PARIS, FRANCE.- Christie’s Paris will hold an auction of a fabulous piece by Lalique on June 19. George Charbonneaux, the great industrialist from Reims and founder of the "garden town", based on the philosophy of providing green and open spaces for homes of industrial working families. He was also a great lover of music and a collector of art. It was in 1895 that he met Lalique and immediately purchased some pieces of jewellery.

The two became good friends and Charbonneaux continued to purchase glass including forty or so lost wax moulds. In addition Lalique also gave him certain pieces not intended for sale including the exhibition door to his show in 1901 at Albert 1st, his display cabinet and a chandelier from the same show.

Their correspondence is a testimony to their mutual esteem. As André Garcia writes in a little book published recently 'René Lalique et Champagne', "if Galouste Gulebkian was undoubtedly the first unconditional admirer of René Lalique's work, George Charbonneaux from Reims was the second". Amongst the collection of jewels he built over the years is one of the necklaces currently in New York's Metropolitan Museum, exhibited now at the Luxembourg Museum for Lalique exhibition that is taking place now. This remarkable piece is an aquamarine, enamel, pasted glass and gold grasshopper brooch, estimated between €50.000-70.000.