Antique Jewellery
Autumn 2014
AboveArt Deco bracelet mounted in platinum and set with variously-cut diamonds, Cartier c.1930. Moira Fine Jewellery.
brant jade and coral, through chic, sharp monochrome schemes of diamonds, rock crystal and onyx, to the cere- bral rigours of machine age modernism. Gentlemen are generally drawn to Art Deco style too, for its clean lines, its machine aesthetic, its superb craftsmanship; they can shop for themselves too, searching out elegant 1920s and 30s cufflinks and dress-sets in platinum and diamonds, diamonds and onyx, or sapphires. (Though, some men might prefer the wit and whimsy of late Victorian and Edwardian tie pins and cufflinks; more and more, men are taking to wearing brooches on jacket lapels.) There’s a parallel between the 30s vogue for arm- fuls of diamond bracelets, worn with sleeveless, tubular flapper dresses, and today’s taste for stacked bangles, and layer upon layer of gem-scattered chain bracelets. The Art Deco diamond bracelet has become an all-time classic, beyond fashion yet enduringly fashionable, the perfect choice for cocktail or evening wear, for a taut, tailored look: typically, a wide flexible band, silky and supple, in geometric patterns, some like Persian carpets, ingeniously composed of different cuts of diamonds, particularly the baguette, with accents of coloured gems. Moira has several stunning examples, highlighted by a superlative Cartier bracelet, of about 1930, while J.M. Baptista-Joias, Pratase Antiguidades, LDA, is showing a diamond and emerald bracelet, made in Portugal dur- ing the Art Deco decades. Hancocks, which excels in the finest Art Deco jewels, dazzles with an exceptional long diamond sautoir, by American maker, Caldwell, and with architectural, modernist cocktail rings, including one by famous French house, Boivin. It’s often the women who wore them, the great so-
cialite style-leaders of the 1930s, 40s and 50s, who gave these jewels their iconic status, their backstories
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and their aura of glamour. Sam Loxton, of Lucas Rari- ties, has made a speciality of jewels by Suzanne Belp- erron, the buzz-name of the moment, one of the most influential designers of the mid-century, and a woman of immense natural style and impeccable taste, who knew what women wanted from their jewels. Her de- signs were way ahead of their time. “The beauty of Belperron is that it is jewellery that was made to be worn, that comes to life when it’s worn. The propor- tions, the scale, Belperron’s methodology of design mean that these jewels take on a persona.” He says that today’s market revolves around wearability, jewels that women, and men, can enjoy. He confirms that clients are searching for big statement, “showstopper” jewels, but also agrees that one of the most crucial elements in the current popularity of fine mid-century jewels is the fact that, however dramatic, they are relatively low- key, not at all showy, and only the initiated connoisseur would understand their value, rarity and design cre- dentials. He adds, “There is a general theme of Retro in style, fuelled by films like the Great Gatsby, and series like Downton Abbey, so that more people are looking for period pieces, flapper jewels and tiaras.” One thing is certain, antique and 20th century jew-
ellery invites experimentation, self-expression and creativity in wear; and these are jewels with a history, with emotional baggage, offering unrivalled charm, character and charisma. Anthea Gesua of Anthea AG Antiques Ltd believes that, “jewellery doesn’t have to be serious.” Highlighting her display at the LAPADA Fair, and proving her point, is a delectable se- lection of animal brooches of the 1960s, signed by mas- ter jewellers, including Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, amongst them a Cartier duck, a Van Cleef frog. She
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