This Cartier brooch of carved black jasper set with two marquise-shaped yellow diamond eyes is a highlight from the former collection of Nina Dyer, made on special order from Cartier Paris in 1962.

Celebrated as one of the paramount jewelry collectors of the 20th century, Nina amassed a rarified assemblage of fine jewels over her fabulous yet tragically short life. Raised in British Ceylon, Nina moved to London in her late teens and then on to Paris where her beauty attracted the attention of Pierre Balmain and Christian Dior. Her work as a haute couture model introduced her to a lifestyle of 1950s glamour.

The meaning behind the brooch’s inscription ‘Black Alley Cat’ is lost to time, but knowledge of Nina’s love for feline creatures is not. Nina’s first husband, Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, gifted her with two black panther cats that accompanied her world travels.

The Cartier ‘Panthere’ motif first emerged in 1914 as black onyx specks adorning a diamond ladies wristwatch. After occasional use in the Art Deco period, the motif was further developed by Jeanne Toussaint, Cartier Director of Fine Jewelry from 1933 to 1970, and designer Peter Lemarchand. Together they created several ‘Great Cat’ jewels, the title referring to Cartier’s use of panther and tiger figures. Nina's second husband, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, added several Cartier ‘Great Cat’ jewels to her already impressive collection including cuffs, bangle bracelets, rings, jabot pins and brooches.

After her passing in 1965, several items from Nina’s collection were sold at Christie’s first Magnificent Jewelry sale held on 1 May 1969 in Geneva’s Hotel Richemond, totaling CHF 12.7 million. The sale included her 3-strand black pearl necklace, the most important black pearl necklace ever to be offered at auction. The necklace last sold in 1997, again at Christie’s Geneva, for CHF 1,268,500. The 1969 sale garnered such public attention that ticketed receptions were held to raise funds for the World Wildlife Fund as her last wishes included charitable contributions to animal welfare causes worldwide.

Nina’s collection spoke of her elegant taste and the master craftsmanship of a bygone era, exemplified in this one-of-a-kind brooch.