds and deep red rubies. The centre of the brooch is crafted from 18 karat yellow gold and has been set with deep red rubies, creating the seed pod section of the flower. The piece is signed for manufacture in France and has a small rubbed French purity mark along with an unidentified work master's mark. To the rear of the brooch is a double hinged clip with sliding safety closure, which is working well and is secure. The brooch pin retains its original 'Tiffany & Co designed by Jean Schlumberger' branded box.

Jean Schlumberger (1907-1987) was a French jewellery designer who created pieces for Tiffany and Company in the mid 20th Century. He is one of only four people to have been allowed to sign his work at Tiffany, alongside Paloma Picasso, Frank Gehry and Elsa Peretti, with the house continuing to produce his designs today. Famous patrons of Schlumberger included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon who was undoubtedly his biggest supporter and collector. Mrs Mellon left over 140 pieces of her Schlumberger collection to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts where they continue to be enjoyed by visitors each year. The Sombrero brooch was first designed by Schlumberger in 1957 and a sapphire and diamond version featured in a Vogue editorial worn on a model's waist at the time. This particular ruby and diamond version we date to the 1960s during the early years of Jean Schlumberger's time at Tiffany & Company. An absolutely breathtaking example of the work of Schlumberger, from the period in which he was creating his most famous pieces.

Marked - 'TIFFANY SCHLUMBERGER' 'MADE IN FRANCE' 'DEPOSE SSM' along with a small French metal purity mark and small work master's mark

Measures - 4.2cm at widest

Total weight of piece - 24.81 grams 

Literature - John Loring Tiffany's 20th Century p146-147. (Image attached)

NB. The modelled images and video show a pair of Schlumberger 'Cones & Petals' ear-clips which are a separate listing

Care instructions for silver jewelry

Kalevala silver jewelry is handcrafted in Finland from sterling silver. More than 99% of the silver we use is recycled.

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