A quartz crystal, boulder opal and diamond pendant, formerly owned by showgirl Reuby Monk, a member of the infamous Bluebell Girls at the Paris Lido, is coming to auction for the first time at Roseberys. 

Jean Vendome. A quartz crystal, boulder opal and diamond pendant

Estimate: £5,000-£8,000

Monk trained at the Rambert School, based in the Mercury Theatre, and cut her teeth on the London pantomime scene, before moving to Paris to pursue her dreams of a career on the stage. Initially dancing at the Palladium, she accompanied a friend to an audition at the Lido and was chosen to join the company. Before her Lido debut, Reuby starred in Jacqueline Audry’s ‘L’école des cocottes’ (1958) under her stage name Reuby Bruce.


Reuby Monk, featured in Margaret Kelly’s autobiography

She stayed with the Bluebells for over five years, and starred as ‘Mademoiselle Lido’ (under her then stage name of Reuby Bruce) when the Bluebell Girls opened their show at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas in 1958.

Reuby Monk with The Bluebell Girls

During her time in Paris, Reuby became well acquainted with many of the Parisian artists and high society of the day, including Jean Vendome (1930-2017), who made the pendant for Reuby, along with other bespoke pieces.

The pendant has remained in the family, passing directly to Reuby’s niece, the present owner. It comes to auction with a remarkable series of photographs, press cuttings and letters,  including a letter from Jean Vendome to Monk, dated February 1997, requesting the pendant for exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris. 

1997 letter from Vendome to Monk

Vendome was a pioneer of the 1960s art jewellery movement. Over his prolific career, he created an estimated thirty thousand pieces, along with countless drawings. Shaped by post-war art movements, he reimagined jewellery design through abstract forms and the innovative use of raw minerals. He regarded minerals as sculptures in their own right and crafted unique art jewels that balanced architectural precision with organic form.

Vendome’s work was included in the landmark 1961 exhibition Modern Jewelry at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, and has also been exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs, the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, Lyon’s Museum of Natural History, and at L’ÉCOLE Paris in 2019.

Lot 229: Jessica McCormack. An 18ct white gold sapphire and diamond ring, of 'Daisy' design

Estimate: £8,000 - £12,000


Other highlights include a gem-set silver brooch attributed to Dorrie Nossiter, of open circular form set with emerald cabochons, seed pearls and pink sapphires, estimated at £1,000-£1,500. A Jessica McCormack ‘Daisy’ ring in 18ct white gold, set with sapphires and diamonds, is offered at £8,000-£12,000, alongside a pair of Victorian pearl and diamond pendant earrings, also estimated at £8,000-£12,000.