Art Nouveau Archives

Art Nouveau plique-à-jour enamel, peridot, and diamond necklace.

July 17, 2013

I don’t show you enough Art Nouveau pieces. Art Nouveau jewelry is frequently very ornate, which makes it more difficult to translate into the modern day than say, Art Deco jewelry. But it’s often very beautiful and almost always worth looking at.

Art Nouveau plique-à-jour enamel, peridot, and diamond necklace, circa 1900.

This spectacular necklace was made in 1900. It stars a pear-shaped peridot weighing approximately 2.20 carats, amid an openwork frame, decorated by plique-à-jour enamel, rose- and old-cut diamonds. The piece is completed by a double link-chain spectacle-set with rose-cut diamonds, mounted in 18 karat white and yellow gold.

Want to see the full view? Of course you do.

An antique Art Nouveau plique-à-jour enamel, peridot, and diamond necklace, circa 1900.

Fabulous. The pendant is detachable – it’s intended to function as a brooch, but the listing mentions that the brooch fitting is currently missing.

At just around 14 inches, this Art Nouveau plique-à-jour enamel, peridot, and diamond necklace is almost a choker. I imagine the dangling diamond fans would hover tantalizingly over a the clavicle of a lady lucky enough to wear this.

Here’s a detail shot of the side enamel.

And of the central element, because it’s spectacular and deserves millions of pictures.

This Art Nouveau plique-à-jour enamel, peridot, and diamond necklace was listed in Sotheby’s April 2010 Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite auction. All images and info are thanks to Sotheby’s.

Two beautiful Art Nouveau brooches.

July 12, 2013

You get a twofer today, my darlings. Of killer Art Nouveau brooches. Are you ready?

This is a glorious, flower-child goddess of a brooch.

I’m basically at a loss for words with this one. It’s almost too pretty. I can’t imagine anyone wearing it. But I really love to look at it.

This gorgeous thing is a brooch/pendant designed by Georges Fouquet in the late 19th century. It’s designed as a serene-faced lady with flowing hair and an elaborate headdress. Her face and hair are made of carved chalcedony, applied with plique-à-jour enamel and highlighted with cabochon and circular-cut rubies, circular-cut and rose diamonds, suspending a natural pearl. It can be worn as a brooch or a pendant and is signed G. Fouquet.

The lovely thing is listed as a brooch, but what really caught my interest was the fact that it has fittings for use as a hair ornament. How spectacular would this be as hair jewelry? I couldn’t possibly be more on board. I want it on my head.

This piece is the work of Vever and was created in 1900. It’s designed as a stylized fuchsia which, apparently, is actually a kind of flower and not just a brilliant shade of pink. It’s set with with circular-, single-cut and rose diamonds and one marquise-shaped tourmaline, which was added later. The auction description lists this as being hung on a chain (not pictured) even though it isn’t listed as being a pendant. How multi-functional.

These Art Nouveau brooches were both listed in Sotheby’s December 2012 The Jewellery Collection of the Late Michael Wellby: An Eclectic Eye – Jewels Spanning Four Centuries sale. Please see individual descriptions for source links.

All images and info for these Art Nouveau brooches are thanks to Sotheby’s.

Tiffany & Co. Art Nouveau opal necklace.

July 3, 2013

This Tiffany & Co. Art Nouveau opal necklace looks like something out of a fairytale.

This beauty is an Art Nouveau opal necklace by the esteemed Tiffany & Co., circa 1900.

That incredible stone you’re staring at is a oval cabochon black opal, perfectly framed by a colorful enamel and gold frame. The gold chain is sprinkled with white opal and peridot accents, to tie in the colors of the pendant.

I’ll say it again: the colors, the colorsssssssss. They slay me with their perfection.

The gold chain also appears to have decorative elements that look like gold swirls, although the listing doesn’t mention them. Pretty spectacular, isn’t it?

Let’s hope Tiffany & Co. takes a leaf from its own book and tries reviving some Art Nouveau designs next.

That’s a looooong scrolldown photo, but I needed to give you the chance to see it in as much detail as you wanted. The chain, the pendant, the opal! Sigh.

What do you say, darlings? Do you love this Art Nouveau opal necklace as much as I do?

If not: what would you change?

This magical Art Nouveau opal necklace sold in Philips’ December 6th Jewels Auction. All images and info are thanks to Philips.

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