Antique Art Nouveau 18k Gold Chimera Brooch, Ruby & Diamond - Andre Kauffer

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Description

Art Nouveau brooch from circa 1910, a chimera rendered in 18k gold with extraordinary skill. A piece that embodies everything … Read more Art Nouveau brooch from circa 1910, a chimera rendered in 18k gold with extraordinary skill. A piece that embodies everything the Art Nouveau movement stood for: the rejection of the ordinary, the elevation of the craftsman's hand, and the transformation of jewelry into pure art.
The chimera, a mythological creature, was a favorite motif of Art Nouveau jewelry makers, drawn to its mysterious, fantastical character and the extraordinary technical challenges it presented to the goldsmith.
The piece is set with a natural ruby and an old-cut diamond of approximately 0.10 carats each. What makes this brooch particularly remarkable is the equal attention given to its reverse, as finely worked as the face, a hallmark of the finest workshop production of the period and a detail that distinguishes truly exceptional pieces from ordinary ones.
The brooch bears the French eagle's head hallmark confirming 18k gold purity, and the maker's mark A(cross)K — identified as André Kauffer, a French goldsmith of the Art Nouveau period.

Period: Art Nouveau, circa 1910
Metal: 18k gold Stones: Natural ruby approx. 0.10ct, old-cut diamond approx. 0.10ct
Diameter: 24 mm Total weight: 8.6 g
Hallmarks: Eagle's head (French guarantee mark for 18k gold)
Maker's mark: A(cross)K — André Kauffer
Condition: Very good See less