Phillippe WOLFERS: Art Nouveau "haute joillerie"

This extraordinary Art Nouveau brooch with delicate enamel in an open work gold structure was made by Philippe Wolfers in 1902. It is set with a central emerald cut peridot and a pendant opal drop.

The maker is one of the artist/jewellers that populated the Art Nouveau scene in the beginning of the Twentieth Century. He is more comparable to Vever than to Lalique or Fouquet for he used precious stones. Philippe embraced the artistic trend and designed nature inspired pieces in yellow gold and enamel that broke apart from the "white jewellery" from the Belle Epoque period but he had a strong fine jewellery heritage. He was the son a Louis Wolfers, from Belgium jewellers Wolfers Freres who where appointed Crown jewellers to the Court. As such, Philippe was trained in excellent craftsmanship and the use of the finest stones. In a sense it must have been more difficult for him to join artists and bohemians and move away from the heavily traditional environment that his background was. He was one of the first jewellers to use Ivory and he created the Album Congolas as a commission to King Leopold II.

Between 1898 and 1905, Philippe moved his workshop to a villa in La Hulpe where he focused on studying nature and to create a series on 139 unique pieces that was called "Ex Unique" The brooch above is number 134 of the series and it was called "Huppe". He is much less known that his peers today because of the very small number of jewels that he made, but the collection definitely established him as one of the masters of the Art Nouveau period.

The piece was sold at Bonhams Bond St in London on April 25th
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An extraordinary Arts & Crafts OPAL pendant

During the second half of the 1800s until beginning of the Twentieth Century in England there was an artistic design trend very different from the glamourous Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements that were so admired in Continental Europe and North America; it was led by William Morris who was inspired by Ruskin. The main idea behind it was to revive traditional techniques as a reaction to machine made objects as well as to emphasise the materials used and rid the design of superfluous ornamental features concentrating on its basic functionality. The pieces from this period rarely use precious metals and stones and have a medieval look and feel.

The dragon shaped pendant above is a rare and precious example of the Arts and Crafts movement, the piece was commissioned by Annie Horniman in the 1920s  and is set in silver with cabochon white opals and garnets. It is one of the most sophisticate and elaborate examples that I have found from this period. It will be auctioned by Dreweatts on march 21st.

George FOUQUET: Art Nouveau tortoiseshell hair comb

George Fouquet made this hair adornment between 1905 and 1908. The materials are clearly Art Nouveau, carved tortoiseshell, enamel and opals. The design, however hints towards the egyptian Art Deco trend that would come a few years after it was made. One of the things about jewellery in the beginning of the Twentieth Century that I find fascinating has to do with how it adapted to the revolutionary change in fashion brought by Paul Poiret first and shortly after by Coco Chanel; corsets and bustles disappeared and with them the heavy pectorals and corsage jewels, necklines were lowered and a whole new range of necklaces and pendants could then be shown and the hair style was shortened turning tiaras into much smaller and lighter hair combs. In general, jewellery became much more delicate and smaller.

The piece above will be auctioned at Sotheby's New York on February 9th.

LALIQUE: Opal and enamel dragonfly brooch

A beautiful brooch/pendant by made by Lalique in 1903/1904 set with white opals in enamelled gold. The most striking feature are the two facing dragonflies which wings are applied with plique-a-jour enamel so delicate and transparent that it almost looks like coloured glass!.

It will be auctioned by Sotheby's New York on February 9th.

Forever Dancing... by WALLACE CHAN

Opal, crystal and fancy coloured diamonds have been used to create this unbelievable brooch. This is Wallace Chan at his best!

"An artist, along with extraordinary creativity, must also possess passion and breadth of mind, a philosopher’s way of thinking and a craftsman’s superior technique.  This combination permits the artist to create freely and set new standards – touching souls while breaking every frame of references.

Fine Jewelry‧the New Art

Artistic wisdom, defying geometry, he elongates, distorts and foreshortens shapes in pursuit of fluidity.  Capturing the spirit of Zen yet setting free the gentle spirit: giving rise to the unique Wallace Chan style.

He tells us that jewelry can also be made into art, like painting, sculpture and music as expression of the creator’s inner thoughts, and refining of the deep philosophy of life.

