1930s Haskell FrankHess EnameledBrassCappedRedFruitPendants Bib Chain Necklace

Epitomizing the Art Nouveau movement, this antique post-1912 sautoir drop necklace with a white-gold openwork-and-wire pendant and filigree clasp features a rainbow of handcrafted gem beads--the largest of which are carved "Rose of France" and purple amethysts plus faceted-pink and beveled-aqua tourmalines--along with what appears to be lampwork glass...

Robert Goosens, the French haute-couture parurier who enjoyed reinterpreting ancient and antique styles of jewelry with rock crystal and faux stones, collaborated with Madame Alix Gres, the Parisian fashion and theatrical-costume designer who founded Maison Gres, to make spiral-wire adornments for her couture gowns, such as this handmade hammered brass wire choker necklace with five dropped en-tremblant pendants that are decorated with unique colorful beads and wrapped wire. This necklace dates between 1969-1971 based on similar unsigned spiraled-wire "metal" jewelry without goldsmithing marks in the museum collection of TheMet (see our photo), which acquired it from Maison Givenchy founder Hubert de Givenchy, who was one of the most supportive fans of Gres. Like the legendary sculptural clothing designs of Madame Gres, this necklace was inspired by Greco-Roman costumes, while its sculpted shapes by Goosens reference her signature curvilinear fabric techniques that earned her the sobriquet of "the master of the wrapped and draped dress". Goosens (1927-2016), nicknamed Monsieur Bijou, also made jewelry inspired by other periods of antiquity to compliment the couture clothing of Coco Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga, Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent. After Goosens collaborated with Gres, he revisited golden spiral designs with Saint Laurent. Similar to the free-flowing fabric manipulated in Gres gowns, this hand-shaped necklace that we photographed in sunlight is a study in motion that drapes across a curvy cleavage. Adding drama to this necklace below its wire choker, the top teetering-wire pendant is a twisted and hammered horizontal double spiral, which is a Hellenistic symbol of life and transformation suggesting the breasts of a goddess of fertility and motherhood. Yet distinctly Goosens, 18 hand-cut and hand-dyed "ancient-Roman-blue" rock-crystal beads are wire-strung to weight a second tier of two separate vertical double-spiral pendants. On each, a wrapped-wire tube divides the blue beads. Between these vertical pendants in two tiers, the central vertical pendants each feature a one-of-a-kind multicolor bead (yellow/blue/red/black/white) in two lengths with abstract organic patterns recalling ancient Italian glasswork. Four more blue beads bracket these larger colorful beads. An additional 10 blue beads and 5 wire tubes decorate the bottom looped wire pendant, as well as the bottom of the wire choker. Like the hammered-wire jewelry designs of modern artist Alexander Calder, the creative complex construction of this necklace surprisingly required no metalsmith techniques, such as soldering or casting, just great skill with a jewelry pliers and hammer. For a bigger picture of couture clothing by Madame Gres during the decade beginning in 1969, she notably designed many museum-collected one-color silk-taffeta draped long gowns with empire waists and simple high collars or geometric cut-outs. Remarkably, the focal points for some of these unique dresses were at the wrists, from where long pouf sleeves voluminously droop around the hands to nearly the floor like two enormous long-petaled flowers. If paired with this equally downward-focused and balanced necklace from this same period, its bold Greco-Roman elements would have pulled a viewer's gaze of the dress from floor to face. Although there is no significant provenance for this necklace, hammered brass and tinted rock crystal were among the few materials repeatedly associated with Goosens from 1969-71. For example, in his overlapping interior-decor collections based on themes of waterlilies or foliage, Goosens hammered gilt brass wire and sheets (see our closeup photo) to represent plant parts or he wired rock-crystal beads to appear as tiny fruits. While the two multicolor glass or resin beads in this necklace are atypical, the combination of blue, yellow and red is a palette that the designer used for other pieces of rock-crystal jewelry and he created many kinds of multicolor faux stones with glass or resin paste, such as faux Tibetan turquoise including black and white. According to journalism based on interviews with Goosens, he often acquired unusual stones and glass for inspiration during his extensive travels exploring museum-collected antiquities. Since Maison Goosens was acquired in 2005 by Maison Chanel, it opened the Parisian showroom Galerie Goosens and associated shops to sell many kinds of reproductions and reimagined works by the founder, which fortunately does not suit the completely handmade elements of this necklace. So this couture piece remains one-of-a-kind. If desiring a vintage haute-couture original by Robert Goosens, we recommend perusing the Maison Goosens website so that a reproduction with a contemporary signature is not mistakenly purchased. Madame Gres (1903-1993) was born Germaine Emelie Krebs, but initially identified her fashion designs with the pseudonym Alix and later Alix Barton...

Created by a gallery-exhibited progressive artist in the 1990s to enable change over the course of time in a way that foreshadowed the current museum exhibition at TheMet "Sleeping B...

