Serafina, 1917

A small Art Deco thing, and a serious one. The onyx is cooler in daylight than you expect, never showy, the calibré-cut channel setting unmistakable. It is back-carved so the light enters from behind — the maker's quiet trick. It reached us out of a Bruges family, unworn for a lifetime and none the worse for it. It asks very little of whoever wears it next and gives back a great deal.