Jacques L'enfant for Georges L'enfant Gold Bracelet, Paris, circa 1950

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Jacques L'enfant for Georges L'enfant Gold Bracelet, Paris, circa 1950

About the Item

Gold Bracelet by Jacques L'enfant for Georges L'enfant, Paris, circa 1950 A bracelet composed of interlocking links of polished gold and textured gold; in 18-karat gold, with French assay marks • Maker's mark for Georges L'enfant Biography The Lenfant family is recognized for the master craftsman who produced exceptional jewelry for the finest houses in the twentieth century. Georges began as a Cartier work master before registering his own mark in 1909. His son Jacques joined him as a child in 1915 and became one of the most highly sought-after manufacturers from the 1950s to 1970s. He was particularly known for innovative gold jewelry, creating complicated and bold chains for the neck and wrist for the finest maisons, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Sandoz, and Tiffany & Co., to name a few. The company closed in the 1990s, and Jacques wrote a book titled Le livre de la chaîne detailing his unparalleled knowledge of making gold chains. Significance Around the world, the 1950s were marked by economic expansion and social change. After the deprivation of the years during World War II, economies around the world grew by leaps and bounds. While infrastructure in Europe was being rebuilt, there was a new interest in mass media and pop culture. In 1947, Christian Dior launched his debut fashion collection, immediately dubbed the “New Look,” featuring full skirts, tight waists, and rounded shoulders. The designs appealed to glamorous women like Grace Kelley, Millicent Rogers, and the Duchess of Windsor. The new fashions exaggerated the silhouette and called for bold oversized jewelry as a complement. In 1956, Vogue featured an oversized gold link bracelet on the cover, perfectly balancing the effortlessly chic outfit. This is the type of chain that would have been meticulously made by the Lenfant studio. Jacques Lenfant became known for his superb goldwork in the 1950s. He created necklaces and bracelets, each more complex than the last, that played with movement and texture. This bracelet is one of the most unusual, composed of textured “paillette” links that are held together with contrasting links of polished gold. The construction feels like a wonderful puzzle and gives the impression of a stack of bracelets worn together. Lenfant created variations of round link bracelets throughout his career and in his book Le livre de la chaîne he says they are inspired by Abraham-Louis Breguet, the watchmaker, who always wore round link chains to hold his watches, and they are also a a reference to the round moving cogs that make up a watch movement and the round cases. Lenfant said, “Everyone knows that Henri Ford, from the beginning of the model T to its fantastic success, accepted requests from his clients for any color under one condition, that it be black. I have the feeling that Abraham-Louis Breguet would have put up with any shape, as long as it were round!” This unusual bracelet by Lenfant is a wearable display of the artist’s fluidity and innovation.

Creator:
Georges L'Enfant
Metal:
18k Gold
Weight:
111.9 g
Dimensions:
Width: 0.88 in (22.36 mm)Length: 7.5 in (190.5 mm)
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
c.1950
Condition:
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
Seller: F13881stDibs: LU2075215037252

Shop All Georges L'Enfant

Georges L'Enfant

Known as one of the finest goldsmiths of the 20th century, Georges L’Enfant was widely admired for his workmanship and innovative designs. His atelier forged collaborations with a lengthy list of illustrious jewelry houses, including Cartier, Tiffany & Co. and Hermès, to name a few.

L’Enfant was born to a family of jewelers and goldsmiths. He served several apprenticeships and studied jewelry-making in Paris and abroad as a youth. He later returned to France and set up his own workshop around 1900.

At his Paris shop, at 47 Rue des Petits-Champs, L’Enfant became known for his elegant diamond rings, finely crafted gold jewelry and vivid gemstone bracelets and drop necklaces. He registered his maker’s mark in 1909, and in 1915, L’Enfant’s 11-year-old son Jacques joined the business.

In 1927, goldsmith and jewelry manufacturer Gustave-Roger Sandoz sold his company to L’Enfant, provided Sandoz’s son Gerard could retain his role as creative director. With Gerard, L’Enfant produced an extensive series of art moderne jewelry.

Following World War II, Jacques took over his father’s company and continued to use the Georges L’Enfant maker’s mark. Throughout the 1950s, the business collaborated with Vacheron Constantin on a luxury watch line. The brand enjoyed long-established partnerships with Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Hermès and René Boivin, among others.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Jacques designed a collection of 18-karat gold chain bracelets, link bracelets and link necklaces, many of which featured delicate gold braiding. From that point on, braided and link-style pieces became the L’Enfant company’s signature and remain highly collectible items among gold-jewelry connoisseurs today. In 2003, the Georges L’Enfant brand ceased production after the firm Bouder took ownership in a buyout, making its existing baubles even more covetable.

On 1stDibs, discover a range of antique and vintage Georges L’Enfant brooches, bracelets and necklaces.