60 - A LARGE RETRO 18K GOLD BRACELET, ITALIAN, CIRCA 1940 Composed of a series of polished bead motifs, each within curved bar links joining a pair of large ring links, alternating with ribbed barrel links, in 18K gold, Italian registry mark between '1934-1944', length 21.7cm

A LARGE RETRO 18K GOLD BRACELET, ITALIAN, CIRCA 1940 Composed of a series of polished bead motifs, each within curved bar links joining a pair of large ring links, alternating with ribbed barrel links, in 18K gold, Italian registry mark between '1934-1944', length 21.7cm Condition Report: Minor dents on some beads commensurate with age, overall in good condition Clasp closes securely and has two safety catches Total gross weight approx. 94.5g During the late 1930s and 1940s, jewellery acquired a fuller, more sculptural character. The geometry of Art Deco softened into rounded volumes, broad scrolls and substantial gold links, forming the style now known as Retro. Wartime restrictions on platinum and disruptions to gemstone supplies encouraged jewellers to explore the decorative possibilities of gold itself. Polished surfaces, fluting and contrasting shades of yellow and rose gold gave depth and variety to designs whose impact depended as much on their construction as on their stones. Bracelets offered particular scope for this approach. Gold was worked into broad articulated bands, woven patterns and repeating architectural links. Among the most distinctive was the Tank bracelet, named for links recalling the caterpillar tracks of an armoured vehicle. Its mechanical reference became a pattern of rhythmic, interlocking forms, with raised curves and angular edges catching the light as the wrist moved. Articulation was essential to its appeal: a structure that appeared substantial and rigid could follow the wrist with considerable flexibility. These bracelets belonged to a wider taste for bold gold jewellery that continued into the early postwar years. As jewellery diversified towards the 1950s, sculptural gold forms shared the stage with increasingly elaborate gemstone compositions. The Tank bracelet remains a particularly clear expression of the Retro imagination, revealing how the repeating components of machinery could provide an unexpectedly elegant vocabulary for the goldsmith.