The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace, A Pride Possession In The Cartier Collection
Most people agree that the Hutton-Mdivani Necklace is the most significant piece of jadeite jewelry known to the world.
By paying an astounding $27.44 million for the renowned Hutton-Mdivani necklace, The Cartier Collection has added another breathtaking piece to its esteemed collection and broken the previous record for the most expensive jadeite diamond.
Since the turn of the century, the necklace's most distinguished provenance has included both Imperial China and members of the Western nobility.
As the most significant piece of jadeite jewelry in existence, the Hutton-Mdivani Necklace is expected to face fierce competition from experts in jewelry design.
The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace – Interesting Facts
The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace, which is widely regarded as the most significant piece of jadeite jewelry to date, is made up of 27 incredibly translucent beads with flawless color matching, an incredibly fine texture, and extraordinary majestic proportions that range in diameter from 19.20 to 15.40 mm.
The patina and polish are also consistent with the fine craftsmanship from the late Qing period.
The necklace's 27 exquisitely crafted jadeite beads are unidentified, though it's been suggested that they were carved in the eighteenth century.
The most revered oriental gemstone, jadeite, is known for its mysterious and captivating beauty. This necklace of jadeite beads, with its innovative clasp and storied past, is of the highest quality and striking proportions.
The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace evokes the glamour of renowned style icons from both China and the West at the turn of the 20th century.
Because high-quality jadeite boulders are extremely rare, they often yield beads that are no larger than 5 to 10 mm in diameter. This makes the beads' dimensions alone extremely distinctive and remarkable.
It takes up to three times the required number of beads to create a strand of matching jadeite beads, from which to choose the best ones. All of the beads must be carved from the same rock.
Although there is a great deal of waste, jadeite bead necklaces are nevertheless highly prized and sought-after types of jadeite jewelry.
The design of the Hutton-Mdivani Necklace is equally noteworthy. Early in the 20th century, jade was used in Western jewelry design. Cartier adopted this unusual oriental stone, and carved jade became as a prominent feature and innovative way to represent luxury in the company's iconic Art Deco creations.
Cartier fastened the jadeite beads on the Hutton-Mdivani Necklace to a simple, geometric ruby and diamond clasp. Although red is considered lucky in Chinese tradition, the dazzling green color of the beads contrasts beautifully with the Art Deco period's color scheme.
Empress Dowager Cixi of China, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, and Madame Wellington Koo, the wife of renowned Chinese ambassador V.K. Wellington Koo, were among the celebrities who favored the jadeite beads necklace, which was one of the most popular styles of jadeite jewelry.
The late 19th century saw political unrest that led to the removal of imperial jewels from the palace and the reworking of many of them into jewelry. The exact provenance of the jadeite beads on this necklace is uncertain, as is the case with many lost gems.
However, the beads can be traced back at least to the late 19th or early 20th century because they were of exceptional quality, had made their way to Europe by the early 1930s, and had been customized by Cartier into a piece of haute joaillerie.
However, the beads can be traced back at least to the late 19th or early 20th century because they were of exceptional quality, had made their way to Europe by the early 1930s, and had been customized by Cartier into a piece of haute joaillerie.
Barbara Hutton
A Legendary Heiress and Iconic Gatherer Heiress and socialite Barbara Woolworth Hutton was one of the few people in the West recognized for her passion for jadeite.
As the heiress to retail magnate Frank Winfield Woolworth, Hutton was regarded as one of the world's wealthiest women upon turning twenty-one, and she was admired for her grace and beauty, elegant taste, and opulent lifestyle.
A major supporter of the leading jewelry businesses, Hutton’s collection included significant royal and aristocratic gems, including a pearl necklace that was once owned by Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, as well as one-of-a-kind pieces commissioned by the most known jewelers.
Barbara Hutton received the Hutton-Mdivani Necklace as a wedding gift from her father in 1933, marking the occasion of her union with Prince Mdivani, according to Deleuse.
The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace was first displayed in public by Barbara Hutton at her 21st birthday celebration.
The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace was owned by the Mdivani family for more than 50 years before it was auctioned off for $2 million in 1988, making headlines as the most costly jadeite jewelry ever.
Then, in 1994, six years later, The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace was put up for auction in Hong Kong once more.
This time, the Hutton-Mdivani Necklace brought in double the amount it had previously, or $4.2 million, and raised the bar for jadeite jewelry prices.
The Qing Imperial Court
The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace was first displayed in public by Barbara Hutton at her 21st birthday celebration.
The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace was owned by the Mdivani family for more than 50 years before it was auctioned off for $2 million in 1988, making headlines as the most costly jadeite jewelry ever.
Then, in 1994, six years later, The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace was put up for auction in Hong Kong once more.
This time, the Hutton-Mdivani Necklace brought in double the amount it had previously, or $4.2 million, and raised the bar for jadeite jewelry prices.
The Qing Imperial Court
The beads' exceptional quality amply reflects the renown of their former owner. Ever since its debut in the 18th century as a tribute to the Qing Imperial court, jadeite in all its forms has been worn only by the elite. Only the highest-ranking officials and Qing emperors wore imperial court necklaces.
The Hutton-Mdivani Necklace's beads probably would have been presented to the Imperial Court due to their astonishing size and quality.
In 2010, Sotheby's New York auctioned off an Imperial jadeite bead necklace that Oei Tiong Ham, a prosperous Chinese businessman in Indonesia, had purchased from Tieh Bao Ting, Beijing's top jadeite trader, early in the 20th century.
The Oei Tiong Ham necklace, which was originally part of a Qing Imperial court necklace, has thirty jadeite beads with a diameter of 13.40 to 13.30 mm. In contrast, the beads on the Hutton-Mdivani necklace are far superior in terms of color, texture, translucency, and size, indicating an equally, if not more distinguished, original owner.
The Hong Kong Auction
In 2014, the Hutton-Mdivani Necklace brought in over $27.4 million at the Sotheby's Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Auction. According to the auction house, the sale broke records for both a Cartier and a jadeite diamond auction worldwide. The $12.8 million estimate was more than doubled when it sold.
The Cartier Collection won the piece after what was reportedly eighteen minutes of bidding. Sotheby's referred to it as the "greatest jadeite bead necklace of historical importance".
Another Two Auction Records
The global record for the most money ever paid for a ruby and diamond necklace at auction was set by James W. Currens, a high jewelry designer, when his "Red Emperor," a Burmese ruby and diamond necklace, went for more than $9.9 million.
Thirty heart-shaped and thirty pear-shaped "Pigeon's Blood" rubies totaling 104.51 carats are placed in the graduated fringe necklace. Between each ruby are brilliant-cut, pear-shaped, and oval diamonds set in platinum and 18k yellow gold, totaling about 59.05 carats.
The highest price ever paid for a ruby at auction was achieved by a 29.62-carat oval Burmese ruby and diamond ring set by Cartier, which brought in over $7.3 million. Approximately 2.50 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds are placed into the sculpted platinum mount for the ring.
With 82.2 percent of the goods sold by lot and 80.6 percent sold by value, the three pieces were among the best-selling objects at the auction, which brought in over $106.6 million.
