These impressive and rare dragon rings have been a feature of all the great ring collections, including the Harari, Guilhou, Spitzer, Franks, and Koch collections. They are known as ‘Naga rings’ because they are thought to represent the naga dragon which is thought to have sheltered the Buddha during a prolonged period of meditation. Chadour suggests that these rings were made for Royalty. The extravagant design certainly re-enforces the idea that they were made for lavish ceremonial use. Another example is in the British Museum.
***Top quality gem blue zircons over 10 carats trade at a minimum price of $200 per carat and go up from there depending on the size of the stone and the quality of the color. Blue zircon, the most popular color, is produced by heat treatment of brown zircon. But not all brown zircon will turn blue when heated; only some zircon has the right physical structure for this to occur. This is why most blue zircon comes from certain sources in Cambodia or Burma. Blue zircon is a reasonably hard gem with a Mohs hardness of about 7 to 7.5. Blue zircon has some unique properties that make it very popular with gemstone aficionados. Not only does zircon have outstanding brilliance, but it also has very strong dispersion or fire, the tendency to split white light into the spectral colors. Zircon also has very pronounced birefringence or double refraction, with a wide variance between the two refractive indices. This can be often be observed with the naked eye when you look down through the table of a cut zircon; you will observe facet doubling that makes the facet edges appear blurred.
Neil Lane Couture, large rectangular step-cut natural gem Peridot (18.12 carats, dimensions 18.55mm x 14.85mm x 7.90mm, GIA certificate) in an elaborate 18k gold “Egyptian” motif mounting set with 158 full, round-cut small diamonds (approx. 1.58 carats TW) and signed by Neil Lane, c. 2008
Marcus & Co Art Nouveau pendant necklace, Handwrought 18 K yellow gold set with a large cabochon natural emerald center stone (approx. 30+ carats TW, G.I.A. certificate, moderate clarity enhancement, 18.30 x 18.20 x 12.20mm) surrounded by green enamel details with gold looping bezel mounts and platinum topped diamond side details set with 43 diamonds (approx. 6 carats TW), cabochon emerald pendant drop (approx. 15 carats TW) with a green enamel and gold capped top, elaborate looping 18K yellow gold chain, signed, c. 1900
Lord Nathan (1889-1963), Harry Louis Nathan, 1stBaron Nathan, was born in London in 1889 and was the son of Michael Henry Nathan, a fine art publisher and J.P. (Justice of Peace) He was educated at St. Paul’s School and became honorary secretary of the Brady Working Lads’ Club, the oldest and largest of the London Jewish Lads’ Clubs (J.L.G.B). Nathan served in World War I, leaving with the rank of Major. He was first elected in 1929 as M.P. (Member of Parliament) for Bethnal Green North East and was re-elected in 1931. Along with many other Anglo-Jewish communal leaders, Nathan was a founding member of the Central British Fund for German Jewry (now World Jewish Relief Fund). He was created a hereditary peer as Baron Nathan of Churt in the County of Surrey on June 28th, 1940. He continued in active politics from the House of Lords, serving as Under-Secretary of State for War (1945-1946) and Minister for Civil Aviation (October 4, 1946-May 31st, 1948). He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1946. This lapel brooch was commissioned by Lord Nathan from Cartier London in 1945/46 and descended in his family.
MAHROKH BECK Munich, Germany
Stylized flower brooch c. 2005
Set in 18 K yellow gold with a large square cut citrine (approx. 40 carats TW) and a smaller square cut citrine (approx. 4 carats TW), 2 oval orange citrines, 2 oval yellow citrines, 2 oval sapphires and cognac diamonds