When we receive an important jewel, we think of it in an important box. The joy of seeing the telltale blue of Tiffany (Pantone colour 1837, the year that Tiffany was founded), the frisson of pleasure on unwrapping the distinctive rich red of a Cartier box.
We imagine the exquisite jewel box of European Nobility. The lid squeaking open to reveal great treasures hidden within.
Even the great sea chests of ancient buccaneers on the wild high seas, bound by strong strapping, tempt us to peek inside to discover the treasures stowed inside
In the Dupuis Important Jewels Auction, November 17th, 2019, we are offering a number of important jewels by jewellery artist Andrew Jordan. Three of these jewels are housed in fascinating and beautifully made boxes that are absolutely unique.
The Artist
Andrew Jordan arrived in Canada as a refugee from Romania when he was a teenager. He completed a master’s degree on the international diamond business, and then entered the diamond industry. He has focused on design and art since then.
The Case For Cases
While Jordan focused on jewels, he felt that an important jewel should have its own important case. The cases were designed by Andrew Jordan, and he collaborated with highly skilled craftspeople and artists to create the jewel boxes.
The Pyramid
One of the boxes, made by stone artist Thomas McPhee, is a pyramid of black granite with a top that swivels to reveal a gold opening into which drops a long chain set with 365 yellow diamonds (for the 365 days of the year) and with a 5 carat diamond in a gold pyramid form at the base. The ancient Egyptian pyramids are famed for having secret compartments inside. This granite pyramid houses a major treasure.
The Tree of Life
Another box houses a pendant in the geometric form of a tree-of-life. The tree-of-life is an ancient symbol from ancient times, and is represented in another familiar form of the “paisley” boteh form from eastern folklore. The tree-of-life pendant fits snugly into a box of the bright pink gem, rhodonite, situated on a set of bronze legs, and that closes to form a handsome ornament.
The “Donut”
One necklace features six uncut octahedral diamond weighing over 17 carats in total, and hanging below a handmade platinum and gold fancy chain with four round diamonds of over a carat, and embellished with pink and golden yellow diamonds.
Any of these jewels would be a welcome addition to the jewellery wardrobe of a discerning collector, and the boxes are all fascinating works of art in themselves.
