Antique, Vintage and Estate Fine Jewelry
Photo: Twentieth Century Fox
If you are a true jewelry lover, then you know one of the greatest collectors of all time was Elizabeth Taylor. Richard Burton was coined as saying, “I introduced Elizabeth to beer. She introduced me to Bulgari. The only word Elizabeth knows in Italian is Bulgari.” Taylor and Burton met on the set of Cleopatra and history was made.
photo: Darren Star Productions and New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. Pictures
Photo: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp.
Photo: Columbia Pictures
Ok, another film we haven’t seen but still yet another piece of gorgeous jewelry with great history! In this movie, the setting is just after the end of medieval times, when dresses were big and heavy and men wore tights. Even the kings. If you’re not familiar with the storyline, King Henry the VIII is running through wives like some of us run through donuts (certainly we’re not speaking about ourselves, but we’ve read about people that eat a lot of donuts). Henry, who is married to Queen Catherine of Aragon, has had his way with Anne Boleyn’s sister, Mary, by this time, and likely fathered two children by her, although he never claimed them. At the time of his wooing of Anne, he was still married to Queen Catherine. But apparently, he’d grown tired of Catherine (and possibly concerned with having no legitimate male heir) and tried to have the marriage annulled. Which would have worked fine, since Anne’s marriage to an Earl’s son had been broken off by the Cardinal. But alas, Pope Clement VII wouldn’t grant the King an annulment and Catherine had to be dealt with. It’s largely believed that this single event began the separation of England from the Catholic Church and Church of England.
Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox
Photo: Paramount Pictures
Released in 2003 and starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, the movie has a third co-star (you guessed it – I mean this is “Famous Jewelry In The Movies” after all). But we’ll get to that in a minute.
Photo credit: Warner Brothers Films
When thinking of famous jewelry in the movies, Gone With The Wind isn’t a file that typically springs to mind. But we shouldn’t let this iconic film’s jewelry go unappreciated. If you think about it, the O’Hara family was pretty wealthy until the ravages of war came home to roost. And we know that Rhett was quite the entrepreneur and made money hand over fist during the reconstruction. But there was also his friend Madam Belle – she had done well during the war and was herself a very wealthy woman. Even the staff (we’re going to call them that, not to be disrespectful, but because we really dislike the other term(s) used) had jewelry in the movie. Mammy had a brooch on at the scarf around her neck, a ring and earrings in most scenes.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
We couldn’t have a series on jewelry in the movies without talking about “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”. I mean, really, Tiffany’s is in the title of the movie! And apparently, they were thrilled with the publicity when the movie came out in 1961, although we have to wonder if they really even needed any publicity. They were pretty well set as an NYC icon by then.
Photo: Touchstone Pictures
Unless you were under a rock in the 90’s, you saw it. In the theater. Replayed on TBS or another cable channel. Via your own VHS copy…. Pretty Woman. Some of us saw it more than once. Ok, maybe 22 times and counting. And we own the VHS and DVD versions. And we can recite the whole movie word for word and lines from the movie actually make their way into our everyday conversation. I mean, I’ve read about people like that.
In the movie, the now eponymous necklace, which was called La Coeur de la Mer (Heart of the Sea) was modeled after the Hope Diamond but was in fact not a diamond at all. The movie prop was made by Asprey & Garrad, a London jeweler, and it was really a blue cubic zirconium in a white gold setting. However, for the 1998 Academy Awards, in which the actress Gloria Stuart, who played the older Rose in the movie, Harry Winston created a real pendant, which was worn by Gloria to the awards (photo above). It is still one of the most expensive pieces ever worn to the awards ceremony (and that’s saying something!), valued at $4M and made up of a 170ct sapphire surrounded by 103 diamonds.
An Edwardian Platinum, Diamond and Fancy Intense Yellow Diamond Ring, Tiffany & Co., Circa 1905. Vertically set with a pear-shaped diamond weighing 3.59 carats and a pear-shaped diamond of fancy intense yellow color weighing 3.57 carats, the intricate openwork mounting set with old European-cut diamonds weighing approximately .90 carat, signed Tiffany & Co. Photo credit: Sotheby’s
The year is 1837. President Andrew Jackson is in power, until he is succeeded in March by Martin VanBuren. The state of Michigan is admitted into the Union as the 26th state. Both Houston, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, are granted city charters from their respective states. Grover Cleveland (the 24th and 26th President of the United States) is born, as are men by the names of J. P. Morgan and James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok. And in Alton, Illinois, abolitionist printer Elijah P. Lovejoy is shot and killed by a pro-slavery mob while he attempts to protect his printing shop from being destroyed a third time. So, not much notice was probably given when a 25-year-old man named Charles Lewis Tiffany opened a small “stationary and fancy goods” shop in New York City with his friend John P. Young, naming it Tiffany and Young.
