Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Suzanne Belperron (1900–83) may not be a household name, but anyone who knows jewelry will recognize her as one of the industry’s 20th-century greats. She was born Suzanne Vuillerme in Saint-Claude, France, a center of the French diamond-cutting industry. Displaying an early talent for design, Belperron studied at the Besançon École des Beaux-Arts before moving to Paris and landing her first job as a model-maker and designer at French jewelry house Boivin when she was 19. Within a few years, she was named codirector — a meteoric rise that would jump-start her legacy.
In 1932, Belperron left Boivin to partner with gemstone and natural pearl dealer Bernard Herz, with whom she would develop her distinct avant-garde aesthetic. Unlike most jewelry designers of the day, Belperron decided against signing her works, feeling so confident in her uniqueness that she declared, “My style is my signature.” Her exceptionally dramatic works were nothing like the angular Art Deco pieces that were popular at the time, taking on large-scale sculptural forms and featuring various design motifs from cultures around the world. The designer was a favorite of couturier Elsa Schiaparelli, who modeled her Belperron jewelry in Vogue in 1933. (Belperron jewels would grace the cover of Vogue Paris in 1934.) She would also count Diana Vreeland and Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, among her fans.
World War II changed everything. When the Germans occupied Paris, the Jewish Herz transferred the company to Belperron in order to preserve the business. Both would later be arrested by the Nazis. Belperron was released; Herz was sent to the Drancy internment camp. He later died at Auschwitz, despite Belperron’s best efforts to get him released.
Belperron kept the firm going during the war and after its end Herz’s son, Jean — a released prisoner of war — became Belperron’s equal partner per Bernard Herz’s final wishes. The two would work together under the name Jean Herz-Suzanne Belperron for the rest of her career. In 1963, Belperron was awarded the rank of Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, and she quietly retired in 1974.
In 1987, there was a resurgence of interest in Belperron’s work, thanks to the auction of the Duchess of Windsor’s personal collection, which included at least 16 pieces by the designer. In 1999, Ward Landrigan of Verdura acquired both the rights to the Belperron name as well as a design archive of thousands of drawings, leading to the relaunch of the brand in 2015 with a new salon on Fifth Avenue in New York.
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1930s French Retro Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
1940s Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Diamond, Yellow Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum
1950s French Retro Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Diamond, Ruby, Platinum
1930s French Retro Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Emerald, Multi-gemstone, Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Sterling S...
1990s French Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum, Gold
1950s Retro Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Ruby, Blue Sapphire, Emerald, Multi-gemstone, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary American Art Deco Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Multi-gemstone, Silver, Sterling Silver
1950s Dutch Retro Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1980s American Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century American Modern Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Pearl, Diamond, Platinum
1930s European Art Deco Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
1920s Art Deco Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Modern Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Silver, Sterling Silver
21st Century and Contemporary American Artist Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Emerald, Multi-gemstone, Ruby, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Silver, Sterling...
1940s French Retro Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Diamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Platinum
Early 20th Century Unknown Art Deco Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
Late 20th Century European Aesthetic Movement Suzanne Belperron Brooches
1980s French Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1940s French Retro Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum
1930s French Retro Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Citrine, Diamond, Yellow Gold
1970s French Vintage Suzanne Belperron Brooches
Lapis Lazuli, Agate, 18k Gold
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Creators Similar to Suzanne Belperron
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 22, 2024Suzanne Belperron used a variety of materials for her jewelry pieces. However, she was particularly well known for combining rock crystal with diamonds. Over the course of her life, she worked with yellow gold, platinum and sterling silver and also incorporated emeralds, rubies, sapphires and other gems into her pieces. Find a collection of Suzanne Belperron jewelry on 1stDibs.