CARTIER 1970 Bill Smith Pendant In 18Kt Green Jadeites

Pendant designed by Bill Smith (1936-1989) for Cartier. This is a fabulous sculptural pendant, designed by Bill Smith for the jewelry house of Cartier back in the 1970. The rare and one-of-a-kind pendant, was crafted in the shape of the mythological transformation of the phoenix bird showing fantastic scalloped body. This pendant was masterfully made-up in solid yellow gold of 18 karats with textured finish and is embellished with six round carvings of natural green jadeite. The pendant is fitted at the reverse with a concealed ring to wear in a chain. This piece is extremely rare and historical, Bill Smith's gold jewelry pieces for Cartier are unique pieces and highly collectable. Bill Smith He was born in 1936 and is an American fashion and jewelry designer who was the first black recipient of a Coty Award for his designs. He has designed for a number of companies, including costume jewelry for Coro and Richelieu, leather goods for Mark Cross, and furs for Ben Kahn, along with designing jewelry for Cartier. In June 1968, Bill Smith was made vice-president of Richelieu, at that time the second largest jewelry firm in America, after only two months with the company as their head designer. Later that year in October, he was commissioned to exclusively create all the jewelry for the Broadway production of Coco, a stage musical about the life of Coco Chanel starring Katharine Hepburn. Bill Smith was one of six jewelry designers honored with a special Coty Award in 197