Daisy Fellowes Tutti Frutti Necklace.
Photo Courtesy of the Cartier Collection
Today we start a series exploring the various jewelry houses that have become household names and legends in the jewelry arts. Their designs, innovations and sheer beauty put them head and shoulders above other jewelers of their time. Many of these iconic businesses still exist today. Some do not. We start off our series with the Maison de Cartier (House of Cartier).
An Art Deco pink topaz and diamond ring, 1930s. Designed as fancy-cut pink topaz weighing 4.57 carats, flanked by three baguette-cut diamonds to each side, mounted in platinum.
Photo credit: Symbolic Chase
Greece. Home to blue skies and even bluer waters. Gorgeous islands and, theoretically at least, those epic Greek Gods we all learned about in middle school. Turns out the Greeks had their hands in a lot of things back in ancient times. Not the least of which was naming newly identified jewels. What do you do when you find a sunny yellow gemstone? Name it after the island on which it was found, of course. And when your island is named Topazos, Topaz seems like a good option.
Retro Modern Diamond and Sapphire “Sputnik” Ring
It is often said, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” And in our next historical jewelry manufacturing period, that couldn’t ring more true. We left off last with the Art Deco period and its grand geometric shapes, where the diamond was king of the hill. But as has so often been the case, the period known for its flamboyance and frivolity was cut short by the return of war. WWII was a major blow to the jewelry arts. Platinum again became impossible to come by and gold somewhat scarce. In some instances, if you were to request a newly created piece of jewelry, you’d be expected to provide your own precious metals and even then you’d be required to “share” some with God and country.
Ceylon Sapphire And Diamond Ring (33.06cts). The sapphire was originally featured in a fabulous Art Deco necklace from the 1920s-30s by the renowned French jeweler – La Cloche Freres.
Photo credit: Lang Antiques
So, let’s see where we are in our series about the different historical periods in jewelry manufacturing. We left off with the French stepping out from the watchful eye of the Edwardian period with the curvy lines, soft colors and the Art Nouveau aesthetic. But just like all of the eras previous, Art Nouveau was fated not to last. Times change. Fashions change. And change they did. As WWI began, jewelry making all but stopped. Women had been required to go to work while their men were off at battle. Gone were the corsets of the days past, and the long hair that required fussy daily maintenance. And now the war was over. Prohibition was in full swing, as were cocktail parties, women getting the vote, Asian trade routes. Fashions had changed dramatically too and short hair worn with equally short hemlines and plunging necklines were the all the rage for the newly liberated female. The Russian Ballet was in town, stirring things up with their avant-garde sets, which were bold, colorful and infused with oriental (as we called it back then) influence. King Tut’s tomb had ben discovered and opened and hints of Egyptian design could be seen sneaking into all of the fashions of the day. And with that, the Art Deco period began.
Poster for the Exposition International des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, Paris 1925 by Robert Bonfils (1886-1972)
The time frame here is roughly the 1920’s through 1935. In 1925 there had been the Exposition International des Arts Décoratifs et Industrial Modernes (Exposition of Decorative Arts and Modern Manufacturers). Out of that exposition a fresh, new style was born and named. Women (and men) were anxious to slough off the stuffy Victorian and Edwardian accouterments. They ditched the fancy and intricate cameos, chatelaines, tiaras and diadems of their parents. And opted instead for an aesthetic influenced somewhat by the Art Nouveau period, but one that at the same time was altogether different. The flowy lines from the Art Nouveau movement had been replaced with its more austere characteristics that were much more highly stylized and full of symmetry, bold color and geometric forms. Diamonds ruled the roost now, although, rubies, emeralds and sapphires were style very much in vogue.
Art Deco Platinum And Diamond Dinner Watch
Photo credit: Levys Fine Jewelry
Not everything was completely turned upside down on its head. There were slivers of the older periods that remained. For example, the bow, basket of flowers and garland themes were still present, albeit expressed and viewed through a very new and different lens. The Edwardian period had introduced the world to the use of platinum and the various setting techniques the metal was well suited for, like knife-wire and millegrain mountings. New technologies, like seri invisible (invisible setting) created by Van Cleef and Arpels (VCA) built on the old methods and offered an element of mystery and magic to brightly colored pieces made from precious stones. And the stones themselves were experiencing a renaissance. New cuts like the calibré, bullet and the like were being fueled by the drive towards clean lines and geometry. Jewelers named Tiffany, Cartier, VCA, Harry Winston, Lalique and Mauboussin, among others, would forevermore become household names as a result of their new modern creations.
