Sunday, June 5, 2011

Madonna Wears the Duchess of Windsor's Cartier Bracelet?


Just a quick post. I must say with all the advising at the end of the auction season I can barely keep up with current events. If it were not for dinner parties I don't think I would ever get a sufficient dose of pop culture. For it was a dear friend that gave me this little tidbit over the weekend. It appears that when Madonna paid tribute to Oprah Winfrey last month she may have been wearing the Duchess of Windsor's storied Cartier cross bracelet.
The images from the March 17th taping are compelling especially given her directorial debut in the forthcoming W.E. a modern retelling of the love affair between the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Madonna has a very soft spot for American divorcee Wallis Simpson, obviously as they are both women of style who courted controversy throughout their lives and both very similarly obsessed with crafting their public image.
Detail of engravings.

The fantastic jewel sold last fall at Sotheby's London for £601,250 and was a very personal piece for the Duchess, comprised of eight gem set crosses (one platinum) on a platinum and diamond bracelet. Each cross was engraved with a special date in the life of the couple and it was worn on their wedding day... the beginning of their luxurious life in exile.
Madonna was rumored to have purchased the Duchess' Cartier Panther bracelet that fetched £4.5 million but it has yet to surface publicly so it is anyone's guess. The cross bracelet is a far better fit as it was much more personal to the couple marking their romance over the years and it seamlessly meshes with Madonna's ever evolving crucifix laden personal style. Until Madonna confirms, we are left to wait...perhaps only until the film's premiere at the Venice Film Festival at the end of August.

4 comments:

  1. I am so glad to see her wearing in public the Duchess' goods! So many pieces just disappear. Bravo Madonna!

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  2. I love that Madonna is wearing a dress from Miu Miu's fall 2011 collection.

    http://eatmysuperficialheart.blogspot.com/

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  3. Absolutely gorgeous bracelet, history and meaning...Love it!

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  4. I watched the making of the movie W.E. she directed of them, and in it she says it's a replica that cartier created just for the movie. After the movie, all the jewelry went back to cartier to be distoryed so not to deminish the value of the real ones.

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