The Cat
The old saying that a cat has nine lives tracks all the way back to the 16th century. This beautiful David Webb cat has had five lives that I know of… perhaps more. I first encountered this magnificent bracelet, which traces its beginning to the mid-twentieth century, in 2002 when I purchased it from a woman whose husband first purchased it in the ‘60s – quite likely from the world renowned designer David Webb. Webb was viewed as a high society figure whose clientele included Jackie O, Doris Duke, Elizabeth Taylor and more.
The panther is unusual for a David Webb piece. He rarely worked with diamonds; in fact, most of his work featured bold, audacious designs in enamel and precious colored stones, which leads me to believe it was originally designed for a particular person. I was immediately attracted to it and was proud to be giving it its second life.
I sold the bracelet in 2002, but asked the owner (its third life) to give me the privilege of acquiring it should they ever decide to sell it.
One day, I took a call from Palm Beach. The caller asked me if I remembered the piece, to which I replied, “Of course.” Upon examination, I was once again taken by how very extraordinary this cat is and re-purchased it without hesitation. The cat is back – delightful, enigmatic and quite simply stunning.