De Beers "Honeymoon in New Orleans" Advertisement, c. 1949
A full-page advertisement for De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd., reproduced from a painting titled "Honeymoon in New Orleans." The caption beneath the artwork reads: "HONEYMOON IN NEW ORLEANS ... a city rich in ante-bellum landmarks, southern traditions and old French provincial flavor. Painted for the De Beers Collection by Jean Pagès." The painting depicts a New Orleans courtyard — wrought-iron railings, a fountain, lush vegetation — with a couple seated together in the shade. The artist's signature, reproduced in print as "J. Pagès 48," appears at lower right. The signature is part of the printed reproduction, not a hand-applied autograph. The advertisement carries the headline "a Diamond is forever." Below the painting, a price chart lists diamond price ranges by carat weight: one-quarter carat (25 points) from 85 to 225 USD; one-half carat (50 points) from 215 to 450 USD; one carat (100 points) from 555 to 1050 USD; two carats (200 points) from 1355 to 3180 USD. A note beneath the chart states: "The above price ranges were developed for your guidance through a nationwide survey among representative jewelers in January, 1949. (Exact weights shown are infrequent.) Add Federal tax." The January 1949 survey date provides the strongest dating evidence for the advertisement itself. The painting's reproduced signature dated "48" indicates the artwork predates the advertisement. The date given here, circa 1949, reflects the survey date; the exact magazine issue has not been identified. The advertisement is credited at bottom to N.W. Ayer & Son. The copy addresses the reader as a prospective buyer, linking the diamond engagement ring to memory and romance: "Such things the heart remembers ... such things a diamond can recall forever." It advises that a diamond "need not be costly, or of many carats, but it should be chosen with care," and notes that "Color, cutting and clarity, as well as carat weight, contribute to its beauty and value." As an artifact, the page documents a distinctive moment in American advertising: a fine-art painting commissioned for a commercial campaign, paired with survey-based pricing data presented as consumer guidance. The combination of commissioned artwork and published price ranges makes this a useful primary document for the study of postwar luxury marketing.
Category: Jewelry
Year: 1949
Rarity Class: B
