Lot 80. Gold and Colored Stone Choker, Designed by Paulding Farnham, circa 1908. Estimate 50,000 — 75,000 USD. Photo: Sotheby's.

The collar composed of an openwork ground of collet-set variously-cut colored stones including faceted citrines, amethysts and topazes, accented by cabochon pink and green tourmalines, the central motif with a cabochon pink tourmaline atop a cabochon green tourmaline atop a faceted citrine platform, gross weight approximately 129 dwts, length 13½ to 13 inches, with a removeable section measuring ½ inch; circa 1908.

Provenance: Formerly From the Collection of Lucia James Madill, sister-in-law of Paulding Farnham (pictured above).

Note: The international acclaim Paulding Farnham garnered during his tenure as Tiffany & Co.’s head designer can be attributed not only to the novelty of his collections, but also to the broader dialogue between fine and decorative arts revealed by his work at the turn of the twentieth century. An artist who used jewelry as his primary expressive platform, Farnham first achieved recognition for the realistically rendered enamel orchids he created for the Paris Exposition in 1889. His leadership strengthened Tiffany & Co.’s position as a forerunner in both design and craftsmanship, enabling the company to compete and succeed commercially as jewelers on a global scale.

The choker-form necklace shown here, however, was never intended for sale. A prime embodiment of the Arts and Crafts style, it was made as a gift for Farnham’s sister-in-law, Lucia James Madill. Designs such as this effectively placed Farnham among the creative leaders of his time. That is, he was among those who integrated the whimsical with the objective, breaking free from the neoclassical hold of the preceding generation. Similar to Gustav Klimt’s Art Nouveau masterpiece Blumengarten, Farnham’s work was inspired by a natural landscape that, far from being stagnant and cold, was blooming and vibrant.

Like Klimt, Farnham expressed interest in not only the physical beauty of the earthly world but also the science that sustained it, and was able to communicate an understanding of both in his jewelry. Working with gemologist George Frederick Kunz to source the unusual stones that would become a trademark of Tiffany & Co.’s art-jewelry aesthetic, Farnham borrowed from nature’s pictorial geometry and color schemes to weave together the graceful matrix of form and hue shown here. This harmonious composition of gemstones was a marked departure from the garland style’s monochromatic palette, demonstrating Farnham’s foresight into the creative developments that would span the decorative and fine arts alike. One of his final known works, this necklace manifests his desire to experiment with the effects of light and texture within gemstones, anticipating the celebrated style of his successor Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Sotheby's. Magnificent Jewels Including the Legendary Stotesbury Emerald, New York, 25 Apr 2017, 10:00 AM