David Webb Jewelry
“Women are tired of jewelry-looking jewelry,” celebrated American designer David Webb once noted. In response, he created a menagerie of whimsical animals rendered as rings, brooches, earrings and, especially, bangle bracelets. This playfulness permeates all Webb’s work, which is characterized by brightly hued enamel and color-saturated semiprecious stones like coral, azurmalachite and turquoise, the notable exception being the clear, elegant rock crystal for which he had an affinity.
The North Carolina native apprenticed with his uncle, a silversmith, before moving to New York, where he established David Webb Inc. in 1948. He had no formal training in jewelry design. Instead, he culled inspiration from the ornamental styles of ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Americas, as well as the traditions of India and China — influences discernible in such pieces as his collar necklaces and talisman-like sautoirs.
Webb’s first animal bracelet was produced in 1957. His most famous, the zebra, took shape in 1963; its stripes now form the company’s logo. Although Webb died in 1975, his company continues to produce designs drawn from his extensive archives, and every piece is still made in the workshop above its Madison Avenue store.
Find an alluring collection of David Webb jewelry on 1stDibs, including earrings, brooches and other accessories.
1940s American Modern Vintage David Webb Jewelry
Diamond, White Diamond, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum
1940s American Modern Vintage David Webb Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1940s American Vintage David Webb Jewelry
Coral, Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
Late 20th Century North American David Webb Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Gold
Early 2000s American David Webb Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
1980s American Vintage David Webb Jewelry
Diamond, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Modern David Webb Jewelry
Diamond, Topaz, 18k Gold
Early 2000s American Contemporary David Webb Jewelry
Crystal, Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
1970s American Vintage David Webb Jewelry
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold
1950s American Vintage David Webb Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1930s French Art Nouveau Vintage David Webb Jewelry
Pearl, Diamond, Platinum, 18k Gold
20th Century Unknown Modern David Webb Jewelry
Opal, Diamond, Crystal, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1970s American Vintage David Webb Jewelry
18k Gold
1860s British Victorian Antique David Webb Jewelry
Diamond, Yellow Gold, Sterling Silver
20th Century David Webb Jewelry
Diamond, 10k Gold, White Gold
1940s American Vintage David Webb Jewelry
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold