Bonhams announces the sale of one of Cartier’s most iconic designs, a ‘Tutti Frutti’ Bracelet, in the Hong Kong Jewels and Jadeite sale on 28 November 2020. This sensational jewel carries an estimate of HK$1,950,000 – 2,800,000.
Instantly recognisable, Cartier’s ‘Tutti Frutti’ much sought-after jewels combine glamour and exoticism in a riot of colour. They were crafted in a variety of forms, but it is the bold bracelets that have captured and kept the attention of collectors for a century.
Initially registered in the Cartier books as ‘foliage’, the ‘Tutti Frutti’ bracelet boasts a plant-inspired design of carved emeralds, rubies, and sapphires in never-before-seen colour combinations at the time. Every example is unique, requiring master artisans to devote hundreds of hours of careful craftmanship to each piece. The name ‘Tutti Frutti’ was adopted in the 1970s, and new bracelets are still being created by Cartier High Jewellery to this day.
A ‘Tutti Frutti’ Bracelet, Cartier
Estimate: HK$1,950,000 – 2,800,000
Credit: Bonhams
Hong Kong Jewels and Jadeite Sale
28 November 2020
The example on offer is distinguished by the central carved foliate emerald and the diamond and sapphire frame, reminiscent of the famous Cartier peacock necklace made exclusively for its very best clients such as J.P. Morgan, Baron Édouard de Rothschild, and The Aga Khan. The extraordinary graduated band displays the classic ‘Tutti Frutti’ designs with a palette of rubies, emeralds, and sapphires carved into the shape of leaves and fluted balls, capturing the exuberance and delight of the 1920s.
Leslie Roskind, Bonhams Head of Jewellery, Hong Kong, said: “The ‘Tutti Frutti’ jewellery by Cartier – particularly the bracelet – is undoubtedly the most desirable Art Deco designs for collectors worldwide, and is exceedingly rare at auction. Every ‘Tutti Frutti’ bracelet is unique, but they all represent Cartier’s legendary and timeless legacy.”
