DIOR: LACQUER, GREEN GARNET AND TOURMALINE 'MILLY CARNIVORA: POISONUS' NECKLACE
Designed as sinuous tendrils of brilliant-cut diamonds, decorated with black and crimson lacquer, issuing briolette-cut green garnet drops, and a central rubellite cabochon, on an adjustable turquoise blue cord necklace, similarly decorated with pink tourmaline drops, pendant signed Dior, numbered K2941, accompanied by a spare gem-set cord, pendant length 5.6cm, maker's case and certificate of authenticity
Footnotes:
Provenance:
A Private Collection of Jewels by Victoire de Castellane for Christian Dior

For an example see 'Dior Joaillerie: The A to Z of Victoire de Castellane', by Victoire de Castellane, with text by Olivier Gabet, New York, 2020, No 226.

Victoire de Castellane has been creative director of Dior Joaillerie since its inception in 1998 and her ground-breaking designs consistently turn the jewellery world's tendency for self-reference and historicism on their head. Hallmarks of de Castellane's work are colour, asymmetry and an extraordinary attention to detail. Gemstones of all hues are incorporated into jewels of lush, exotic flora and fauna that are also decorated in lacquer from an unlimited post-Warholian electric colour palette. The internal and the external features of each piece is given equal importance and are regarded as crucial as the seams of a dress. What remains hidden is as elaborately and skilfully worked as the exterior to give the wearer endless pleasure. In de Castellane's jewels, reality mixes with fantasy, inspiration comes from the technicolor world of Japanese animation as well as the legacy of Christian Dior. In the words of de Castellane 'When you are bored, feeling alone, jewellery protects you.. I love all bad vanishing, just the memory of what's beautiful staying in my mind. Life is not like that. That's why I do jewellery.'

Enamel in very good condition. Diamonds of good commercial quality. Garnets of bright medium green hues, generally well matched for colour with some small natural inclusions and abrasions to some facet edges visible under 10 X magnification. Central rubellite cabochon of a rich magenta hue and pink tourmaline drops of medium to deep pink hues, all with some natural inclusions visible upon close inspection, some surface reaching. Tourmalines with some small chips/abrasions visible under 10 X magnification. Composition of gem-set decoration on cords not identical and one cord with an additional tourmaline drop located on surmount. Reverse of pendant signed Dior, numbered K2941 and stamped Au750. Untested white metal with superficial surface wear. Overall in good condition.