A Tiffany & Co. Shlumberger Necklace
View Similar Items
A Tiffany & Co. Shlumberger Necklace
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:
- Place of Origin:
- Date of Manufacture:Mid 20th Century
- Condition:Excellent.
- Seller Location:Miami, FL
- Reference Number:Seller: 401-11981stDibs: JU10081110589
Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co.
Jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger once said that he strived to “make everything look as if it were growing, uneven, at random, organic, in motion.” His jewels interpreted the vitality of the natural world with lively designs that included a moonstone-topped jellyfish brooch with sapphire tentacles exuding a watery shimmer and a ring encrusted with a burst of diamonds that “bloomed” like a flower bud.
A self-taught jeweler, Schlumberger’s mastery of color as well as his expertise as a draftsman brought his fantastic ideas to life. Born to a leading textile manufacturing family in Alsace, France, Schlumberger took to drawing as a child and showed promise as an artist, but his parents instead sent him to study banking in Berlin in the 1930s. Uninspired, he departed for Paris and began creating buttons for Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who also commissioned him for costume jewelry.
One of Schlumberger’s early pieces — a cigarette lighter in the form of a fish whose head opened to reveal the flame — demonstrated his skill for capturing the vivacity of nature in precious metal. The designer’s imaginative jewelry was in contrast to popular geometric lines of Art Deco, an independent vision he affirmed in the extravagant 1941 Trophée de Vaillance brooch created for fashion editor Diana Vreeland. An extravagant confection of diamonds, amethyst, rubies and gold, the brooch featured gemstones adorning an intricate intersection of tiny spears and a breastplate over a glittering shield.
After serving in the French army and the Free French forces during World War II — and surviving the Battle of Dunkirk — Schlumberger left war-torn Europe for New York and in 1946 established a jewelry salon with Nicolas Bongard. There, his vibrant work caught the eye of Tiffany & Co. After joining the American luxury jewelry house in 1956, he soon had his own studio on the mezzanine of Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue store that he accessed by a private elevator. In his workshop, Schlumberger used a rainbow of gemstones, gold and diamonds to create some of the company’s most beguiling designs.
From striking earrings shaped like soaring wings to diamond birds perched on glittering gemstones, each of Schlumberger’s Tiffany designs dazzled. His supporters included Bunny Mellon, whose love for horticulture inspired commissions such as the Jasmine necklace with diamond blossoms flowering from a garland of colored sapphires, and Jacqueline Kennedy, who wore his Croisillon bracelets so often they became known as “Jackie bracelets.” Schlumberger retired from Tiffany in the late 1970s, but decades after his designs were introduced many of his popular pieces remain in production.
On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage Jean Schlumberger jewelry designed for Tiffany & Co.
- Tiffany & Co. Diamond and Ruby NecklaceBy Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYTiffany&Co. diamond and ruby choker necklace in 18k yellow gold. The necklace consists of 12 rectangular open links and 3 diamond and ruby set ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Artist Choker Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
- Tiffany & Co. "Schlumberger" Bowtie Choker NecklaceBy Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYTiffany & Co. Schlumberger "Bowtie" choker necklace in 18k yellow gold. Circa: 1980's. The necklace consists of vertically placed bowtie links, separated by smaller gold beads at the top part of the necklace and larger gold beads at the bottom. Equipped with slide box...Category
Late 20th Century French Artist Choker Necklaces
Materials18k Gold
- Vintage Tiffany & Co. "Vannerie" Basket Weave NecklaceBy Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYVintage Tiffany & Co. "Vannerie" Basket Weave Yellow Gold Choker Necklace, crafter in 18k yellow gold, secured with a box clasp. Inscribed Tiffany & Co., 750. Length 13.5inches, Wei...Category
Late 20th Century American Artist Choker Necklaces
Materials18k Gold
- Tiffany & Co. Angela Cummings Gold 'Leaf' NecklaceBy Angela Cummings for Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYA beautiful necklace with 'leaf' motif created Angela Cummings for Tiffany & Co. in 1981. Signed Tiffany & Co., Angela Cummings, 1981. Dimensions: 42 cm (16 1⁄2 in). Metal is 14k yel...Category
20th Century American Choker Necklaces
Materials14k Gold
- Vintage Tiffany & Co. Twisted Ivy Collar Necklace in PlatinumBy Tiffany & Co.Located in London, GBA beautiful vintage Tiffany & Co. twisted ‘Ivy’ diamond collar necklace set in platinum. The necklace is composed of 20 individual diamond ivy styled link...Category
Early 2000s Modern Choker Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, Platinum
- Estate Tiffany & Co. 'Victoria' Diamond Riviera Necklace in 18k GoldBy Tiffany & Co.Located in Houston, TXAn estate Tiffany & Co. Victoria graduated round diamond riviera necklace in 18K yellow gold. There are 115 round brilliant-cut diamonds that total 10.18 carats and 4 marquise-shaped...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Choker Necklaces
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
These Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. Earrings Are Just the Right Amount of Bold
Someone wanted to “modernize” the Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. masterworks, but Mahnaz Collection came to their rescue. Here, the dealer explains precisely why they’re such an extraordinary find.
Tastemaker Bunny Mellon’s Extraordinary Schlumberger Jewels
The philanthropist and heiress was an avid jewelry collector, and her trove of Jean Schlumberger creations embodies the love of nature she shared with the famed designer.