12 - Auguste LION, Work from the second half of the 19th century

Auguste LION, Work from the second half of the 19th century “Serpent” bracelet with multiple coils in 750‰ yellow gold featuring grooved articulated links; the reptile’s head is chiseled and set with a cushion-cut pink sapphire, rose-cut diamonds, and cushion-cut rubies for the eyes. Rectangular soldered plate inscribed “DEPOSE Ate LION.” Adjustable wrist circumference (minimum 13 cm). Link width: 5.3 mm. Bracelet width: approximately 8 cm. Gross weight: 49 g. (Slight deformities, scratches, and small chips). Accompanied by a CGL (CARAT GEM LAB) analysis report dated September 10, 2026 (No. CGL36133) for its main stone, specifying: Natural pink sapphire. Dimensions: approximately 5.7 x 4.2 x 3.5 mm. Treatment: No heat treatment detected. Origin: Sri Lanka (Ceylon). A specialty in its own right, the “chain” was particularly popular during the Second Empire. Auguste Lion (1830–1895) was one of its greatest exponents. When he ceased his business in the 1880s, he donated his entire collection of jewelry designs created between 1859 and 1884 to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, comprising 648 different designs for bracelets and necklaces made of gilded copper. In Jacques Lenfant’s iconic *Livre de la Chaîne*, Evelyne Possémé, a curator at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, pays tribute to Auguste Lion and showcases several pieces from his collection, highlighting Lion’s creative richness, the great diversity of his designs, and his drive for technical perfection—as evidenced by the patents filed in France and abroad. Bibliography: - LENFANT, Jacques, *Le Livre de la Chaîne*, Editions Scriptar SA, 1996, p. 139 ff. - Various authors, edited by Marguerite de CERVAL, *Dictionnaire international du Bijou*, Editions du Regard, Paris, 1998.