Deconstructed design, lifelike realism, simple elegance, he wisely uses the minerals of Nature, with materials resisting a creative idea, being uncombinable, marries them with technical wizardry.  Wallace Chan’s art expresses the soul and spirit of humanity: leaving us amazed and speechless. 

Time and again, Wallace Chan has defined and redefined the jewelry world, transforming the making of fine jewelry, and its appreciation – wearable sculptural art and beyond – into the most refined realm of art and philosophy to attain." 

An exceptional Art Nouveau pendant/brooch by FOUQUET

This piece epitomises Art Nouveau. It is a pendant/brooch signed by Fouquet which undoubtedly was created by George Fouquet, the son of Alphonse F., who took over the family jewellery business in 1895 and embraced the Art Nouveau artistic trend. He was a visionary and a pioneer and his genius still has an influence today. He is the one responsible for the term Bijouterie, referring to jewellery that was focused on design and beauty rather than as a mere display of fine stones; in other words he elevated crafts to the category of Art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, in a retrospective exhibition, described Fouquet's Art Nouveau period as the time when "for a brief glorious moment, extravagant beauty reigned supreme".

One has to think about the impact that a brooch like this must have had in the early 1900's and the contrast of its exotic organic shape in yellow gold set with dramatic coloured enamel and semiprecious stones like the centre turquoise and the drop white opal with the white Belle époque and Garland style jewellery of his contemporaries with flower and lace motifs set in white metal and diamonds only!

George Fouquet partnered with Alphonse Mucha, the artist who designed the interior of his new shop in Paris, a perfect magical frame for his pieces which was a work of art in itself.

The piece will be auctioned by Sotheby's NY on February 9th.

NARDI: a rare moretto set with opals

For Nardi moretto's collectors this one is a truly rare find. The head is made of carved ebonite with the turban set with three garnets ending with a start set ruby. The bodice has a strong geometrical design, very elaborate and set with circular cut rubies; however the rarest feature of the piece are the cabochon black opals alternated with cultured pearls. It will be auctioned in NY by Phillips de Pury on December 6th.

AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS: Important royal spanish opal corsage

Sotheby's London will be auctioning this important Corsage ornament that belonged to the collection of Maria Cristina de Borbon-Dos Sicilias (Widow of King Fernando VII) Regent Queen of Spain. The piece was made in the 1850's in gold and silver and it is set with diamonds and five large white opals.

Maria Cristina was married to King Fernando VII of Spain and they had two daughter, Isabel and Luisa Fernanda. When the King died in 1833, Maria Cristina became Regent on behalf of their eldest daughter Isabel, but Fernando's brother, Carlos, disputed her right to inherit claiming that the law (who prevented women from inheriting the crown) ought have not been changed. This resulted in a war between the supporters of each claimant. Shortly after her first husband's death, Maria Cristina married secretly a sergeant from the Royal Guard, with whom she had several children, when eventually the news became public she lost the support to be Regent and was forced to exile.

The law that allows women to inherit noble titles in equal ranking to men, was passed in Spain in October 2006.

KIMBERLY McDONALD: a great fire opal snake ring

This is a masterpiece by Kimberly McDonald!, the fire opal central gemstone is exquisite, and when combined with the serpent design set with black diamonds is just stunning.

Source: The Fashion Informer

The Opal series: HARRY WINSTON and the Peackok Black Opal Brooch

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Harry Winston first opened shop on New York City's 5th Avenue in 1932. Renowned for having possessed, cut or re-cut many of the world's most spectacular diamonds, Winston generously donated important gemstones and jewels to the Smithsonian museum; Amongst them the Oppenheimer, the Hope, the Portuguese diamond and the Peacock Black Opal brooch. “If I could, I would attach the diamonds directly onto a woman’s skin.” Winston celebrated magnificent stones and was passionate about adorning women with them. Rather than the precious metal shaping his designs, Harry Winston was consumed with the possibility of individual stones. His was a legendary approach with vastly modern results. Harry Winston died in 1978. The business continues to operate in select cities across the World.

