Animal and Plant Motif Jewelry Appearing at Public Auctions

Thanks AnitaP for starting this thread. As you said several such pieces are featured at every public auction, and bringing together such pieces would be interesting and informative.

I was just able to fish out two such interesting pieces that appeared at Christie's auctions in 2009.

An interesting animal motif lot that appeared at Christie's "Jewels : The London Sale" held on June 10, 2009 was Lot 38, titled A Pair of Gem Set Lion Brooches, by Van Cleef & Arpels. The lion brooches designed with textured yellow-gold, have their muzzles pave-set with white circular-cut diamonds, the nose made of black enamel and the eyes set with emeralds, with prominent yellow-gold whiskers and mane. While one lion brooch is 4.6 cm high, the other brooch is slightly shorter with a height of 3.2 cm. The brooches with a pre-sale estimate of US$6,464 - $9,696 sold above the upper estimate for US$12,263.

Another important animal motif lot that appeared at Christie's Jewels : The New York Sale held on April 22, 2009 at the New York, Rockefeller Plaza, and made a significant impact, was Lot 168, titled - An Antique Ivory And Multi-Gem Elephant, which sold for US$170,500 above the pre-sale estimate of US$80,000 - $120,000. The lot designed by an unknown jewelry designer from Sri Lanka consists of a carved ivory elephant, bedecked with gem-set robes covering the sides of the animal and its trunk; the relic casket made of gold and covered with a canopy of gold, being carried on the howdah placed on the back of the elephant. The bedecked ivory elephant is actually a miniature model of the bedecked "perahera" elephant that carries the Buddha's sacred relics, in an annual pageant of the Temple of the Tooth" situated in the City of Kandy, in Central Sri Lanka, in which hundred of elephants take part.

The eyes of the ivory elephant are set with chrysoberyl catseyes. The robes covering the sides of the elephant and its trunk are set with vari-cut, multi-colored sapphire, rubies, emeralds, star sapphires, star rubies, and cat's eye chrysoberyls. The feet and the tusk of the elephant are decorated with gold bands and the toe nails set with gold. The dimensions of the elephant are 8.5 x 9 x 4.25 ins. The bedecked ivory elephant is believed to have been designed around the year 1900. However, such bedecked ivory elephants were produced in Sri Lanka until recently, when the international ban on the trade in ivory and ivory products came into force in 1990.

Lot 195, 196 and 293 are three human and animal motif brooches that apeared at Christie's New York Rockefeller Plaza, Magnificent Jewels Sale held on April 11, 2001.

Lots 195 and 196 are blackamoor brooches designed by the renowned Venetian jewelry designer Nardi, based on the famous Venetian icon - the Moretto, depicting the head and shoulders of a turbaned Moor of Venice, with its gem-encrusted turban and tunic. Nardi's blackamoors became very popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

Lot 195 is a carved hardstone blackamoor, wearing a 18k gold turban, set with oval-cut tsavorite garnets and circular-cut diamonds, surmounted by a mabé pearl, with diamond collet ear-pendants. The 18k gold tunic is encrusted with alternating semi-circular rows of oval-cut tsavorite garnets and circular-cut diamonds.

Lot 196 is another Nardi blackamoor brooch carved out of blackonyx, wearing an 18k gold turban set with a circular-cut ruby, with 18k gold earpendants, and the tunic set with circular-cut and oval-cut rubies, and multi-colored sapphires, such as yellow, orange, pink and blue sapphires.

Nardi's blackamoor brooches are highly collectible and lot 195 sold for US$11,750 above the pre-sale estimate of US$6,000 - $8,000.

Lot 293 that appeared at the same Christie's New York auction, was a Cartier duck brooch made up of agate, coral, sapphire and diamond. The body of the duck was carved out of orangish-white agate and the bill and feet made of coral.The eyes were set with circular-cut blue sapphires. The duck was wearing a yellow-gold crown, and an old European-cut diamond necklace, enhanced by gold wiretwist and mounted in 18k gold. The lot sold above the pre-sale estimate of US$2,500 - $3,500 for US$4,935.

Two plant motif brooches also appeared at the same Christie's New York Rockefeller Plaza, Magnificent Jewels Sale held on April 11, 2001. These are lots 206 and 242.

Lot 206, A Turquoise, Sapphire And Diamond Brooch, designed as a reeded gold and pave-set sapphire spathe of an Araceae (Aroid) inflorescence, set with an oval-shaped turquoise spadix and further enhanced by a pavé-set diamond sepal. The stem and leaves are made of reeded gold, enhanced by circular-cut diamonds mounted in 14k gold. The lot sold for US$5,288 above the estimated range of US$3,000 - $4,000.

