An exceptional diamond and seed pearl Cartier sautoir once owned by Dame Nellie Melba is to be auctioned by Bonhams in London. Find out all the details below.
Before there was Taylor Swift or Beyoncé Knowles, there was Dame Nellie Melba.
Australia’s most famous soprano, Dame Nellie Melba achieved international acclaim as one of the most feted performers of the late Victorian period and early 20th century, and conquered the stages of prestigious opera houses across the globe.
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Born Nellie Porter Mitchell in Melbourne in 1861, she was the daughter of a businessman and a music teacher and showed great promise as a young girl, studying under Italian tenor Pietro Cecchi. She made her on-stage debut at Melbourne Town Hall in 1884 and modest success followed, as did a tour of Victoria’s regions.
Following an unsuccessful marriage, the ambitious and driven Nellie then left Australia in search of greater opportunities and in 1886 she established herself in Paris, renaming herself ‘Nellie Melba’ as a tribute to her home town. She performed to great acclaim across Paris and in Brussels, and finally cemented her fame in London in 1889, when she appeared for the first time in Roméo et Juliette at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.
From then on, Nellie Melba’s stardom was such that she was mobbed by fans and the press whenever she travelled across Europe or America. Even the great French chef Auguste Escoffier at London’s Savoy Hotel celebrated her by naming a dessert, Peach Melba, in her honour. At the height of her powers, she was earning an annual salary equivalent to £3 million a year.
Fittingly, Dame Nellie was just as celebrated for her refined and luxurious style as she was for her voice, and she curated an exquisite jewellery collection during her lifetime – much of it acquired from Cartier, where she became a distinguished client.
It was from Cartier that Dame Nellie acquired the remarkable Belle Époque diamond and seed pearl sautoir necklace which will be sold by Bonhams as part of the auction house’s Exceptional Jewels Sale on 11th June (estimated between £60,000 – £80,000). It has never appeared at auction before.
“Dame Nellie Melba’s Cartier sautoir reflects the elegance of the Belle Époque era – a period defined by the revolutionary use of platinum, of which Cartier was an early pioneer,” says Jean Ghika, Bonhams’ Global Head of Jewellery. “The design of this circa 1910 jewel exemplifies Cartier’s mastery of this precious metal and their innovative designs during an era that was also defined by the more traditional garland style.
Its significance is further elevated by its distinguished provenance. Offered at auction for the first time since Dame Nellie’s ownership of the jewel, this sautoir by Cartier Paris is a highly desirable survivor of their output during this era and a window into the life and personality of an Australian cultural icon.”
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