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PAULDING FARNHAM’S GLORIOUS IRIS BROOCH

PAULDING FARNHAM’S GLORIOUS IRIS BROOCH

  One of the most extraordinary pieces made in Tiffany’s jewelry workshop at the turn of the 20th century is a pink tourmaline iris brooch signed by George Paulding Farnham (1859-1927). Audrey Friedman, co-founder with her husband, Haim Manishevitz, of the Primavera Gallery, bought it at Christie’s in the early 1990s for their private collection. This summer I was lucky…

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MODERNIST JEWELRY OF THE 1930’S

MODERNIST JEWELRY OF THE 1930’S

Jewelry of the 1930’s was different from the earlier Art Deco, although there were still some geometric elements present. Yellow gold was now in favor, and the hard geometry of Art Deco became softer and more sensual. Gold was now highly polished, and often curved and fluted. Single geometric elements, such as cubes or balls were preferred to the mix of geometric elements found in much Art Deco. Citrines became very popular, as they added texture and sparkle without adding another color.

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ANDRE ARBUS – MASTER OF ELEGANT DESIGN

ANDRE ARBUS – MASTER OF ELEGANT DESIGN

André Arbus was a decorator, furniture designer, architect and sculptor. Born in Toulouse, France, he went on to work in his father’s cabinet-making firm after graduating from the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts. While Arbus was not himself a cabinet maker, he was interested in form and in good design. He believed in designing furniture that was comfortable and a…

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WILL THE REAL “DESIGN” PLEASE STAND UP?

WILL THE REAL “DESIGN” PLEASE STAND UP?

One of the problems with the contemporary “Design” movement is that quite a lot of the pieces are seemingly extreme just for the sake of being “different”. Many designers forget that a little originality goes a long way. Also, many of the new designs are far from being actually functional.  There are chairs that one cannot really sit on, tables…

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JEWELRY OF THE 1950’s AND 1960’s

JEWELRY OF THE 1950’s AND 1960’s

Many wealthy and style-conscious American women continued to travel to Paris for their clothes and jewels, and important American jewelry houses opened offices or showrooms in Paris, both to keep their traveling clients faithful, and to keep up with the latest styles. In the matter of jewelry design, the French have always been regarded as leaders. The adjective ‘French’ has, for…

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ON THE PHONE….OLD SCHOOL

ON THE PHONE….OLD SCHOOL

Salvador Dali’s Telephone Earrings Salvador Dali was one of the most successful artists in translating images from his paintings into jewelry. It was during the 1940’s and 1950’s that he actually created a body of jewelry based on his singular surrealist images. Some of the designs for these jewels were taken directly from his paintings. He wanted to transform the…

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