Ilias Lalaounis Fish
Vintage 1960s Greek Drop Necklaces
18k Gold
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Coral, Diamond, Emerald, Jade, Platinum
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Aquamarine, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique 1840s Italian Classical Roman More Jewelry
Coral, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Wrist Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Mid-20th Century Italian Charm Bracelets
Cultured Pearl, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, Coral, Citrine, Chrysophrase, C...
21st Century and Contemporary American Classical Roman Chain Necklaces
Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
2010s Link Bracelets
Quartz, 18k Gold
Antique 1880s Victorian Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, Ruby, Gold, Silver
2010s French Wrist Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold
Antique 19th Century French Victorian Stud Earrings
Diamond, Natural Pearl, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Late 20th Century Etruscan Revival Brooches
Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Victorian Brooches
Diamond, Emerald
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20th Century Greek Drop Earrings
Diamond, 18k Gold
20th Century Greek Band Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold
20th Century Greek Bangles
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold
1990s Greek Byzantine Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Greek Serving Bowls
Silver
1990s Greek Classical Greek Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold
Late 20th Century More Rings
Gold, White Gold, Yellow 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.