Certain novels go down in literary history and, at the same time, come to symbolise an entire epoch. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ is one such gem of modern American literature. Published in 1925, the novel paints a fascinating picture of the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties, a time of unprecedented affluence and self-indulgence. Pulsating New York City, the opulent mansions of Long Island and the dazzling high society parties are the backdrop to the story of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire, who will stop at nothing to regain the affections of the lost love of his youth, Daisy Buchanan. Montblanc honours this much-filmed literary masterpiece, likewise a synonym for the glamorous world of Art Deco, with the Great Characters Homage to The Great Gatsby Limited Edition 30. The decadence of the Roaring Twenties as well as the desire for luxury and opulence that characterized the Art Deco era is captured in many details of the design of the Limited Edition 30. Skeletonised symmetrical arches and lines are crafted out of solid Pt 950 platinum, the ultimate symbol of wealth and status that was often used by famous jewelers of the time for their high-quality creations. They reveal the deep green, translucent surface underneath, representing the green light on the dock at Daisy’s house, standing for yearning for a better future and for Gatsby’s desire to win Daisy back again. This symbolism is also portrayed by green tsavorites skilfully hand-set in the shape of the Montblanc emblem into the solid platinum cap top. The intoxicating yet seemingly illusory power of money is symbolised by the platinum-coated clip in the form of a money clip. Its rounded opening is decorated with the solid Pt 950 platinum, diamond-studded initials of Jay Gatsby as a rhomboidal Art Deco monogram. Princess-cut diamonds on the cap and barrel round off the design. A further nod to the Art Deco movement is the purely linear engraving on the handcrafted, rhodium-coated, solid Au 750 gold nib. Inspired by the at the time hip Art Deco flasks, the artful engraving on the cone imitates the engraved screw cap of such a flask. The myth of the American dream is referenced by the fine rings in the colours of the American flag adorning the cone. A detail of an original United States Peace Dollar minted between 1921 and 1935, reflecting the period of the novel, is artistically incorporated into the cone. The number 30 is significant in more ways than one. It refers to the limited number of Great Characters Homage to The Great Gatsby Limited Edition 30, which marks the 30th birthday of Nick Carraway, our trusty guide to the opulent world of East and West Egg. Amidst the tension of a pivotal confrontation between Gatsby and his nemesis Tom Buchanan, Nick realises it's his birthday: "No... I've just remembered it's my birthday." I was thirty. The ominous, threatening road of a new decade stretched out before me. The number 30 also refers to Tom Buchanan. Daisy's enigmatic husband and Gatsby's rival, is the same age as our narrator. As Nick paints the portrait of Tom's complex character, he describes him: He had changed since his years in New Haven. Now he was a stocky, straw-haired man of thirty, with a rather tough mouth and a haughty demeanour.