Vintage 1970s Lalaounis Hammered Gold Cuff Bracelet
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
Finely crafted in 22k yellow hammered gold. Signed by Ilias Lalounis Circa 1970s Size 6 1/4 inches
Vintage 1970s Cuff Bracelets
22k Gold
Vintage 1970s Lalaounis Hammered Gold Cuff Bracelet
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
Finely crafted in 22k yellow hammered gold. Signed by Ilias Lalounis Circa 1970s Size 6 1/4 inches
22k Gold
Ilias Lalaounis 18 & 21 Karat Yellow Gold Hammered Finish Drop Pendant Necklace
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Boca Raton, FL
A striking and versatile design by Ilias Lalaounis, this pendant necklace is crafted in rich 18 and
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Ilias Lalaounis High Karat Yellow Gold Hammered Finish Fork Design Band Ring
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Montclair, NJ
Material: Solid 22k Yellow Gold - Stamped 22k Weight: 5.4 Grams Ring Size: 5.5 (We CANNOT custom size this ring) Ring Width: 11mm (0.43")(top of the ring, north to south) - 2.6mm (bo...
Gold, Yellow Gold
Ilias Lalaounis 18K Gold Wing Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in istanbul, TR
wing-inspired silhouette with Lalaounis’ signature hand-hammered finish—a tribute to ancient Greek
18k Gold
Vintage Lalaounis Greek 18k Hammered Gold Mechanical Collar Necklace
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
This vintage Greek collar necklace is crafted by Lalaounis in rich 18k yellow gold, weighing 68.5
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Lalaounis Hammered Yellow Gold Earclips
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pair of 18 Karat Yellow Hammered Gold Earclips by Lalaounis, Greece • With maker's mark for
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Whimsical Ilias Lalaounis Hammered Gold Wings Motif Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Lambertville, NJ
A pair of large 18 hammered gold earrings, featuring wings motif design, crafted by Greek designer
18k Gold
Lalaounis 22 Carat Hammered Yellow Gold Double Hinged Bangle
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in London, GB
A Lalaounis 22 Carat Hammered Yellow Gold Double Hinged Bangle. Circa 1980. Stamped "ILIAS
18k Gold, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Lalaounis 22 Carat Hammered Yellow Gold and Sodalite Hinged Bangle
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in London, GB
A Lalaounis 22 Carat Hammered Yellow Gold And Sodalite Hinged Bangle. The hinged bangle with double
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, 22k Gold
Lalaounis Gold Necklace
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Paris, IDF
A rigid 18K yellow, mat and hammered gold Ilias Lalaounis necklace, "Neolithic" collection.
Gold, 18k Gold
Vintage 1970s Lalaounis Hammered Gold Bubble Beads Necklace
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
Finley crafted in 18k yellow gold. Signed by Lalaounis Circa 1970s 17 1/4 inches long
18k Gold
1960s Ilias Lalaounis Hammered Yellow Gold Ring
Located in New York, NY
This chic Ilias Lalaounis ring is inspired by the fine jewelry of neolithic times and crafted in
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1990s Lalaounis Hand Hammered Gold Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1990 Lalaounis 18K Yellow Gold earrings, measuring 1 1/2 inch in length and 3/4 inch wide
18k Gold
Ilias Lalaounis Whimsical Hammered Gold Wing Motif Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Bethesda, MD
From greek jeweler Ilias Lalaounis, a pair of large 18 karat hammered gold earrings, featuring
18k Gold
Ilias LaLaounis 22 Karat Yellow Gold Hammered Button Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Boca Raton, FL
These LaLaounis earclip earrings, crafted from rich 22 karat yellow gold, feature a distinctive
22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Lalaounis 22K Yellow Gold Hammered Lapis Collar Hinged Necklace
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
Feel immaculate and strong with this stunning Antique LALAOUNIS Sodalite 22K Gold Textured Collar
Lapis Lazuli, 22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Ilias Lalaounis 18K Hammered Gold Neolitique Hoop Earrings, Greece
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Miami, FL
These sculptural hoop earrings by Ilias Lalaounis are a striking example of the designer’s
Gold, 18k Gold
Ilias Lalaounis Gold Bead Necklace with Hammered Finish and Textured Rondels
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in London, GB
22ct yellow gold signed Ilias Lalaounis and with maker’s mark and K22 16" long 240 grams A stylish
22k Gold
Sold
W 1 in Dm 1 in L 1 in
Ilias Lalaounis Sodalite 18 Karat Yellow Hammered Gold Button Earclip Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Boca Raton, FL
These exquisite Ilias Lalaounis button earrings showcase the designer's signature blend of ancient
