Fred Leighton Multi Gem Bird of Paradise Brooch with Articulated Tail Feathers
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:18k Gold
- Stone:Diamond,Emerald,Sapphire,Ruby
- Dimensions:Width: 2.25 in (57.15 mm)Length: 2.75 in (69.85 mm)
- Place of Origin:United States
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:1980s
- Condition:Excellent.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: JU111110148243
Fred Leighton
For years, countless style-setters around the world — Hollywood starlets among them — have turned to Madison Avenue mainstay Fred Leighton for its exceptional selection of antique and vintage baubles.
Wrapped around its elegant corner of 66th and Madison Avenue in New York, Leighton is a brilliantly glittering star in the jewelry firmament. Since the boutique moved uptown in 1984, Leighton has become known for bringing antique and 20th-century jewels to a discerning international clientele and, perhaps most famously, for contributing to the red carpet looks of countless starlets (including Meryl Streep, Natalie Portman, Amy Adams and Claire Danes, to name but a few). Simply put, over the past few decades, Leighton has helped move antique jewelry out of its dusty, insular ivory tower and into the wider world of fast-moving modern style.
The story of Fred Leighton as we know it began in the 1970s, when Murray Mondschein (now something of a legend in the jewelry industry) took over a Greenwich Village clothing shop called Fred Leighton (after its original owner) and started selling Mexican wedding dresses, hand-crafted accessories and ethnic jewelry. When someone gave him some antique jewelry to sell, he added that to the mix.
A defining moment came in the mid-1990s: “It started with an unexpected call from Miuccia Prada,” relays Greg Kwiat, the jeweler’s CEO. “She had designed a dress for Nicole Kidman to wear to the Oscars, and she had something very specific in mind for the jewelry that should go with it.” Fred Leighton lent a vintage choker of Australian opals (a reference to Kidman’s nationality) that Prada, a client and collector, had seen in the shop. The timing was perfect, as “vintage” in general — clothes, accessories, jewelry, furniture — was being embraced for its charm, individuality and powers of personal expression. “Estate jewelry pushed against the sameness of modern branded culture,” explains Kwiat.
By the mid-2000s Mondschein (who by then had legally changed his name to Fred Leighton) had retired and an unsettled period of interim ownership followed. In 2009, the Kwiats, world-leading diamond traders and jewelers, bought the business, and Greg Kwiat became CEO. Today, the Madison Avenue boutique presents an air of streamlined serenity: taupe carpet warmed by original Art Deco showcases; furniture in rich, glossy Macassar wood; wrought-iron balustrades that recall a luxurious 1930s ocean liner. The jewelry, set out simply but impeccably, covers a 200-year span of styles and eras, from the candlelit romance of Georgian diamond chandelier earrings, through the pomp and grandeur of Victorian jewels, to the modernism of Art Deco masterpieces and seminal 1960s designs by the likes of Van Cleef & Arpels and David Webb.
Leighton’s particular strengths lie in Victorian pieces from the 1800s and Art Deco pieces. She likes the eclecticism and eccentricity of 19th-century jewelry, embodied, for example, by an enameled serpent bangle, with its gem-encrusted head, a favorite motif of Queen Victoria, or a pair of dramatic gold Egyptian-inspired earrings with scarab motifs that tell of the vogue for archaeological revival jewels during the period.
Today, the antique and 20th-century offerings are joined by a contemporary Fred Leighton-branded collection, whose rings, necklaces and other accessories are either inspired by historical precedents or actually incorporate antique elements, such as a pair of earrings composed of vintage diamond wings with appended enamels and fringes that provide an of-the-moment edge.