Lot 242, was an Attractive Diamond Flower Brooch designed as a flower of two whorls of three petals each, pavé-set with circular-cut diamonds, accented by yellow-gold veins, and the center of the flower occupied by a bunch of circular-cut diamonds representing the stamens and pistil of the flower. The lot sold within the estimated range of US$20,000 - $30,000 for US$21,150.

Several Animal and Plant Motif Jewel lots appeared at Christie's New York Rockefeller Plaza, Jewels : The New York Sale held on April 22, 2009. These lots are 4, 6, 7, 8, 161, 188.

Lot 4 - An Enamel, Diamond And Multi-Gem Lion Brooch - by David Webb - Sold for US$6,250
Lot 6 - A Rock Crystal And Gold Elepant Pendant Necklace - by David Webb - Sold for US$10,000
Lot 7 - Catseye Chrysoberyl And Gold Cat's Face Brooch - by Tiffany & C0. - Sold for US$32,500
Lot 8 - Set of Onyx, Diamond And Haematite "Pisce" Jewelry - by Bulgari - Sold for US$6,000
Lot 161 - Pair of Diamond and Black Diamond Hedgehog Ear Clips - by Jar - Sold for US$86,500
Lot 188 - Ruby Diamond and Gold Pineapple Brooch - by Jean Schlumberger - Sold for US$16,250

Each of the six lots highlighted by Mikegem created by internationally renowned jewelry designers, show stunning creative features of the highest order, that elevated them to the ranks of greatest creative designers in the world. However, if I am given the freedom to choose the best among the six, I would pick the Cat's Face Brooch, the Lion Brooch and the Pineapple Brooch. This is just my personal preference.

Frankly speaking Joan your choice seems to be in perfect order. Schlumberger's ruby, diamond and gold pineapple brooch is indeed fantastic. The pineapple appears to be carved out of a single large crystal of ruby and is topped by another cabochon-cut ruby. I would like to know whether such large crystals of ruby do actually occur in nature.

Rubies and sapphires belong to the same group of minerals called corundum, which is a crystalline form of aluminum oxide. The red color of rubies is caused by chromium atoms which displace some of the aluminum atoms in the crystal structure of aluminum oxide. These chromium atoms that impart color to the rubies also interfere with the growth of the crystal leading to the formation of cracks and fissures in the crystal. Thus the ruby crystal can only grow to a limited size without flaws in the crystal. This explains why most of the high quality rubies with the minimum of flaws are mostly less than 100 carats in weight. High quality rubies greater than 100 carats in weight are extremely rare. Enormous rough ruby crystals weighing thousands of carats do sometimes occur in nature. However, such crystals are not of gem-quality and contain lots of cracks and fissures. The single large crystal of ruby used to carve out the pineapple in Schlumberger's brooch appears to be such a large non-gem quality naturally occurring ruby crystal.

Schlumberger, Webb and Jar are common names one usually come across when talking about quality jewelry, but may not mean much to the common laymen not involved in the jewelry manufacturing industry and trade. Could anyone give a brief introduction to these reputed individuals for the benefit of the laymen and uninitiated.

Jean Michel Schlumberger (1907-1987) was a French jewelry designer well known for his work at Tiffany & Co. He was born to a well-to-do family involved in textile manufacturing in the town of Mulhouse in eastern France, close to the German border. He showed extraordinary artistic talents since his youth, which was continuously discouraged by his parents. Schlumberger began his career with Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli for whom he designed buttons in the 1930s and later costume jewelry. He fought with the French army in World War II, surviving Dunkirk in 1940; serving under General Charles de Gaulle in England and the Free French Forces in the Middle East.

After World War II, Schlumberger relocated to New York where he began designing clothing for Chez Ninon. In 1946, he began designing his own jewelry, opening his first jewelry salon in partnership with Nicolas Bongard. Ten years later in 1956, Walter Hoving, the president of Tiffany & Co. who was impressed by Schlumberger's jewelry designs, persuaded him to join the Company as chief jewelry designer. He had his own workshop at the company until his retirement in the late 1970s as a Vice-President of the Company. For Schlumberger jewelry designing became a medium and outlet for the expression of his inborn artistic talents that were suppressed by his family at an early age. While at Tiffany his designs inspired by natural forms such as animals, plants and sea creatures, became famous for their creative features, given expression with materials such as yellow-gold, silver, white-gold, platinum, colored gemstones, pearls, corals and diamonds. Schlumberger was given the freedom to sign his own work by Tiffany's during his tenure as designer for the firm.

One of the most famous pieces created by Schlumberger was the "Bird on a Rock" brooch that incorporated the 128.54-carat Tiffany Yellow Diamond, which is still in the firm's collection. His clients included royalty and celebrites such as the Duchess of Windsor, Mona von Bismarck, the Duchess of Kent, Jacqueline Kennedy, Greta Garbo, Gloria Vanderbilt, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Diana Vreeland. He died in Paris in 1987.

