Stephen Webster Brooches
Iconic British jeweler Stephen Webster MBE shook everything up when he introduced his Crystal Haze rings in 1995.
The jewelry landscape was almost barren during the 1990s. Fashion dictated minimalism, and stars treading the red carpet wore Armani gowns in earth tones with very few sparkling accessories. Elsa Peretti’s little diamond solitaire necklace for Tiffany & Co. was in vogue. And the gold Cartier Panthère watch was the only item many female stars wore.
The seismic shift was sparked in 2000 when Madonna attended a party for the premiere of her movie The Next Best Thing wearing the Crystal Haze ring. She had purchased it directly from Webster, to whom she’d been introduced by a friend. Pictures of the star singer’s outing popped up seemingly everywhere — on her index finger, Webster’s Crystal Haze ring was so much bigger and bolder than the styles most celebrities were wearing at the time. The press coverage snowballed in the months and years to come as other celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera and Pink, were spotted in the now-immediately recognizable jewel.
This massive success came to Webster when he was in his 30s, not long after he launched his label, in 1989, but the design was the culmination of a lifetime of experience. At the tender age of 16, Webster found his calling when he toured Medway College of Design in Rochester, England, with a career counselor. He was immediately attracted to the jewelry department, which was “noisy, slightly grubby and lit with orangey, naked flames.” After graduating, he worked for a few years as a bench jeweler in London and the resort town of Banff, in Alberta, Canada, finally settling in Santa Barbara, California.
The luxurious, laid-back style of the city, nicknamed the American Riviera, opened Webster’s eyes to the possibility of a kind of jewelry different from the traditional designs that defined the field in England. He began working with semiprecious stones, an integral element of the Crystal Haze line. The Santa Barbara community embraced the colors and was open to lesser-known gems in fine jewelry, such as apple-green chrysoprase, lavender chalcedony and Peruvian pink opal.
The idea for the Crystal Haze ring came to Webster when he was having lapidaries in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, cut rock crystal into special shapes for big brooches. He wanted to create statement jewels in which two gems cut into a narrow arc would curve over the finger in a gold ring. The contour and connecting of the stones required a couple of years of development, some innovative thinking and plenty of expertise.
Today, Webster’s stores dot the globe, and he has a long list of illustrious collectors. The many lines he has produced over the years — from Vertigo and Dynamite to Fly By Night and Jewels Verne — display the same qualities that characterize Crystal Haze: bold, edgy designs, beautifully manufactured.
Find Stephen Webster rings, earrings, necklaces and other jewelry on 1stDibs.
2010s British Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Purple Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Garnet, Blue Sapphire, ...
2010s British Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Pearl, Emerald, Agate, White Diamond, Diamond, White Gold, Titanium, 18k...
2010s British Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Titanium, Wh...
2010s British Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Onyx, White Diamond, Black Diamond, Diamond, Ti...
2010s British Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Moonstone, Black Spinel, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, ...
21st Century and Contemporary Art Deco Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, Garnet, Peridot, Gold, Enamel
2010s British Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, Black Diamond, Spinel, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s British Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, Spinel, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, Rock Crystal, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Platinum
1960s French Retro Vintage Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, Turquoise, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Unknown Art Deco Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 2000s German Modern Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold
1850s British High Victorian Antique Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, Garnet, 18k Gold, Enamel
1980s American Vintage Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
20th Century Unknown Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Agate, Lapis Lazuli, Rock Crystal, Silver
Late 20th Century Stephen Webster Brooches
Sapphire, Yellow Gold, Platinum
Mid-19th Century British Victorian Antique Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Silver
1850s French Napoleon III Antique Stephen Webster Brooches
Natural Pearl, Pearl, 18k Gold, Gold, Silver, Sterling Silver, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century English Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, White Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Early 2000s German Modern Stephen Webster Brooches
Tsavorite, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Stephen Webster Brooches
Diamond, Yellow Gold