This David Webb Coral Flower Brooch Is Better Than a Bouquet

For starters, it is one of the jewelry designer’s most celebrated works.
David Webb coral brooch

Created in 1966 by the revered American designer David Webb, this palm-size chrysanthemum brooch is something of a superstar. It is highlighted to spectacular visual effect in the recently published The Art of David Webb, whose author, jewelry historian Ruth Peltason, connects it to the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai’s 1833–34 woodblock print Chrysanthemums and Horsefly (residing in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art). Whether Webb saw this specific print is unclear, but the voluptuous form of the brooch’s blossom, with its incurved coral petals forming a tight, compact ball, bears a remarkable resemblance to Hokusai’s central bloom.

“The fact that it includes diamonds makes it more precious,” Sima Ghadamian, owner of Sima G. Ltd., says of the jewel, which she is offering on 1stDibs. “And yet, it doesn’t scream, ‘I’m expensive.’ It just screams, ‘I’m unique and beautiful.’ ”

Ghadamian notes that the piece stands out within Webb’s body of work, not just because it is one-of-a-kind but also because it marks a departure from the brooches in vogue in the previous decade. It was “fresh and new for its time,” she says, explaining that where 1950s brooches were more traditionally floral-themed and ladylike, Webb’s vibrant sculptural coral blossom, set alongside a spiral of cabochon emeralds, was “audacious and bold — a very modern look — and to me, it feels very American.” By “American,” Ghadamian means “daring,” a quality that she says draws her — and many collectors — to the designer’s pieces.

With brooches back in favor — among men and women alike — this chrysanthemum can be styled a number of ways, beyond pinning it to a lapel or neckline. For a bit of fun, Ghadamian suggests that you thread a silk ribbon through the closure on the back to form a choker or necklace.

“You can also wear it at your hip, which is something that women used to do in the ’40s and ’50s,” she says. “I think that’s a very elegant way to wear it.”

With a relaxed, casual outfit, the brooch “will elevate your look to something really special,” she adds. “It’s almost like wearing a piece of art. When people see you, they’ll know that somebody with great taste is in the room.”


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