Collectors’ corner: Siegelson’s rare jewels light up Tefaf New York
As with fine art, rare-jewel collections reflect their curator’s distinct point of view. Siegelson, New York, has encapsulated the verve, discipline and sheer artistry of 20th century jewellery design like no other. It would be easy to say that proprietor Lee Siegelson views jewellery as art but such is his collecting style that he doesn’t have to tell you so. Anyone with an interest in art, design and architecture would gain from a visit to his booth at Tefaf New York this week. Here, we choose five current Siegelson pieces that reveal why:
Carved Bakelite and diamond ‘La Ménagerie Magnétique’ Zebra brooch, by Daniel Brush, 2004
New York-based Brush is an enigmatic figure with an obsessive touch. Deeply fascinated by ancient craft techniques, Brush spends years learning them and fusing them into his own contemporary designs. Poor materials also fascinate and Brush is a master of working seriously precious gems into them, as this carved Bakelite and diamond brooch attests.
Aquamarine and ruby Belt necklace, by Paul Flato for Verdura, 1935
By the 1930s, the rise of Hollywood society demanded an American high jewellery style of its own. With hIs Disney-like design sensibility, underpinned by a thorough understanding of jewellery technique and engineering, Paul Flato’s artfully witty ‘conversation pieces’ fitted the bill. The Belt necklace was fittingly commissioned for Linda Lee Porter, the gregarious spouse of legendary composer Cole.
Art Deco cream and black enamel vanity case, by Gérard Sandoz, Paris, 1927
A dedicated Modernist, Sandoz trained as a goldsmith in Paris, continuing in the family tradition of jewellery- and watchmaking. His insatiable taste for the era he grew up in manifested in a love of jazz, cinema and interior design. His sublime graphic style reflects the other milieu in which he excelled: poster design.
Rock crystal and diamond ‘Bibendum’ bracelet by Suzanne Belperron, 1930s
The contemporary jeweller’s jeweller, Belperron is a fabled figure in 20th-century jewellery design. Her instinct for industrial forms and eye for pure materials with a natural opulence made her designs the cream of avant-garde design in her time. They remain supremely relevant and collectible today.
Rock crystal, black onyx and diamond ‘Orange Tree’ brooch, by Cartier, 1926
Abstract expressions of typical fine jewellery themes, such as flora and fauna, emerged in the mid-1920s. This stark black and white depiction of an orange tree is a prime example of that movement and of Cartier’s sublime creative vision. Designed as a brooch-cum-cloche pin, the tree is rooted in an octagonal shaped rock crystal jardinière, complete with black onyx handles.
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Caragh McKay is a contributing editor at Wallpaper* and was watches & jewellery director at the magazine between 2011 and 2019. Caragh’s current remit is cross-cultural and her recent stories include the curious tale of how Muhammad Ali met his poetic match in Robert Burns and how a Martin Scorsese Martin film revived a forgotten Osage art.
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