Marchioness of Cholmondeley’s Cartier Buckle Brooch

Today marks the 130th Anniversary of the Birth of Sybil Sassoon, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, who was born on this day in 1894. The fascinating Rothschild and Sassoon Heiress who married into the illustrious Cholmondeley Family, becoming a prominent Society Hostess and the Chief Staff Officer of the WRNS, Lady Cholmondeley possessed an amazing collection of jewels, including this spectacular Cartier Buckle Brooch!

French Crown Sapphire Parure | Emerald Necklace | Cartier Buckle Brooch

Created by Cartier in 1925, this Belt Buckle-Brooch features an octagonal step-cut emerald of 38.71 carats alongside buff-top calibré-cut sapphires and emeralds, and old and single-cut diamonds, the Brooch was exhibited during the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris.

Featured in Cartier’s booth during the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris in 1925, this magnificent emerald, sapphire and diamond belt buckle boasts an impeccable provenance. Especially created by Cartier for the 1925 exhibition, its design, gemstones and colors are striking. This belt buckle is a perfect example of Cartier’s wonderful ability to reinterpret inspiration from the East, mixing Indian themes with Western Art Deco style.

In the 1920s, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley wore the Cartier Buckle Brooch on her Turban, for a portrait taken by Cecil Beaton in the Drawing Room of their London House, 25 Park Lane, with Holbein’s Portrait of Unknown Lady with a Squirrel and Starling in the background.

The Cartier Buckle Brooch was also worn by Lady Cholmondeley for another series of portraits taken by Cecil Beaton in the early 1930s, paired with the striking Orleans Emerald Necklace.

In 1937, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley wore the Cartier Buckle Brooch on her waist alongside the French Crown Sapphire Parure for the Coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Westminster Abbey, with the same combination being worn for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, at which Lord Cholmondeley was the Lord Chamberlain. The couple posed for a series of portraits by Cecil Beaton.

Since Lord Cholmondeley was the Lord Chamberlain, the Marchioness of Cholmondeley had a front row seat at the State Opening of Parliament, wearing the Cartier Buckle Brooch on her waist with the French Crown Sapphire Parure in 1958.

Lady Cholmondeley also wore the Cartier Buckle Brooch with the French Crown Sapphire Parure for the State Opening of Parliament in 1960.

Following the death of the Marchioness of Cholmondeley in 1989, the Cartier Buckle Brooch was discreetly sold and eventually found its way into the legendary Al-Thani Collection, belonging to the Qatari Royal Family, being exhibited around the world. In 2019, the Buckle Brooch was among the lots auctioned at the Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence Sale in New York City, where it fetched $1,545,000 against an estimate of USD 500,000 – USD 700,000.

The belt was designed to complement the chic low-waisted dresses that were in vogue, specifically for Sybil Sassoon, Marchioness of Cholmondeley. Sybil Sassoon, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, was the daughter of Sir Edward Sassoon and Baroness Aline de Rothschild. The importance of Lot 228 is demonstrated by the fact that she chose to wear it, alongside her most important jewels, for both the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. On both these occasions, she also famously wore the sapphire and diamond tiara and necklace that were originally part of the French Crown jewels.

The Cartier Buckle Brooch seems to have been acquired by the Cartier Collection, and went on display at the ‘Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity’ Exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in 2021 and 2022, before we saw it on display at the Dallas Museum of Art in Texas in 2022. Currently, the Brooch is exhibited at the ‘Cartier Islamic Inspiration and Modern Design’ at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which runs until the end of March.

French Crown Sapphire Parure | Emerald Necklace | Cartier Buckle Brooch