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Ilias Lalaounis 18 Karat Yellow Gold Hammered Collar Necklace with Lapis
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Designer: Ilias LaLaounis Material: 18K yellow gold Weight: 118.58 grams Measurements: collar
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Ilias Lalaounis Gold Bead Open Sprung with Hammered Finish and Textured Bracelet
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in London, GB
22ct yellow gold signed Ilias Lalaounis and with maker’s mark and K22 Inside wrist circumference
22k Gold
Ilias Lalaounis Pair of 18 Carat Gold Hammered Dome Clip Earrings, circa 1970s
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in London, GB
18 Carat yellow gold with maker's marks 3.3cm diameter 33 grams A stylish pair of hammered gold
Yellow Gold
Sold
W 1.41 in L 2.28 in
Lalaounis 1970 the Dawn of Art Clips on Earrings in Hammered 18kt Yellow Gold
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Miami, FL
A pair of earrings designed by Ilias Lalaounis. Gorgeous statement earrings, created in Greece by
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Lalaounis Modernist Gold Bracelet
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Litchfield, CT
and hand hammered finishes, Lalaounis' work is sophistication ablaze with spirit.” SIZE: 8 1/2
22k Gold
LALAOUNIS chic yellow gold earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
A pair of 18 karat yellow gold earrings. Signed Lalaounis. Designed as hammered, hanging plaques
18k Gold
18k Gold and Sodalite Bracelet by Lalaounis
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Cincinnati, OH
A handsome 18k yellow gold and sodalite bangle bracelet by Ilias Lalaounis. The hammered torque
Ilias Lalaounis 18K Gold Wing Earrings, Circa 1970
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Miami, FL
wing-inspired silhouette with Lalaounis’ signature hand-hammered finish—a tribute to ancient Greek
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Ilias Lalaounis Hammered Gold Bangle Bracelet
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
Ilias Lalaounis Hammered Gold Bangle Bracelet This bangle bracelet is made of 18k yellow hammered
Gold, 18k Gold
Lalaounis Hammered Gold Buckle Ring
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Litchfield, CT
Circa 1970s, 18k, by Ilias Lalaounis, Greece. This bold heavily worked gold buckle ring has a look
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Large Lalaounis Hammered Nautilus Clip Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Palm Beach, FL
This pair of 22k yellow gold Lalaounis Nautilus shell motif earrings are hand hammered over their
22k Gold
Ilias Lalaounis Hammered 18k Gold Hellenistic Ring
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Austin, TX
An ultra modern 18k hammered yellow gold "Hellenistic" ring by Ilias Lalaounis. The chic and easy
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Ilias Lalaounis Hammered Gold Clip-on Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Southampton, PA
ornamentation around the edges of these elegant earrings, Ilias Lalaounis employed radiant 18K yellow gold in a
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage Lalaounis 18K Lapis Lazuli Double Lion Large Hinged Bangle Bracelet
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Henderson, NV
Vintage Ilias Lalaounis hammered 18K yellow gold double hinged bangle bracelet, featuring a central
Lapis Lazuli, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Ilias Lalaounis Greece Hammered Gold Cuff Bracelet
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
dwt. Signed by Ilias Lalaounis .
Gold
Ilias Lalaounis Greece Hammered Gold Choker Necklace
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
61.4 DWT. 15.5 inch. Signed by Ilias Lalaounis.
Gold
Ilias Lalaounis 18k Hammered Gold Labyrinth Collar Necklace
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Austin, TX
A simple and elegant "Labyrinth" collar necklace by Ilias Lalaounis in bright 18k hammered yellow
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Lalaounis Yellow Gold Hammered Nautical Form large Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1990 Ilias Lalaounis 18k Yellow Gold Earrings, measuring 1 1/8 X 1 inch and weighing 16.7
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage Ilias Lalaounis 22K Gold Hammered Dome Statement Ring
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Ilias Lalaounis 22K Yellow Gold Hammered Dome Ring This exquisite vintage Ilias Lalaounis
22k Gold
Lalaounis 18k Yellow Gold Organic Ring
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
hammered texture, reflecting Lalaounis's dedication to reviving classical Greek goldsmithing techniques
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
Ilias Lalaounis 22k Gold Clip-On Buttons Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Lalaounis' signature hammered texture. Stamped with the maker's mark and a hallmark for 22k gold
