Canalblog
Editer l'article Suivre ce blog Administration + Créer mon blog
Publicité
Alain.R.Truong
Alain.R.Truong
Publicité
Visiteurs
Depuis la création 50 862 150
Archives
Newsletter
Alain.R.Truong
8 novembre 2015

An emerald and diamond brooch, by Suzanne Belperron

An emerald and diamond brooch, by Suzanne Belperron

An emerald and diamond brooch, by Suzanne BelperronEstimate CHF19,000 – CHF28,000($19,139 - $28,204). Photo Christie's Image Ltd 2015

The two pavé-set diamond crescents surmounted by a collet-set emerald cameo, suspending two asymmetrical pendants with pear-shaped diamond and pavé-set diamond globe terminals, circa 1955, 10.3 cm, with French assay marks for platinum and gold
With maker's mark of Groene et Darde for Suzanne Belperron 

Notes: Elegant and mysterious, Suzanne Belperron pioneered a new aesthetic in jewelry. While perhaps the most important woman jeweler of the Twentieth Century, she is relatively unknown today except to collectors. When the Duchess of Windsor’s jewelry was auctioned in 1987, only four of eleven Belperron pieces in the collection were tentatively identified as hers. Asked why she never signed her work, Madame Belperron replied “my style is my signature.”

Born in the Jura region of France in 1900, she studied drawing and jewelry at the École des Beaux- Arts in Besançon from 1916 to 1919. Hired by the renowned firm of René Boivin in March 1919, she developed a unique style under the direction of her employer and mentor, Jeanne Boivin.

In 1933, Bernard Herz, a Parisian stone dealer, hired the young Suzanne to design exclusively under his name, Herz. Though trained in the style of Art Deco, she used her newfound artistic freedom to pioneer ways to carve rock crystal, blue chalcedony and smoky quartz in sensuous shapes to be set with precious and semi-precious stones. Belperron employed motifs from Egyptian, Indian, Cambodian, Celtic, African, and Mayan cultures, creating a daring new look hailed by the fashion press as both “brilliant” and “barbaric.”

Fashion innovator Elsa Schiaparelli championed the young jeweler. Photographed for Vogue wearing Belperron’s creations in 1933, she declared it “the new theme in jewels.” With an ever-expanding clientele of European royalty, café society and Hollywood movie stars, the 1930’s were Belperron’s to enjoy.

This came to an end in 1939 with the declaration of World War II. Her friend and boss, Bernard Herz, died in a concentration camp, forcing Mme. Belperron to re-register the firm under her name in 1941. At the end of the war Bernard’s son Jean, a prisoner of war survivor, returned to Paris to resume the partnership. Once again the name was changed, this time to Herz-Belperron. She continued to work until her retirement in 1974 but consulted for special clients and friends until her death in 1983.Ward and Nico Landrigan, owners of Verdura, purchased the Belperron name and archives in 1999 and are working on an illustrated biography.

Christie's. GENEVA MAGNIFICENT JEWELS, 10 November 2015, Geneva

Publicité
Publicité
Commentaires
Publicité