Lalaounis Cross
Vintage 1970s Greek Pendant Necklaces
Emerald, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
1990s Greek Fashion Rings
Yellow Gold
20th Century Greek More Necklaces
Gold
Vintage 1980s American Contemporary Bangles
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, 18k Gold
People Also Browsed
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Baroque More Jewelry
Diamond, Pearl, Gold, White Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Artisan Bangles
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Thai Pendant Necklaces
Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, Tourmaline, Tsavorite, Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Art Deco More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
2010s Greek Byzantine Pendant Necklaces
Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Greek Modern More Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Contemporary Cuff Bracelets
18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Etruscan Revival Pendant Necklaces
Amazonite, Carnelian, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Charm Bracelets
Multi-gemstone, 18k Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century British Etruscan Revival Pendant Necklaces
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1810s French George III Pendant Necklaces
Opal, Amethyst, Malachite, Rock Crystal, Topaz, 18k Gold
Vintage 1980s Greek Hellenistic Clip-on Earrings
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Fashion Rings
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Greek Etruscan Revival Solitaire Rings
Diamond, Gold
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century Greek Band Rings
22k Gold
Vintage 1970s Greek More Necklaces
Emerald, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1950s Greek Etruscan Revival Brooches
18k Gold, 22k Gold
Vintage 1970s Greek Byzantine Pendant Necklaces
22k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Yellow Gold, Enamel
20th Century Greek Necklace Enhancers
Emerald, 18k Gold
20th Century Greek More Necklaces
Carnelian, 18k Gold
20th Century Greek More Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold
Ilias Lalaounis for sale on 1stDibs
It’s fitting that Ilias Lalaounis (1920–2013) is the only jeweler ever inducted into the prestigious Académie des Beaux-Arts — the Greek jeweler’s creations, such as his decorative gold necklaces and rings, are less fashion adornment and more works of art.
Lalaounis was born in Athens in 1920 to a family of goldsmiths and watchmakers with origins in Delphi. Before turning to the family business, Lalaounis studied law, economics, business and music and trained with the painter Alexandros Alexandrakis. Such a well-rounded education laid the foundation for his unique approach to jewelry.
Lalaounis took the helm of his uncle’s jewelry company in 1940. The impact of the Second World War on Greece inspired the jeweler to celebrate his country’s history by reinterpreting its artifacts into new works of art. In 1957, Lalaounis founded the Greek Jewelers’ Association and exhibited at the Thessaloniki International Fair, showcasing the first of his “collections,” as he would come to define his phases of work. This, the Archaeological Collection, was informed by classical and Hellenistic history.
Lalaounis would go on to find new ways to render historic motifs in gold and gemstones after founding his namesake house in 1969. For his 1970s-era collection, Blow Up, he displayed gold pieces inspired by Minoan art on his models’ entire bodies; after opening a store in Tokyo, he presented a collection informed by Japanese art. Later, Lalaounis introduced a collection inspired by Native Americans at his Madison Avenue store in Manhattan. One of the jeweler’s most important commissions came in 1976, when he designed a collection that drew on Persian art for Empress Farah of Iran.
In 1984, Lalaounis explored his unique creative vision with a book, Metamorphoses. By the 1990s, he had stores across Europe as well as in Tokyo, Hong Kong and New York City, and his work had been exhibited at the National Museum of American History and the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, to name a few. In 1994, he founded his own eponymous museum in Athens, with a permanent collection of pieces from 45 of his collections. Lalaounis died in 2013.
Lalaounis’s research-driven approach to jewelry design gives his pieces a depth on par with any art form.
Find an ornate assortment of Ilias Lalaounis’s yellow-gold necklaces, rings and more on 1stDibs.