Antique Rose Cut Diamond Bracelet
60s Peranakan 18k retro diamond studded bracelet comprising 33 prong-set ultra sparkly diamonds.
The central motif is a snowflake or star, centred in a panel of two rows of diamonds.
These diamonds are hand cut, hence they are uneven and as close to raw diamonds as you can get, without actually being uncut. In a certain sense, they are similar to Georgian era, very simply faceted hand cut diamonds of the Western world.
Like much of retro Peranakan jewellery, the diamonds are set tall. In this way the diamonds are set away from the hand, giving the studded centrepiece a feeling of depth.
The motif of this bracelet is more geometric than figural, and more linear or modish. The mid-century preference for neatly arranged jewellery is a spin-off from the Art Deco era, when chunkier Art Deco diamond jewellery became increasingly studded, and even more so towards the '80s.
The clasp is styled as a mini watch clasp. Like earlier Peranakan bracelets, it is the craftsmanship that allows the bracelet to freely articulate, so the entire piece, including the centrepiece, folds miraculously small. It is this lithe quality of Peranakan jewellery that softens its otherwise very gold and sometimes overly splendorous personality.
The appeal of this bracelet is it hand cut diamonds, a unique look of Peranakan jewellery. Its retro design is subverted by its freeform diamonds.
While there are many diamond studded bracelets, there are much fewer pieces which can qualify as studded and organic.