22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Ilias Lalaounis 22k Gold Clip-On Hoop Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
A pair of small hoop earrings by Greek designer Ilias Lalaounis. Made of 22k gold, with Lalaounis
22k Gold, Yellow Gold
Lalaounis Hammered Gold Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Lalaounis 18K Yellow Gold Hammered Earrings. The earrings swing freely from the base, and
18k Gold
Lalaounis Hammered Yellow Gold Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Paris, IDF
A spectacular pair of yellow hammered gold Lalaounis earrings representing horns of plenty
18k Gold
Lalaounis Hammered Yellow Gold Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Paris, IDF
A spectacular pair of yellow hammered gold Lalaounis earrings representing horns of plenty. Height
18k Gold
Lalaounis Hammered 18k Gold Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
Embossed diamond shaped 18k gold drops suspend and swing freely from circular tops. Lalaounis was
18k Gold
Ilias Lalaounis Hammered Gold Swirl Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Lambertville, NJ
18k hand hammered gold earrings, crafted by Ilias Lalaounis, featuring swirl design, Earrings are
18k Gold
Lalaounis Hammered gold fluted spherical necklace
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Miami, FL
Necklace Designed as a series of hammered gold fluted spherical orbs and shaped bead spacers, can
Ilias Lalaounis Hammered Gold Snake Collar Necklace
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Lambertville, NJ
18k hammered gold collar necklace, crafted by Ilias Lalaounis in Greece, featuring snake design
18k Gold
Lalaounis Hammered Gold Pendant Earclips
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of 18 karat yellow gold pendant-earclips by Lalaounis, Greece, of hammered gold design with
18k Gold
Lalaounis Bypass Ring
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Atlanta, GA
Lalaounis hammered bypass ring of 22k yellow gold, weighing 8.8 grams. Size 6.5
22k Gold
Lalaounis Gold Hammered Necklace
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Lambertville, NJ
(INCH = 25mm) MARKED/TESTED ILIAS LALAOUNIS,A21750,GREECE,GREEK HALLMARK. CLARITY N/A COLOR N/A
18k Gold
Lalaounis Greece Hammered Gold Collar Necklace
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Lambertville, NJ
18k yellow hammered gold collar necklace, crafted by Greek designer Ilias Lalaounis. Necklace will
18k Gold
ILIAS LALAOUNIS Sodalite Hammered Hoop Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Atlanta, GA
These solid ILIAS LALAOUNIS earrings feature a 'clip-on' hammered hoop design with 2 sodalite
22k Gold
Lalaounis Greece Hammered Gold Hoop Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Lambertville, NJ
18k yellow gold hoop earrings, crafted by Greek designer Ilias Lalaounis. Earrings measure approx
18k Gold
Ilias Lalaounis Necklace
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in PARIS, FR
ILIAS LALAOUNIS 22Kt yellow gold hand hammered necklace modeled as two stylized snakes with their
LALAOUNIS Cuff Bracelet
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Lambertville, NJ
18kt. soft hammered finish Lalaounis bracelet in a double headed asp form. The bracelet fits an
18k Gold
Lalaounis Yellow Gold Disc Earclips
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Atlanta, GA
Pair of 18 karat yellow gold earclips by Lalaounis, Greece, designed as hammered gold discs
18k Gold, Gold, Yellow Gold
ILIAS LALAOUNIS Button Style Earrings
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Atlanta, GA
These ILIAS LALAOUNIS button style earrings feature hammered layers and a domed top. They are non
18k Gold
Lalounis Hammered Gold Bangle Bracelets
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
Pair of 18k hammered gold hinged bangle bracelets which were purchased to be worn together and look
LALAOUNIS Gold Earrings
Located in Palm Beach, FL
A simple, chic pair of gold earrings by Lalaounis. Concentric circle design in hammered gold that
18k Gold
Masriera Plique a Jour Enamel & Diamond Bangle Bracelet
By Masriera
Located in New York, NY
great paired with a Buccellati bangle or two or even with a hammered gold Lalaounis bangle as the tone
Ilias Lalaounis Greece Hammered Gold Cuff Bracelet
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Lambertville, NJ
An 18k yellow gold cuff bracelet in a hammered finish. Crafted by Ilias Lalaounis the bracelet
18k Gold
Hermès Constance Mini 18 Bleu Roy Ostrich Gold Hardware
By Hermès
Located in Berlin, DE
Hermès Constance Mini 18 in bleu roy and ostrich leather with gold hardware. The bag is unworn and comes as full set with the original receipt. Stamp Y (2020)
Hermes Sunset Rainbow Sellier Birkin 35 Rare Limited Edition Bag
By Hermès
Located in Miami, FL
Mightychic offers a rare, limited edition Hermes 35 Birkin Sellier bag featured in Sunset Rainbow. This exquisite bag is a collectors treasures and very rare to market in new, never...