Find Fred Leighton jewelry on 1stDibs today.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- 1950s Paltscho Vienna Gold Cherub Brooch in BoxBy PaltschoLocated in New York, NYA charming and elegant figural brooch by the renown Viennese firm of Paltscho. A fine 18K gold representation of a cherub in flight, offering a ruby and diamond set flower in one hand, and a natural red coral heart in the other. Inspired by a Victorian Valentines card...Category
Vintage 1950s Austrian Brooches
MaterialsCoral, Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
- David Webb Diamond Gold Swirling Ribbon BroochBy David WebbLocated in New York, NYA spectacular 1960s David Webb brooch in platinum and 18K gold formed as a swirl of ribbon with one side ribbed and the other set with sparkling diamonds. Wear on dress or jacket, as...Category
Vintage 1960s American Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold
- 1990s Fred Paris Enamel Gold CufflinksBy Fred ParisLocated in New York, NYMale-chic! These handsome 18K gold ball cufflinks by Fred - Paris feature five-point stars that pop against a field of jet black enamel. One ball on each unscrews for easy insertion ...Category
1990s French Cufflinks
Materials18k Gold
- Retro Diamond Gold Carved Gem Floral BraceletLocated in New York, NYHighly unusual 14K gold retro bracelet featuring 3-dimensional, diamond-set flowers highlighted with carved rubies and sapphires, mounted on large plaques held by wide links bisecte...Category
American Retro Bracelets
MaterialsDiamond, Ruby
- 1850s Carved Coral and Gold Pendant Brooch and Earrings SuiteLocated in New York, NYA beautifully hand crafted Victorian pendant/brooch and earring suite in Etruscan style, made of 18K yellow gold and natural Mediterranean coral. Maintained in original state in its ...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Etruscan Revival Dangle Earrings
MaterialsCoral, 18k Gold
- Tiffany & Co. Black Jade and Mother of Pearl Gold Necklace and Ear ClipsBy Angela Cummings for Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYSimply chic for any age, a Tiffany & Co. necklace of carved mother-of-pearl disks with 18K gold clasp and a perfectly placed checkered disk of pearl and black jade inlay with matchin...Category
Vintage 1980s American Clip-on Earrings
MaterialsJade, 18k Gold
- Multi Gem Bird of Paradise Brooch by TrioBy TrioLocated in New York, NYMulti Gem Bird of Paradise Brooch made by Trio Seth with a baroque pearl, carved emeralds and sapphires, pave diamonds, and a ruby eye. 14 Ka...Category
Vintage 1970s American Brooches
MaterialsEmerald, Sapphire, 14k Gold
- Lunati Bird of Paradise BroochLocated in Palermo, ITLunati Bird of Paradise Brooch Brooch in yellow gold, polychrome enamels, diamonds and sapphire. Italy 70’s goldsmith Lunati . Grams 32,80 W...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Arts and Crafts Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Enamel
- Exquisite FRED Paris Multi-Gem Butterfly Brooch - 18kt Solid GoldBy Fred ParisLocated in Miami, FLExquisite FRED Paris Multi-Gem Butterfly Brooch - 18kt Solid Gold, Estate. Indulge in the beauty of nature with the FRED Paris Multi-Gem Butterfly Brooch. Crafted from 18kt solid yellow gold, this captivating piece boasts articulated wings that delicately move, adding a dynamic touch to its design. Adorned with 8 round emeralds and 8 round rubies, this brooch showcases nature's vibrant hues in a symphony of color. The signature FRED Paris engraving...Category
Vintage 1970s French Contemporary Brooches
MaterialsEmerald, Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
- Multi Gem Floral BroochLocated in New York, NYMulti Gem Floral Brooch An 18-karat yellow gold brooch set with 33 round cut diamonds, 9 round cut rubies, and 2 round cut sapphires Stamped 18K Measurements: 1.88" x 1.38"Category
Vintage 1960s Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Fred Leighton Gold, Emerald and Colored Diamond BroochBy Fred LeightonLocated in New York, NYFred Leighton Gold, Emerald and Colored Diamond Brooch In 18k Yellow Gold. This brooch is created in a foliate design, adorned with emerald bead...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Artist Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Emerald
- Birds Perched on a Branch Multi Gem Stones Gold Brooch PinLocated in Montreal, QCAdorable Birds on Branch bezel set with Peridot, Pink Tourmaline and Blue Topaz, Ruby set eyes; approx. 2.5” long. Finely hand crafted b...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Brooches
MaterialsPeridot, Ruby, Topaz, Tourmaline, 18k Gold