Ilias Lalaounis Pearl
20th Century Greek Clip-on Earrings
Pearl, Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Brooches
Pearl, Yellow Gold
1990s Greek Clip-on Earrings
Pearl, Ruby, Cultured Pearl, Gold
Vintage 1940s European Baroque Pendant Necklaces
Pearl, 14k Gold, Enamel
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Cuff Bracelets
Sterling Silver
1990s Clip-on Earrings
Early 2000s Italian Cuff Bracelets
Sterling Silver
1990s More Jewelry
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
Late 20th Century More Jewelry
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern More Jewelry
Aquamarine, Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1950s Swiss Wrist Watches
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century British Art Deco Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
Vintage 1960s Swedish Beaded Necklaces
Pearl, Gold
20th Century Greek More Rings
Diamond, Ruby, Gold
Vintage 1980s Greek Clip-on Earrings
Ruby, Sapphire, Gold
Mid-20th Century Greek Modernist Clamper Bracelets
Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary British Contemporary More Jewelry
Other, Rhodium, Silver, Sterling Silver
20th Century Greek More Rings
Yellow Gold
1990s American Bangles
14k Gold, Silver, Sterling Silver
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century Greek More Earrings
Pearl, Ruby, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Greek Pendant Necklaces
Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Pearl, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Clip-on Earrings
Crystal, Rock Crystal, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 1970s Greek Clip-on Earrings
Freshwater Pearl, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Greek Brooches
Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Greek Brooches
Late 20th Century Greek Classical Greek Beaded Necklaces
Cultured Pearl, 18k Gold
Mid-20th Century Greek Modern Clip-on Earrings
Freshwater Pearl, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Late 20th Century Greek Classical Greek Pendant Necklaces
Pearl, Turquoise, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Greek Contemporary Clip-on Earrings
Pearl, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
20th Century Greek Classical Greek Fashion Rings
22k Gold
Vintage 1970s Greek Byzantine Clip-on Earrings
Pearl, Cultured Pearl
20th Century Greek More Bracelets
Pearl, 18k Gold
Greek Clip-on Earrings
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.