11

18K Gold, Opal, Ruby, Sapphire, and Diamond Ballerina Brooch

ca. 1945; the ballerina brooch with an opal face, circle-cut ruby, sapphire, and diamond crown; the bodice set with one full-cut diamond; the skirt set throughout with circle-cut rubies, sapphires, and diamonds completed by a gold scalloped hem; 15.79 dwts.; 2 5/8 x 2 in.

  • Provenance: By descent within the family of Charles Julius Bahruth (1892-1973).
  • Notes: These two charming ballerina brooches (lots 11 and 12) are on offer from the collection of the granddaughter of New York jeweler Charles Julius Bahruth.

    Charles Julius Bahruth was raised in Brooklyn, New York along with his three brothers and sister. While his brothers went into the fishing business, it was Charles who forged a different path to pursue his love of jewelry and design. His career in the jewelry industry began as a young teen repairing watches and later apprenticing at Cartier and Tiffany & Co., taking the train into Manhattan after school. Charles' time apprenticing was interrupted by the Great War when he enlisted in the army in 1917. After the war, Mr. Bahruth went back to work as a jeweler in Manhattan.

    By 1941, Charles was employed by John Rubel Co. (666 Fifth Avenue) until their closing in 1947. Rubel Fréres was best known for the iconic Ballerina brooch form, which they created in collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels. In fact, it was John Rubel who signed the first Ballerina brooch that became an iconic emblem of the Art Deco period. The Ballerina form was a coveted design that drove John Rubel's success upon moving his firm from Paris to New York in 1939, and the most notable Ballerina designs by Maurice Duvalet were manufactured in the Rubel workshop on Fifth Avenue where Charles was a jeweler. It was during Charles' six years at the firm that the most iconic Ballerina brooches were born.
  • Condition: Finding replaced. Diamonds weighing approx. 0.20 tcw.; small chip to opal; sapphires dark blueish-violet in color, well matched; rubies dark pinkish-red in color, well matched; scratches to gold commensurate with age and wear.

    Please note: All property is sold "AS IS" and any statement, whether oral or written, is given as a courtesy and shall not be deemed as a guarantee, warranty, or representation of the authenticity of authorship, physical condition, size, quality, rarity, importance, provenance, exhibitions, literature or historical relevance of the property or otherwise. The absence of a condition report does not imply the item is in perfect condition.

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May 7, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Boston, MA, US

Grogan & Company

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