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The Opal series: J.E. CALDWELL opal ring

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In 1839, James Emmott Caldwell, a New York City trained jeweler, began to supply wealthy Philadelphians with stylish European jewelry, silver, and objets d'art.  Business soon flourished and over several decades, the store moved to more fashionable premises in Chestnut Street also changing owners several times. In 1868, the firm was officially established as J.E. Caldwell and Co.and towards the end of the nineteenth century, the firm began to hand fabricate beautiful gem-set jewels which are heralded among the finest examples of American Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewelery. Caldwell were 'the' jeweler to the establishment in the city of brotherly love, their clientele consisting mostly of married and conservative people. Around the turn of the century, finely chased surfaces, were combined with unusual gemstones such as Opals, complimented with typical Nouveau motifs: curvaceous women, vines, garlands, flowers, and insects. Throughout the 1920’s, the firm produced fine pieces of Art Deco jewelry, now well sought after by collectors. The company’s tradition of using fine Opals continued into the Deco period, and beyond, whereas Opal was no longer the gemstone of choice in the new era. J.E. Caldwell continues to offer high quality jewels according to the current styles.

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The Opal series: MARCUS & CO, opals from Art Nouveau to Art Deco

Marcus & Co. of New York was established in 1892 by German immigrant Herman Marcus. Herman first worked for Tiffany and then Theodore B. Starr, establishing Starr & Marcus. In the 1920's William Marcus opened Marcus & Co. branches in London, Paris and Palm Beach. Raymond C. Yard worked as door boy for Marcus & Co. before achieving recognition on his own.

In 1908 Marcus & Co. advertised "Black Opals are Luck Stones" in the New York Times and that they had acquired "the entire last year's output" of Black Opals from Lightning Ridge. The cache of stones was no doubt supplied by Tully Wollaston and Marcus one of, if not, the enterprising jeweller Wollaston most admirably refers to. Marcus & Co. was one of the most highly regarded American jewellery Houses of its day, receiving praise from the French jeweler & historian Henri Vever for beautiful design and masterful execution. Australian Opals including Black Opals, Light Opals and Boulder Opals all appeared in Marcus jewellery frequently. They were expertly cut, engraved and assembled by the company's own lapidaries.

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The Opal series: a BUCCELATTI opal ring

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Mario Buccellati opened his first shop in Milan in 1919. In the following years he made jewelry for the royal families of Italy, Spain and Egypt, as well as Pope Pius XI and Pope Pius XII, among others. In 1925 he opened in Rome followed by Florence in 1929 and New York in 1953. In 1965 the founder's three sons, all goldsmiths, reformed the company to preserve the Buccellati style. According to the company's creative director and daughter of Gianmaria, as a child she sometimes played with the rare Opal egg which years later was on show at the Smithsonian, now netted in diamonds. Under the leadership of Gianmaria Buccellati and his children Maria Christina,  Andrea and Gino, 70 Italian craftspeople create personalised jewels featuring texture-engraved gold  Their unique artistry can be enjoyed in exclusive boutiques in Milan, Sardinia, Paris, New York, and Beverly Hills, as well as franchises in Venice, Capri, Elba, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Osaka. The firm in the United States is known as Buccellati. But because of the other brothers Lorenzo and Federico's shops in Europe, Gianmaria's European boutiques are called Gianmaria Buccellati. 

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The Opal series: MARCHAK

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Joseph Marchak established his firm in 1878. Known as the 'Cartier of Kiev', Marchak was a household name in Russia, he and his contemporary Faberge were the appointed jewellers to the Romanov Tsars. His son Alexander Marchak immigrated to Paris from Russia at the start of the Russian Revolution, rising to prominence during the Art Deco period, having exhibited at the 1925 Paris Exhibition of Decorative Arts. Favourite themes were birds and floral sprays, all highly romanticized and decorated in the most colourful precious and semi-precious gemstones including Opals.

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The Opal series: SEAMAN SCHEPPS opal set

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Seaman Schepps created one of America's most avant-garde jewelry companies of the 20th century. He started out as a purveyor of jewelry and art objects, prior to designing his own jewels, as of 1926. His boutique in New York City offered one-of-a-kind original designs in the Arts & Crafts Movement. Schepps designed wearable works of art featuring unusual materials, such as shell, ivory, turquoise, Opal, wood, coral, and rock crystal as well as found materials such as glass. The company reached its zenith in the 1940s and 1950s, where bold animal themed designs graced celebrities and high society, alike. Through the patronage of the Rockefellers and the British Royal Family to Marlene Dietrich and Andy Warhol, Seaman Schepps' dazzling jewels graced the covers of Town & Country, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Although he passed away in 1972, Seaman Schepps legacy of unusual, artistic designs continues to be offered today.