Thanks Peter for your update on Schlumberger. Is it possible that Lot 7 - Catseye Chrysoberyl And Gold Cat's Face Brooch - by Tiffany & Co. was also designed by Schlumberger ?

It is highly unlikely Jack. As Peter has already pointed out, Schlumberger was held in high esteem by Tiffany's that he was among the few designers employed by the company, who were given the freedom to sign their own work. Lot 7 was just signed as Tiffany & Co. which necessarily means the anonymous designer of this piece was not granted the same privilege as Schlumberger.

David Webb, founder of David Webb Jewelry was an American jeweler born in Asheville, North Carolina in 1925. Webb was a self-taught jewelry designer, whose designs included dragon bracelets, Maltese cross brooches and animal motif jewelry. The Duke of Windsor purchased a David Webb bracelet for his wife in 1964. Among his other distinguished clients were Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedey Onassis, Barbara Streisand, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner and Diana Vreeland former editor of Harper's Bazaar and Vogue Magazines. Unfortunately, David Webb died of pancreatic cancer at the relatively young age of 50 years in 1975, but fortunately not before leaving an unbelievably rich and diverse collection of exquisitely designed, intricate jewelry to be treasured and preserved for many generations to come.

Thanks John for your update on David Webb and the beautiful images. Surely, David Webb was a designer par excellence as revealed by his unique creations. It's a pity that the cruel hand of fate snatched away his life at a relatively young age, before he could fully accomplish his mission in life. May his soul rest in peace.

Joel Arthur Rosenthal who prefers to be known by his initials JAR, is a reclusive contemporary American/French Jewelry designer, born in Bronx, New York City in 1943, the only child of a Bronx postal worker and a Biology teacher in public high school. He grew up in an area in Bronx called Parkchester and spent his summers with his parents at the Castle Hill Beach Club in East Bronx. During his young years he spent a lot of time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the American Museum of Natural History, spending a lot of time at the Metals and Minerals Galleries.

Initially, he went to the High School of Museum & Art in New York, with the intention of becoming a professional painter. Later, he attended City College where he spent a semester studying linguistics. His interest in languages subsequently help him to attain proficiency in languages such as French, Italian, and Yiddish apart from English. He gained admission to Harvard in 1964, majoring in Art History and Philosophy, accelerating his program and finishing in two years instead of three.

Soon after graduating he moved immediately to Paris, where he believed he could advance his artistic talents. He began by writing English and French movie scripts. He then met Pierre Jeannet, a Swiss Psychiatrist who became his friend and permanent business associate. Together they opened a Needlepoint Store in Paris, where JAR painted the designs for the tapestries and experimented with unusually colored yarn. There clientele included designers from Hermes and Valentino. JAR having always had a fascination for jewelry, then took up an appointment with Bulgari New York as a salesman for a short period. In 1977, he returned to Paris, where he was asked if he could design a mount for a gemstone. As destiny would have it, this assignment sent his career in a new and final direction, that eventually elevated him to the most popular and much sought-after contemporary jewelry designer in the world.

JAR began experimenting with jewelry, designing pieces using inexpensive stones like coral, moonstone and semi-precious stones in assorted colors, such as red, violet, pink, and green. In 1978, JAR and Pierre Jeannet, opened a jewelry business on Place Vendôme in Paris. His designs quickly became famous not only for its vibrant colors but also organic shapes, such as flowers, butterflies, or animals. He used a dark metal alloy for his settings to highlight the gems color. He used pavé setting for his pieces, setting small stones closer together, making the settings virtually invisible and forming a pavement/carpet of tiny colored gemstones, with a gradation of color from the subtle to the vivid.

Apart from His partner Pierre Jeannet, JAR works only with four assistants and uses four workrooms in Paris, Geneva and South of France. According to JAR he manufactures between 100 to 120 pieces of jewelry every year. In spite of the limited production he says his business has been profitable eversince he started and has remained entirely independent. There had been many lucrative offers to open JAR Stores in London, Geneva and other Jewelry Capitals of the world, which JAR always turned down. He says, "I don’t want to be beholden to anyone, I don’t want to be owned by anyone." JAR's Store at Place Vendôme refuses to advertise, keep regular hours or display its jewelry in window cases. In spite of his scorn for modern marketing principles JAR's jewelry has a cult-like following and is highly sought after on the auction market. Among his notable clients were Elizabeth Taylor, Ann Getty, Elle MacPherson, and Barbara Walters.

"Jewels by JAR" an exhibition of around 400 pieces of JAR's jewelry creations, loaned by 145 of his living clients was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City from November 20, 2013 to March 9, 2014
The exhibition was the first retrospective of his work in the United States and the first retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum devoted to a living contemporary artist of gems.