This is an excellent mid-century Japanese reproduction of a Miriam Haskell glass green-tone and metallic three-strand choker necklace. It features the American designer's characteristic use of colorful hand-crafted lampwork, seed and faux-pearl beads, along with Parisian-style silver-gilt metal filigree caps and findings. A supplier of Haskell's post-WWII Japanese-made beads and findings also made its own unbranded designs using the same materials. Whereby "Japan" is discreetly stamped on the hook that enables fastening along the extension chain. The faux-nacre coating of the pearls has partly disappeared on only the gold-accented smallest round beads. This does not detract from the necklace because similar irregular patterns with a mix of colors are among the multiple styles and sizes of beads (see closeups). The many colors include gold, ecru, brown, seafoam green, olive, mint, and vivid green. If you want the look of an authentic Haskell necklace for a fraction of the price, then you may want this piece. Otherwise, we pride ourselves on being able to identify unsigned Haskell...

Around 1930, Miriam Haskell's first designer Frank Hess designed this Russian-gilt brass ribbed-chain link bib necklace featuring 27 strands of varying length each wired to aqua faux-turquoise pressed glass beads with characteristic gold pronged-bell caps and thumbless spring-ring clasp. After the Great Depression began in the United States in 1929, to keep her popular European-style costume jewelry affordable among fashionable ladies, Haskell began using less expensive imported handcrafted glass beads, which included Czech and German pressed glass. Initially when she opened her handmade ready-to-wear costume-jewelry business in 1926 in New York City's downtown McAlpin Hotel, she had used only the finest Parisian glass beads and findings like French couturiers including Coco Chanel who soon became her competition. which Haskell promoted with the French name of her first boutique Le Bijou de L'Heure. If interested in assembling a suitable set of early Haskell-Hess pieces with similar aesthetics, please see our other listings for the aqua glass-and-enamel scalloped button clip earrings and the "peacock" coil arm-band bracelet with Parisian lampworked glass, faceted crystal, painted galalith beads, and cupped rose...

Featuring French studio-artist Andree Bazot's signature technique of topping free-formed layers of polychrome enamels fused on textural foiled plaques with a dollop of poured glass a...

This inverted Omega cradles an outstanding and exceedingly rare 7.37ct Chrome Tourmaline. Yes, Chrome Tourmalines are out there, but one of this size, clarity and color, are not easy...

CARTIER Diamond, Onyx, Emerald Panther Tassel Necklace A 18k white gold panther tassel necklace, set with round brilliant-cut diamonds, emerald and ony...

CARTIER “Les Oiseaux Liberes” Pendant Necklace Designed as a parrot set with brilliant-cut diamonds, highlighted with emerald eyes and moth...

Maison Goossens for Chanel Rare hand made pendant necklace consisting of a polished shard of Rock Crystal capped by gilt bronze with jewel tone poured glass stones. The pendant is suspended on a black leather cord. Unsigned Chanel runway piece...

This glorious, unique piece is a spider web necklace, featuring an exquisite 12.03ct oval cut Lightning Ridge black opal, surrounded by 16.19ct tot...

South Sea Pearl & VVS quality Diamonds 4 Piece Set Necklace, Watch , Earring and Ring Suite 18 Karat White Gold 285 Gm with Each piece is signed PIAGET , 750 , PT and serial # Full length of the necklace is 36 inches with both pearl string attached but you can take the long pearl string out as it slides out. With only one pearl layer is 22 inch long. Earrings # E 50816 Weight of the earring 14.15 Gm 38 Round diamonds are hanging from a micro pave diamond flower. The quality is the finest you can find . It has omega back to support the ear. Approximately diamond weight of the earring is 6.5 ct Earrings are 1.8 inch long Necklace Necklace # PIAGET , 750 , PT , # E50811 Necklace has two layers of solitaire round Tennis necklace , Hanging from two long bows of diamonds. All VS quality and D in color The Necklace has two layers of absolutely white south sea Pearls with no blemishes at all . It is museum quality. 1st layer has 40 brilliant cut diamonds and second layer has 48 round diamonds Both layers has round diamonds ranging approximately from 5 to 35 pointer of diamond in graduating size. with Two micro pave long bows, approximately diamond weight is 25 ct to 30 cts. The Necklace has two layers of absolutely white south sea Pearls with no blemishes at all . It is museum quality. Size of the pearl 7 to 12 MM with most of the pearls are 10 mm The gross weight of the necklace is 178 gm Length 22 inch with one pearl layer and 36 inch with both pearl layers. Ring Large cocktail ring with center round diamond 1.22 Ct GIA certified GIA report # 2221645330 E color VVS2 , EX EX EX with no fluorescence Serial # Ring # PIAGET 54 E # 53016 All other diamond, VS1 and E color quality. 18 Karat gold of the ring is 30.27 grams. Approximate weight of the diamonds 8 ct...