Cartier 18k Yellow Gold Maillon Panthere 5 Row Collar Necklace
By Cartier
Located in New York, NY
Cartier Maillon 18K Yellow Gold Estate 5 Row Panthère Necklace, 16 inches, 137 grams. A bold and luxurious Cartier Maillon necklace crafted in rich 18K yellow gold, featuring a stri...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Massive Estate 18K Yellow Gold Rigato Statement Bracelet, 1970's
Located in New York, NY
Fabulous, massive 18K yellow gold cuff statement bracelet in the Rigato technique, synonymous with fine Italian craftsmanship 1970's Weight: 93.8 grams Marks: 750, 18K, Italy The Rig...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Van Cleef & Arpels Paris Diamond Gold Link Bracelet
By Van Cleef & Arpels
Located in Greenwich, CT
Link up with this spectacular Van Cleef & Arpels Paris diamond and 18 karat yellow gold vintage bracelet. With a total of 2.50 carats of round cut diamonds, this one-of-a-kind brace...
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold
Lalaounis Shell Gold Ear Clips
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in New York, NY
Lalaounis shell gold ear clips 18 karat yellow gold, shell motif; marked Lalaounis hallmark, 750, Greece Size: width 2 cm, length 3 cm Total weight: 19.8 grams
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Hermes Birkin Limited Edition 35 Diamond Bordeaux Porosus Crocodile Bag
By Hermès
Located in Miami, FL
Mightychic offers an exceptional limited edition Hermes Birkin 35 Diamond Porosus Crocodile bag featured in stunning jewel-toned Bordeaux. This rare masterpiece features 18K White Go...
$520Sale Price / item|20% Off
W 0.56 in L 0.99 in
Blue Sapphire Cabs 14kt Solid Gold Blue Chalcedony Cushion Shape Stud Earrings
By Tutti Frutti Jewellery
Located in Bangkok, TH
These simple but elegant and handmade earrings have 2 Oval Blue Sapphire cabs measuring 8 x 10 mm set in a 14 Kt yellow gold bezel at the top to which are suspended 2 Cushion Shap...
Chalcedony, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Hermes Kelly 25 Retourne Bag Vert d'Eau Matte Alligator with Palladium Hardware
By Hermès
Located in Miami, FL
Mightychic offers an Hermes Kelly 25 Retourne bag featured in sublime Vert d'Eau Matte Alligator. Timeless and chic, this gorgeous Kelly bag only grows more beautiful as it ages, sho...
$35,000
H 2.76 in W 3.55 in D 2.76 in
Victorian Opal and Diamond Crown Tiara Haircomb Necklace, circa 1880s
Located in Idar-Oberstein, DE
Victorian Opal and Diamond Crown Haircomb Necklace, ca. 1880s A very unusual and stunning Victorian crown, set with fiery opal cabochons and old-mine cut diamonds, from the 1880s. T...
Diamond, Opal, Gold, Silver
$17,761
H 2.17 in W 6.3 in L 8.86 in
Exceptional Hermès Handbag Purse Clutch in Brown Crocodile Ghw Rare
By Hermès
Located in Corcoué Sur Logne, Loire-Atlantique
Absolutely Gorgeous Authentic Hermès Purse Absolutely divine, a jewel Made in France Stamp A in square (1997) Made of shiny niloticus crocodile and golden hardware Lined with la...
Large Greek 18K Yellow Gold Hoop Earrings, Signed, 20th Century
Located in New York, NY
Large, classic signed 18K yellow gold hoop earrings 20th Century Diameter: 1.32 inches Weight: 7.8 grams Marks: 750 for 18K gold, signed with maker's mark in greek High quality consi...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Hermès Bolide 27cm Turquoise Chevre Mysore Leather
By Hermès
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Hermès Bolide 27cm in Turquoise Chevre Mysore with Palladium hardware offers a more dynamic, color-forward take on the house’s classic zip silhouette, where the compact 27cm size kee...
F/W 2000 Thierry Mugler Runway Cat Eye Brooch Green Velvet Evening Gown
By Thierry Mugler, Mugler
Located in West Hollywood, CA
This Thierry Mugler evening gown from the Fall/Winter 2000 collection is crafted in deep green velvet and designed with an asymmetric one-shoulder silhouette. The dress is defined by...
1960s Lalaounis Ruby Gold Ram's Head Ear Clips
By Ilias Lalaounis
Located in Bay Harbor Islands, FL
Lalaounis ear clips in 18k gold set with 10 round rubies. They measure 1.5 inches by 1 inch. They are in the classic shape of a Rams head. Lalaounis and gold marks. Metal Type: 18 ...
Ruby, 18k Gold
Hermes Kelly Kellywood 22 Wood Kelly Barenia Leather Limited Edition
By Hermès
Located in Miami, FL
Mightychic offers an exquisite limited edition Hermes Kellywood "Kelly Wood" 22 bag featured in bog oak and Barenia leather. Not since the Sterling Kelly bag, has Hermes offered a ba...
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.
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.