FEATURED DESIGNERS BUCCELLATI
Opening in Milan in 1919 and then expanding to Rome and Florence, Mario Buccellati’s work quickly gained acclaim amongst royalty. Four of his sons entered the business and continued the legacy. In 1951, Buccellati became the first Italian jewelry designer with a location on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Producing jewelry using a wide variety of precious materials, the firm is synonymous with class, elegance and fine craftsmanship.
BVLGARI
Hailing from Greece, Sotirios Bulgari traveled to Italy in 1880 carrying with him the silversmith art honed by his family since the Byzantine era. Opening in Naples and producing archeological revival jewelry, he soon developed a large enough following to require larger premises and additional locations. During the early twentieth century, Sotirios’s sons had a major impact on the character of Bulgari’s style. From the 1920’s to the 1960’s, the inspiration stemmed mainly from the latest French designs and included jewelry made in the Edwardian, Deco, and Reotro styles. By the 1970’s the focus again shifted to creating a unique style all their own and it is this desire that drives their work still today.
CARTIER
Founded in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier, this French house has remained at the forefront of fine jewelry generation after generation. Vastly expanding the reputation and reach of the firm were Louis-Francois’ grandsons who are responsible for establishing the name as a worldwide luxury icon. Creating extravagant works for the clients ranging from the French royals to Hollywood’s elite, Cartier is responsible for producing some of the most recognizable and sought after jewels known for their feminine style and timeless elegance.
DAVID WEBB
At the age of 16 David Webb traveled to New York City in 1941 to start his education in jewelry. Opening his own location in 1946 with business partner Nina Silberstein, he began to produce jewelry in the bold and bright style his name became synonymous with. Known predominantly for work such as the famous bracelets designed in playful animal motifs, the firm also produces classic jewels constructed with fabulous stones and delicate details.
GEORG JENSEN
Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and apprenticed under silversmith Mogens Ballin, Georg Jensen founded his namesake silversmithy in Copenhagen in 1904. Jensen was an artisan craftsman who designed beautiful and functional hollowware, flatware and jewelry. Often inspired by nature, his Danish design ethos captured the hearts of Europeans and Americans who admired the simplicity and craftsmanship of his pieces. The company flourished and continues to create beautiful, modern pieces today.
204 I M P O R TA N T J E W E L R Y
HARRY WINSTON
TIFFANY & Co.
HENRY DUNAY
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
Nicknamed “The King of Diamonds,” Harry Winston was a master of creating excitement surrounding his work. Beginning in the 1920’s he made a name for himself buying estates containing important stones. His best known transaction was the purchase of Evelyn Walsh MacLean’s collection which most notably included the Hope Diamond. The Harry Winston aesthetic combines exceedingly fine stones with minimalist settings designed to highlight their inherent beauty. Founding his New York based studio in 1965, Henry Dunay went on to achieve fame for first producing one-of-a-kind pave diamond designs and then transitioning to his well known collection featuring precious metals in a wide variety of meticulously crafted textures. He is renowned for creating his finest works by first finding the perfect stone and then building the piece around it.
LALAOUNIS
Born in Athens in 1920, Ilias Lalaounis was the fourth generation in a family line of goldsmiths and watchmakers. With a passion for history, he began studying the art of ancient Greece, and it was during Greece’s post-war recovery years that he decided to breathe new life into Greek museum artifacts. He wanted to transform them into jewelry by reviving age old techniques while also introducing the use of modern technology. Lalaounis found his calling in high karat gold as he felt it to be the “most human material” and it was through this medium that he expressed his inexhaustible creativity and achieved international recognition.
MARSH & CO.
Hailing from Australia originally, George Turner Marsh immigrated to San Francisco, California after spending several years in Japan. Enamored with Japanese culture and aesthetics, he founded a gallery in San Francisco to exhibit and sell Japanese art, one of the first of its kind in the United States, in 1876. In the 1930s, the company began to produce jewelry, incorporating traditional Japanese materials such as pearls, jade and coral. Their distinctive designs often mix these materials with oxidized steel for a bold, sleek look.
OSCAR HEYMAN BROTHERS
Parlaying expertise gained while apprenticing at Faberge in Russia, the Heyman brothers drew upon their skill to produce wondrous jewels at their New York offices. The inherent quality of their art has led top names such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels to commission pieces from them. Valuing every step in the creation of fine jewelry, the firm goes so far as to alloy their own gold and platinum. They also make their own tools to perform the painstakingly exact stone setting that sets their work apart.
The best known jeweler in the United States and perhaps the world, Tiffany & Company has, for much of its history, exhibited the best gems from around the world and work from some of the finest jewelry designers. The reputations of such luminaries as Schlumberger, Claflin, Peretti and Cummings were forged while working for this great house. Not limited to any one genre, Tiffany has produced an astounding array of jeweled art over its history and continues forward today with their global reach. Starting with a marriage between two families both intimately involved with the jewelry arts, this Parisian firm founded in 1898 has created a unique character all its own. Its exclusive pieces have been eagerly collected by royalty and celebrity alike. Credited with many innovations in construction and design, this master jeweler is also known for having the highest standards for their gems. Only using stones of the very best quality and rarity, a jewel by Van Cleef & Arpels is viewed first as art and then accessory.
