Amongst the jewellery classics, the diamond rivière is certainly the most sought after. Cherished by Royal and Noble families of the world, a beautiful diamond rivière is an absolute necessity for any respectable jewellery casket. Whether it is composed of collet-set old-cut diamonds or almost invisible claw-set brilliant-cut diamonds, it is the purest example of what a jewel of style can be. Already in fashion at the turn of the 19th century, the rivière has evolved along with the skills of the diamond cutters, inspiring the best jewellers to gradually reduce the amount of metal in the setting in order to enhance the innate sparkle of the diamonds.
The careful choice of matching diamonds, the subtlety of the graduation and the lightness of the setting are all of equal importance in the beauty and success of the piece. Needless to say that the total diamond weight adds to the brightness of the necklace, and that any diamond rivière above 150 carats is extremely rare.
Some of the important rivières offered at auction by Christie's include: An Exquisite Belle Epoque Diamond Rivière Necklace set with 30 diamonds weighing approximately 80 carats, that fetched HK$15'780'000 (US$2'035'620) in December 2008 in Hong Kong; Her Majesty Queen Mary's Diamond Rivière, weighing approximately 80 carats, sold for 993'600 (US$1'828'224) in June 2006 in London, Property from the Collection of H.R.H the Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and lastly A Magnificent Diamond Necklace, the largest diamond weighing 24.04 carats, composed of 17 circular-cut diamonds totaling 133.46 carats, signed Cartier, sold in Geneva for Sfr 2'530'000 (US$1'796'300) in November 1992.
Christie's is honoured to offer one of the most important diamond rivière ever to appear at auction; the 20 brilliant-cut diamonds weighing a total of 155.17 carats. The spectacular combination of sparkle and style carries the promise of an unrivalled adornment, mixing tradition and modernity, as well as elegance and boldness.