This opal, diamond, enamel and 18ct yellow gold choker, c.1898, is textbook René Lalique (1860-1945).

Extracted from Antiques Trade Gazette | Roland Arkell

Worked with chrysanthemum blooms, a traditional symbol of autumn, it is similar to the striking piece (with profile portrait) reproduced on the cover of the catalogue Les bijoux de Lalique (Yvonne Brunhammer, 1999).

It came for sale at Artcurial’s winter sale at the Hotel Hermitage in Monte Carlo on January 14-16 with an estimate of €150,000-200,000 and a provenance to Maurice Rheims (1910-2003), the French auctioneer and author, who famously administered the estates of both Hermann Goering and Pablo Picasso. He published a book titled Jewellery: The Age of Art Nouveau in 1966.

The hammer price was €150,000 (£126,000) plus 25% buyer premium.