1.26 Carat Art Deco Engagement Ring
Photo credit: Erstwhile Jewelry
Beyond the precious four (diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires), the era saw great use of onyx, rock crystal, jade, turquoise, coral and mother of pearl. Both natural and cultured pearls were in abundance, as was “flame fashion” synthetic corundum (sapphires and rubies) gemstones. Coco Chanel had made it not only acceptable but chic to wear costume jewelry. It was not frowned on at all, but instead often referred to as “Frankly Fake” and viewed as just as valuable as its real counterparts. Until the costume pieces became direct imitations, that is, and then they quickly fell out of favor. Center stones were usually of great quality and the star of the show – often faceted to shine brightly. The side stones, on the other hand, were subdued in their cut, usually showing up as cabochon cuts, carved leaf patters or the above mentioned new geometric cuts.
An Art Deco Seed Pearl And Diamond Sautoir, By Raymond Yard
Photo credit: Christie’s
With the drastic changes in garment fashions, so did we see the same in their complimentary accessories. Plunging necklines now called for a new kind of necklace. The sautoir, a long necklace made of strands of pearls or beads, ending in one or two tassels, were all the rage. With newly shortened sleeves (or no sleeves at all), we now saw bracelets stacked up both arms en mass. Possibly the most popular piece of the day was the double clip brooch. Convertible in nature, in that the two pieces could be worn to appear to be as one, or separated and found at the end of a lapels, the belt of a dress or on the newly popular cloche hat. Wristwatches were a new fad and Cartier was known to make the best. With cocktail parties came cocktail rings – big, bold, sparkly and colorful. Accessories that had at one time been mundane – the necessary compacts, minaudières (small jeweled clutches containing cosmetic and other small necessities), cigarette holders and cigarette cases were now emblazoned and encrusted with jewels, enamel, lacquer or all of the above and glamourous. Frivolity and flamboyance was the name of the game.
1920s Art Deco Carnelian Onyx Diamond Platinum Brooch
Photo credit: Nigel Milne
While the styles of the Art Deco Period only lasted a handful of years, we can see their influence well into the 1950s and 1960s. And today, it’s one of the most sought-after periods for collectors of antique and vintage jewelry. We have to admit it’s one of our very favorites. Is it one of yours? Tell us in the comments what you think about the era. And if you’d like to read up a little further, we recommend Art Deco Jewelry Designs in Full Color or Art Deco Jewelry. Both are great resources. Next up later this week: Retro Modern Jewelry – the final piece of our history puzzle.
Art Nouveau Sapphire, Diamond and Enamel Pendant
Photo credit: Pinterest (no track back)
So far in our series focusing on the various periods and eras of jewelry production, we’ve been pretty myopic in looking at the impact the British had on the industry. But the Brits weren’t the only one influencing the trends. Let’s not forget that the French had a royal court and were quite keen on their adornments, as well.
An Art Nouveau horn, enamelled gold, opal and pearl hair comb, 1900 – 1910. Photo credit: Pinterest (no track back)
Throughout the Georgian and Victorian periods, they were quietly adopting the trends of the British peoples and swapping them back and forth, while occasionally influencing them. But in the late mid-to-late 19th century, that all began to change. There was a lot of change, actually. Due to the reopening of the trade routes between the East and the West in 1858, Japanese style was making a major impact on all things design. For those looking for something new and different, the Japanese esthetic known as Japonisme was just what they were searching for. Victorian jewelry was starting to be viewed as overdone and fussy and the connection between nature, mixed metals and simplicity that the Japanese designs offered was true inspiration.
Masriera pendant brooch. Spanish jeweller Luis Masriera (1872-1958) was born into a family of jewellers and artisans. After attending the Centennial exhibition in Paris in 1900, he melted down his entire gold stock and switched to art nouveau. Photo credit: Pinterest (no track back)
For the Brits were intent on bringing back some fun and frivolity after the country had been cloaked in the darkness of mourning with Queen Victoria for so long. They were focused on the Edwardian period (with the exception of a few who were ushering the Arts and Crafts movement there) and the newly used precious metal platinum. Meanwhile, the French were stretching their wings and embracing this new decorative style: Art Nouveau.
ART NOUVEAU Ring Gold Plique-à-jour Pearl
Photo credit: Pinterest (no track back)
In 1895, an art dealer in Paris by the name of Samuel Bing was one of those looking for something new and different. The Arts and Crafts movement that had been building underground in France, Europe and the United States was proving to be a gateway to new, more simplistic ideas in jewelry and metalwork. Like the Edwardian period, consumers were uninterested in mass-produced works, and were now instead looking for a way to include more art into their everyday lives. Bing, essentially and probably inadvertently, gave this new movement a name by curating an international exhibit to celebrate the re-opening of his gallery: L’Art Nouveau .
