GAY FRERES and MATELOT Exotic wood and 18k (750... Lot 307

GAY FRERES and MATELOT Exotic wood and 18k (750 thousandths) yellow gold opening bangle with two panther heads with natural ruby eyes and black enamel. Gay Frères and Matelot hallmark. A Matelot jewelry certificate is included. In original Matelot pouch. Wrist circumference (internal): approx. 17 cm. Gross weight: 76.9 g. This bracelet has a fine history. Gay Frères is first an adventure in the history of chains, then watches and finally jewelry in Geneva. When the Gay Frères representative arrived in Liège, he went to Matelot, the city's leading jewelry store, which quickly obtained exclusive rights to the range on offer. That's when he ordered this custom-made bracelet in 1970 in 18k gold and precious woods, which is why it is doubly hallmarked Gay Frères and Matelot. Shortly afterwards, Cartier in Paris requested exclusivity for this model, and Matelot could no longer order identical jewelry for sale. This model is known as the "Duchess of Windsor" and will be revived in the 1980s in a gold-plated version by Franklin Mint.