handmade jewelry — vintage

Adored from the moment they pirouetted into VCA’s collection in the early 1940s, through to their final bow in the late 1960s; Louis Arpels’ original, wonderfully joyous Ballerina Clips, with their rose cut diamond faces, are highly collectable. While some ‘daywear’ dancers were rendered in gold and embellished with turquoise and rubies, the more dazzling evening collection was purely a platinum, diamond, ruby and emerald affair.

Other Van Cleef & Arpels works of note include their quintessentially elegant Flame brooches set with circular and baguette cut diamonds, and ‘Rose de Noël’ coral or mother of pearl ‘flowerhead’ ear clips, with their diamond cluster centres.

The creative genius of Jeanne Toussaint is invariably highly prized. Artistic director for Haute Joaillerie from 1933-1970, Toussaint is best known for Cartier’s Panthère and ‘Great Cat’ jewels of the 1930s, of which the Duchess of Windsor was so fond. But her brilliance was also behind Cartier’s iconic amethyst and turquoise pieces, which saw semi-precious stones transformed into High Jewelry — and the striking color combination of purple and blue forever linked with the name Cartier.  Toussaint’s ‘grain de café’ or coffee bean suites, together with Cartier’s bejewelled novelty brooches — a flamboyant menagerie of animals set with innovative combinations of diamonds and semi-precious stones — are very much in demand.

Also, of note is Cartier collaborators, Henri Picq and Henri Lavabre’s handmade jewelry. Their vintage diamond-set strap bracelets of the 1920s and 1930s are especially collectable.

The revered glassmaker, Lalique initially rose to fame as an art nouveau master jeweler. His revolutionary work combined exquisite enamelling and glasswork with not just gold and gemstones, but also lesser materials such as mother of pearl, ivory and horn. Along with his somewhat more traditional, 19th century contemporary, Henri Vever (whose work is also in demand), Lalique was one of the first jewelers to register his mark and sign his work accordingly.

LALIQUE
ENAMEL ROCK CRYSTAL AND DIAMOND BROOCH 1910

Ironically, Boivin’s innovative jewelry that is still so recognisable today is not the work of its founder, René Boivin, but chiefly that of a young jewelry designer, Suzanne Belperron, who joined the firm in 1919, two years after René’s death. An anomaly of its time, with René’s passing, Maison Boivin became the first prestigious jewelry firm to be run by a woman: his widow, Jeanne. Over the next thirteen years, the two women, with Suzanne as co-director, redefined the company’s aesthetic.

Boivin as a brand became famous for hard stone jewelry made from chalcedony and other agates, and also its marine jewels, using cabochon cut stones — the most famous being the Starfish Jewels. Originally designed in 1936 by Juliette Moutarde, examples continued to be produced for many decades. Boivin’s metamorphic torque necklaces and bangles of the 1970s are also noteworthy.

Belperonn’s work, both during her time at Boivin and in her subsequent, illustrious career, often featured rock crystal and chalcedony to stunning effect. A maverick modernist, revered for her superb artistry and understated elegance; Belperonn seldom mixed diamonds and colored stones, eschewing the use of either as accents. The only female jeweler to have been considered a master of her craft during her lifetime; she did not need to over embellish her distinctive creations. They shined with a singular light of their own.

Widely considered the most important female jeweler of the 20th century, Belperron never signed her unique pieces, stating, “My style is my signature.” This, together with Jeanne Boivin’s disinclination to sign pieces, can cause identification issues for the uneducated eye. Accordingly, if a work’s provenance is ever in doubt, Janus Jewels consults with a Belperonn expert for verification.

Jewelers of the machine age, Després and Templier’s cubic, abstract designs see art deco at its most pared-down, uncompromising and bold. Neither was especially interested in working with precious materials, with the majority of their work set in silver or, in Templier’s case, sometimes white gold. Gems were conspicuous largely through their absence. If a precious stone was used, it was typically a white diamond, due to its lack of color and ability to reflect light — although onyx, coral, turquoise and colored lacquers made appearances, in keeping with the fashionable colors of the time. Stunning in their simplicity, these designs still resonate today.

Esteemed for its creativity and bold, sophisticated designs, the Roman jeweler’s Serpenti and Tubogas jewelry from the 1960s to the early 1980s is particularly prized. The collections, while disparate in design inspiration (a snake … and a gas pipe), are both acclaimed for their sleek fluidity — achieved through hours of high craftsmanship that sees each link individually hinged by hand. Coiling realistically around its wearer, each Serpenti jewel is especially astonishing. Bulgari’s 1960s and 1970s curb-link gold jewelry, and Monete collection, with its ancient coin motif, are also pursued.

Rising to prominence during the 1920s and 1930s, Tiffany & Co. embraced the Jazz Age with both hands. With its own, well-established diamond cutting factory, the American jeweler was perfectly placed to provide the superb platinum and diamond jewelry so beloved by the High Society of the time. Tiffany’s remarkably finessed art deco designs, created entirely in house, made full use of innovatively shaped, full cut stones, resulting in geometric works of ageless appeal. A prime example is the strap bracelet in our current collection.

Equally striking is the legacy of the French visionary, Jean Schlumberger. One of only four designers that Tiffany has allowed to sign their work, Schlumberger’s highly individual designs included diamonds set distinctively in platinum with gold overlay — and vibrant gold, diamond and turquoise jewels. The diamonds, invariably used as accents, allowed the semi-precious stones to take centre stage. Inspired heavily by nature, Schlumberger’s iconic ‘Fish’ and ‘Bird on a Rock’ brooches remain favourites. In 1995, the famous Tiffany Yellow Diamond (at 128.51 carats, once the largest, finest yellow diamond in the world), was remounted in the latter design, in homage to the great designer.

Contemporaries of Tiffany & Co. and Boivin, Drayson’s dramatic art deco jewelry designs were always of the highest quality. Whether gem set diamond jewelry of subtle sophistication or bold ruby and diamond works, their timeless style ensures a fervent following to this day.

Coveted designs include Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Raymond Yard and Boucheron’s yellow gold tank bracelets of the 1940s, and the leading ateliers’ ‘double clip’ brooches from the 1920s through to the 1950s — an era when you weren’t a lady unless you had at least one of each.

The heavy gold jewelry designs of the great jewelry houses, together with Hermès’ gold and silver Chaîne d'Ancre necklaces and bracelets, are extremely collectable. Of special note is Cartier’s gold jewelry by Aldo Cipullo (including Cartier’s iconic Love Bracelet), and Dinh Van — the only two designers ever permitted to add their names to the house’s signature.

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