Samuel Bing Gallery L’Art Nouveau
Artists like Tiffany and Lalique were invited to participate, along with Edward Colonna, Georges de Feure and Eugene Gaillard. Throughout their respective works there was one common theme – the flowing line. Sometimes called the “whiplash” line, it was really an interpretation of any type of movement; womanly curves, the curl of one’s hair, lines and shapes found in nature in the plants. For all intents and purposes, anything that moved or undulated was fair game. Within that framework, fantasy figures were often depicted – dragons, butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers and spiders – anything that may have a gossamer effect to them was replicated in glorious hues. On the flip side, darker elements, like grotesques, bats, owls and buzzards were a favorite of many and often heavily jeweled for effect.
Louis Aucoc (21 September 1850 Paris – 10 December 1932 Paris), was a leading Parisian art nouveau jeweller and goldsmith, working with his father and brother André. The Aucoc family firm at 6 Rue de la Paix was established in Paris in 1821 and was patronised by the house of King Louis Philippe, the House of Orléans, Napolean III and Empress Eugenie.
And after a fairly prudish run through the Victorian times, the female form, most notably depicted as nude, was now prominent and a rebellion of sorts and growing daily in popularity. Gold, silver, opal, moonstone, horn, ivory and the like were used to depict sensual female figures. Enameling was resurrected in the Plique-à-jour, Champlevé and Pâte de verse styles – also delicate and flowing. As the dawn of the Art Nouveau period began, the rigid naturalism typical of European decorative arts was being rejected as a whole and nothing exemplified that more than the sensuous “femme”.
An Art Nouveau pendant-brooch with leaves and berries. Gold, enamel, diamond and tourmaline – circa 1900.
Photo credit: Pinterest (no track back)
The period, while short-lived (1890-1910) made a lasting contribution to the world of jewelry and more broadly, art, leaving behind some magnificent works. If you’d like to read further about the Art Nouveau movement, we’d recommend Art Nouveau Jewelry or Imperishable Beauty: Art Nouveau Jewelry. Both excellent resources providing a wealth of information, not to mention photographs of fantastic examples of this work.
14kt Rose Gold Art Nouveau Diamond Locket
Do you have a favorite Art Nouveau designer (we do!)? Do you own any fabulous pieces that you’d like to share with us? Let us know in the comments below. As always, we’d love to hear from you.
An Edwardian diamond and platinum-topped eighteen karat gold brooch, Marcus & Co., circa 1910. Centring an old European-cut diamond and set throughout with old mine and old European-cut diamonds. Signed Marcus & Co.
Photo credit: Freemans Auctions
Continuing on as we chronologically explore the various eras in vintage and antique jewelry, we’re leaving Queen Victoria behind and instead focusing on her first-born son. It’s not that the Edwardian period began the day Victoria passed on to be with her beloved husband Albert. Or ended immediately after King Edward’s brief reign. You see, Edward was a bit of a showman and playboy. While his mother was firmly entrenched in her mourning (perhaps wearing it a bit as if it were an old coat), Edward was known for living it up.
Antique Victorian Yellow Gold and Platinum Opal and Diamond Bar Pin
Oh, October. How did you get to be so lucky? You have as your birthstone what some call the gem of all gemstones: the opal. Opals, which are also used to celebrate the 14th year of marriage, are really just a pile of hydrated amorphous silica. Ok, we’ll explain what that means.
Victorian Marquise Navette Garnet Ring
As we continue to meander down the chronological lane from one jewelry era to another, today we’re making a pit stop at the Victorian Era. It’s simple and yet so complex. Simple, in that we owe much of the jewelry fashion trends of the period to one woman (more on that in a few). And complex in that there were LOTS of trends within the period. Lots. We’ll cover few of them here.
The Sinople Queen Emerald weighing over 136 carats, in a diamond setting from the time of Nicholas I. Source: The Jewels of the Romanovs, by Stefano Papi.
Emerald Isle. Emerald City. Emerald Coast. Emerald Buddha. Emerald Ash Borer (we may have taken that last one too far, we realize). There’s a reason that things vividly green are associated with the lovely emerald. As Rome’s Pliny the Elder described emerald in his Natural History, published in the first century AD: “…nothing greens greener”
Today marks the start of a series talking about the different periods in jewelry. We’ve glazed over them with a paragraph dedicated to each in this post. But let’s start breaking them down one by one.
Antique Georgian Period Rose Cut Diamond Cluster Ring
Photo credit: Victoria Sterling via RubyLane.com
Sapphire ring from the 1950’s.
Photo credit: Pinterest
We know them as the birthstone for September and for their deep blues to medium violets. But there’s so much more to sapphires than that. The ancients believed they could provide healing (but then again, what stone didn’t they think could help heal something?). They were collected by royalty and favored by nobles, as well as Hollywood kings and queens. We’ll dive into their origin, chemical make up and see some amazing pieces here today.
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