The jewellery created in the Art Deco era was bold and unique, leading to some iconic and extravagant pieces being produced. Art Deco jewellery boasted geometric designs, used vibrant colourful gemstones and innovative creative designs were made with meticulous detail and excellent craftsmanship. Here are just a few of the most ionic pieces of Art Deco jewellery that represent some of the most popular features of the jewellery era.
1. The Cartier “Tutti Frutti” Bracelet
Cartier was inspired to make this now iconic “Tutti Frutti” style by the colourful gemstones used in Indian jewellery, specifically in 1901 when Queen Alexandra commissioned a necklace from Pierre Cartier to compliment three Indian dresses she’d been given by the wife of Viceroy of India, Mary Curzon. The youngest Cartier brother, Jaques, visited India 10 years later and acquired carved gemstones in the shape of berries, flowers and leaves which would form the basis of the Tutti Frutti style.
The bracelet combines rubies, emeralds and sapphires with diamonds and is punctuated with onyx and black enamel; set in a platinum geometric design. Tutti Frutti soon became popular and has remained a recognisable jewellery trend. A 1930s Cartier “Tutti Frutti” gemstone and enamel bracelet was sold at auction at for $1.34 million [£1.08 million] (including buyer’s premium).
2. The Duchess of Windsor’s Onyx and Diamond Bracelet
In Paris 1952, this Art Deco bracelet was created by Cartier in the form of an articulated panther with brilliant- and single-cut diamonds and calibré-cut onyx pavé-set on the body. The eyes are represented with marquise-shaped emeralds. Edward, Duke of Windsor gave it to Wallis Simpson and the sleek and elegant panther became a symbol of sophistication and echoed the bold designs of the Art Deco era.
3. The Van Cleef & Arpels “Zip” Necklace
The Duchess of Windsor suggested to Renée Puissant (Van Cleef & Arpels creative director) to make a zipper style necklace. She had been inspired by fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli adding zippers into her clothing and thought the functional zipper would make for a good item of jewellery. The Duchess didn’t actually own the necklace but her idea was created about 12 years later as it was difficult to manufacture the design. It first introduced around 1951. It captures the craftsmanship and innovation of the Art Deco period brilliantly.
4. The Patiala Necklace
Another Cartier piece that was commissioned by the Maharaja of Patiala in 1928, this necklace remains one of the most extravagant Art Deco jewellery examples and is the largest single commission produced by Cartier. The Art Deco necklace had five rows of chains embellished with diamonds and rubies. It contained 2930 diamonds with one of the largest diamonds in the world at the time, the De Beers yellow diamond, as its centrepiece. The necklace was missing and years later the platinum structure of the necklace was found at an antique shop and has since been reconstructed with the larger gems that were missing being replaced.
5. The Van Cleef & Arpels “Mystery Set” Necklace
Early in the 20th century, jewellers such as Chaumet, Cartier, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels and the Langlois, Guérin, and Rubel workshops looked to develop using invisible mounts. In 1904 Jean-Baptiste Chaumet registered a patent and the “Mystery Set” technique was patented by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1933. It introduced a new way of setting gemstones in order to preserve their beauty. There are no visible prongs which creates a seamless, fluid design. The answer to the mystery is the meticulously cut stones are individually set in gold rails. Such an intricate technique takes hours of work and reflects the stunning craftsmanship famous in the Art Deco era. The first pieces using this technique were shown to the public in Paris in 1937 at the International Exhibition of Art and Technology in Modern Life.
These pieces are just a few of the stunning examples of Art Deco jewellery that was produced and remain precious and iconic in their design. Such a popular and timeless era for jewellery you can shop all our Art Deco jewellery on our website to find a piece that is unique and special to you.
Resources:
https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/cartier-tutti-frutti-bracelet
https://www.cartier.com/en-gb/collections/high-jewellery/markers-of-style/tutti-frutti
https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2010/exceptional-jewels-and-precious-objects-formerly-in-the-collection-of-the-duchess-of-windsor-l10055/lot.19.htmlhttps://diamondsinthelibrary.com/the-duchess-of-windsors-cartier-panther-bracelet/
https://theadventurine.com/culture/jewelry-history/the-story-of-van-cleef-arpels-zip-necklace
https://www.vancleefarpels.com/en/the-maison/articles/the-mystery-set–a-jewelry-making-feat.html
https://the-collection.vancleefarpels.com/en/corpus/the-mystery-set
