Product Description
Enrico Serafini, Pair of “Water Sprites”, 18K Yellow and White gold set with 22 round diamonds, signed, c. 1950’s
Enrico Serafini, Pair of “Water Sprites”, 18K Yellow and White gold set with 22 round diamonds, signed, c. 1950’s
MELLERIO PARIS Italy/ France
Gyroscope cigarette box c.1930
French silver (950 silver standard) in a structural form of a gyroscope with a lever for an interior lifting mechanism, gilding
Marks: Mellerio Paris, 3776 D, head of Minerva French guarantee mark for 950/1000
H: 5 1/4″ x Dia: 4 1/4″
The renowned Mellerio family and their jewelry can be traced back to Lombardy, Italy as early as the 16th century. Some family members moved to Paris and became royal jewelers for Louis XIII. The revolutions of 1789 and 1848 interrupted their business and they moved to Madrid where they became the jewelers favored by Queen Isabel II. Later in the 19th century they returned to Paris where once again they prospered and participated in several international expositions including London (1862), Paris (1867, 1878 and 1900), and Vienna (1873). In the 20th century they exhibited at the renowned Paris 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and then in New York at the 1939 World’s Fair.
John W. Charlton opened his business in New York under the name of J.W.Charlton in 1909, later changing to Charlton & Co when Robert S. Chapin became his partner. In the 1920s, branches were open in Palm Beach and in Paris. In 1934, another partner Grant A. Peacock acquired ownership of the company, changing the name to his own. Charlton was known for creating some of the most important jewels of the Art Deco period, with an impressive client list equalling those of the biggest jewellery firms.