A collage of jewellery designs by Cartier, circa 1960, pencil and gouache on parchment,...

A collage of jewellery designs by Cartier, circa 1960, pencil and gouache on parchment, each cut-out depicting a gem-set brooch design, to include a citrine-set owl, various lovebirds, an opal kingfisher, a fish and three ‘Moretto’ brooches, some numbered, with embossed Cartier stamp clipping, mounted on A4 card with glue and tape, together with a painted photograph of an enamel and gem-set bracelet by Boucheron, 1952, with typed caption reading ‘GOLD DIAMOND RUBY AND SAPPHIRE BRACELET DESIGNED BY GORDON ALLAN FOR HRH DUKE OF EDINBURGH AS HIS PERSONAL GIFT FOR HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN UPON THEIR FIFTH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY IN 1952. MADE FOR BOUCHERON LTD.’, various sizes. (2) £800-£1,200 --- Provenance: Formerly the property of the jewellery designer Gordon Henderson Allan, thence by family descent. The jewellery designer Gordon Henderson Allan was born in 1926 to James and Constance Allan. His father James was a silversmith and his three brothers were all also jewellers. He received a scholarship to The Hornsey College of Art before being conscripted to work in the Yorkshire Main Colliery during the war. In 1948 Gordon entered the annual craft design competition at Goldsmiths’ Hall and was awarded third place in the senior jewellery design category, judged by representatives from Cartier, Hennell & Sons, Hardys and Jacques Hurwitz. Around this time Gordon was working for Godman & Rabey, a jewellery workshop on Bond Street and makers to firms such as Boucheron and Chaumet. It was through this work that he became involved in designing the bracelet for Boucheron, illustrated here, gifted by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to HM Queen Elizabeth II upon their fifth wedding anniversary. Later, upon hearing of an opening at Cartier, Gordon successfully applied for a position and worked there as a designer for over 20 years.