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The Opal series: VERDURA's opal ring

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Born a Sicilian Duke, Fulco di Verdura (1899-1978), began his career in 1920's Paris collaborating with Coco Chanel as a textile designer and later as a jewelery designer for her boutique costume jewelry collections. Verdura went to America in 1934 where he soon became head designer for Paul Flato, Hollywood's society jeweller of the 1930's. In 1939 Verdura established himself in New York and through the 50s and 60's was the master jeweler of choice for the glitteratti; "Verdura ended up being the jeweler to the stars because at the time, the movie studios were paying to have jewelry made specifically for the films and would give the jewels to the actresses as part of their payment." Says Ward Landrigan who now operates the Verdura brand and has been reproducing collections from more than 4000 sketches since 1984.

Verdura's is not ''hang a cheque around your neck'' jewelry, his is witty and ultrasophisticated, shells set with precious stones, natural motifs and the most colourful of gemstones. His deployment of Opals was arguablyde rigueur, the results however were enchanting and the stones most enlightened by his unorthodox style.

''No one can hold a candle to Verdura, there is so much erudition, taste and fantasy involved in each of the pieces.  The jewelry is not for insecure people and does not appeal to the herd instinct. Women who wear Verdura don't want to look like every other person wearing their Van Cleef diamond flower pin, their Chanel suit and their Prada bag. It is the ultimate status symbol, recognized only by its initiates, who might wink at each other across a crowded room.'' Says Amy Fine Collins, fashion writer for Vanity Fair.

Collins considers Verdura the 20th century's best jewelry designer and the New York Times proclaimed Verdura 'America's Crown Jeweler'.

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The Opal series: MAUBOUSSIN opal jellyfish brooch

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It was Paris1827, the year when the House of Mauboussin opened. The firm specialized in highly stylized architectural jewels set with precious gems of vibrant hue, often Opals, accented by sparkling white diamonds. They exhibited at the 1925 International Exhibition des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, and won the grand prize. Georges Mauboussin believed that jewelry should reflect the wearer's personality with a jeweled accent. Its Reflection series struck a chord with socialites and celebrities, such as Marlene Dietrich, who flocked to Mauboussin. The company opened offices in Buenos Aires and London prior to New York, in 1929. The ill-timed opening of their New York branch coincided with the stock market crash the same year. A weakened Mauboussin merged with Trabert & Hoeffer, Inc.

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The Opal series: DAVID WEBB opal pendant

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Formed in 1946 by partners David Webb and Nina Silberstein, David Webb Inc. created colorful jewelry recognized for its bold, sculptural design. Webb drew inspiration from the work of Cartier, Seaman Schepps, Faberge and Verdura. His passion for color, texture, enamel, gems and unusual materials brought him to the forefront of jewelry design in the 1950s and 1960s. His fondness for nature and ancient cultures influenced his most famous motifs, stylized animals and flowers. David Webb created contemporary wearable gold sculptures until his death in 1975. He left behind a legacy as one of the pioneers of American jewelry design. David Webb Inc. continues to produce jewelry based upon original artwork and sketches under the guidance of the Silberstein family.

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The Opal series: VEVER Art Nouveau pendant

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The family firm Vever was founded in Paris in 1821. When grandson Henri Vever (1854-1943) took control of the company he was already a distinguished jeweler, writer, and art collector. Vever's artistic approach and his use of enamel was often likened to that of Rene Lalique, and he too was enamoured of Opals. Henri Vever is particularly noted for expertly inlay setting Opals into his lavish creations. The House of Vever accomplished their greatest work during the Art Nouveau period with the highlight being the 1900 Paris Exposition. Maison Vever continued to make fabulous jewelry and objects d'art through the Art Deco era.

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MARCUS & CO: A Belle Epoque black opal pendant necklace

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Hermann Marcus worked for Louis Comfort Tiffany before joining his son William in their own shop Marcus & Co in 1884. They were one of the first ones to design Art Nouveau jewelry in America. This pendant, featuring a great quality black opal, was produced around 1910-1915 and is set in the Belle Epoque "garland style".

It will be auctioned at Sotheby's New York on february 2nd.