Verdura 20.01 Carat Ceylon No Heat Sapphire Flower Brooch with Diamonds
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:18k Gold
- Stone:Sapphire,Diamond
- Stone Cut:Cushion Cut
- Place of Origin:Italy
- Period:1950-1959
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: j30821511231093203fs
Verdura
Fulco di Verdura (1898–1978) is not exactly a household name, except for those who know a thing or two about highly original, often eccentric handcrafted jewelry and, even more so, for those fortunate enough to own some. In that exclusive group, Verdura is regarded as the most gifted and coveted designer of his time.
Verdura was born in Sicily in 1898, the scion of a noble family related to the Lampedusas. (His cousin, Giuseppe di Lampedusa, wrote the great Italian saga The Leopard). His life was charmed from birth. Raised in his family’s villa, he grew up during a time when Sicily, and Palermo in particular, were meccas for well-born and highly cultured European travelers.
A bona fide duke with no clear ambitions but creative leanings aplenty (he could draw and paint), the young Verdura was part of the wandering social circuit — the so-called beau monde — that went from capital to capital, resort to resort.
Verdura, though small in stature, had that indefinable quality called charm. As a result, he was the life of every party he attended. When he finally started designing jewelry under Coco Chanel in the late 1920s, many of his friends became his clients (or received the pieces as gifts). Elsa Maxwell took him under her ample wing when she was hired to do public relations for the Lido in Venice and introduced him to the local and visiting cognoscenti. Chanel, whom he met in Venice, hired him to work in the textiles division of her fashion house. But it was his flair for jewelry that soon caught Coco’s eye. Eventually, he rose to become her personal designer of fine jewelry.
In 2002’s Verdura: The Life and Work of a Master Jeweler (Thames & Hudson), Vanity Fair’s Amy Fine Collins describes the sensation of wearing pieces by Verdura, who drew inspiration from nature for his signature gem-studded seashell brooches and honeybee earrings. “They were ingeniously calculated to flatter the wearer,” writes Collins. “Earrings undulated to complement the convolutions of an earlobe, rings seductively followed the phalanges of a finger, and necklaces gracefully traced the anatomy of the throat.”
In 1934, Verdura left Chanel and together with two friends, aspiring actress Princess Natalia Pavlovna Paley and Baron Nicholas de Gunzburg, moved to the U.S. After several stops, he found a job through Diana Vreeland in Hollywood with Paul Flato, then the “jeweler to the stars.” Soon he was signing his work and helping Flato cultivate the crème de la creme of the silver screen — those both on it and behind it.
Verdura left Los Angeles for New York and opened his own salon, first on Fifth Avenue in 1939, just as World War II was beginning in Europe. His backers were Vincent Astor and Cole Porter, for whom he made bejeweled boxes and cigarette cases — gifts from Porter’s wife, Linda — to commemorate the opening nights of several musicals. Verdura began to expand both his repertoire — he became much more daring and flamboyant — and his clientele. The Duchess of Windsor, Daisy Fellowes, Greta Garbo and others routinely gave him commissions. In 1941, Verdura collaborated on a collection of six pieces with Salvador Dalí to accompany a Dalí exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Verdura retired in 1972 and left the care of the company to his partner, Joseph Alfano. He later moved to London, where he died in 1978 at the age of 79.
Among the most prized pieces on display in a 2014 Verdura jewelry exhibition in New York were Greta Garbo’s curb-link bracelet watch, which Verdura designed for her in 1939; Coco Chanel’s pair of Maltese Cross cuff bracelets (she wore one on each wrist); and Diana Vreeland’s duo of Byzantine brooches.
Find a range of authentic Verdura jewelry today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Bvlgari 10.36 Carat Ceylon No-Heat Sapphire Ring with DiamondsBy BulgariLocated in New York, NYwith an AGL certified Ceylon origin, non-heat treated Oval cut Sapphire weighing 10.36 carats. The center Sapphires is flanked by Round Brilliant cut diamonds weighing approximately ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian More Rings
MaterialsDiamond, Sapphire, Platinum, 18k Gold
- Cartier Sapphire Diamond Flower BroochBy CartierLocated in New York, NYSigned Cartier Flower Brooch finely crafted in 18K yellow gold, accented with sapphires, natural fancy yellow diamonds, round and baguette cut di...Category
Vintage 1950s Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Yellow Diamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold
- 21.00 Carat Diamond Flower BroochLocated in New York, NYFinely crafted in 18k white gold with a center Round brilliant cut diamond weighing 1.00 carat, 369 smaller round brilliant cut and 31 baguette cut diamonds weighing approximately 20...Category
Vintage 1950s Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold
- 20.00 Carat Diamond BroochLocated in New York, NYFinely crafted in platinum featuring baguette, emerald and round cut diamonds weighing a total 20.00 carats. Circa 1950's.Category
Vintage 1950s Post-War Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Platinum
- Verdura Chalcedony and Amethyst BroochLocated in New York, NYFinely crafted in 18k yellow gold with a center chalcedony and four amethysts. 2 4/8 inches long, 2 2/8 inches wide.Category
Vintage 1980s Brooches
MaterialsChalcedony, Amethyst, 18k Gold
- David Webb Coral Flower Brooch with DiamondsBy David WebbLocated in New York, NYFinely crafted in 18k yellow gold with carved corals and round cut diamonds. The center diamond weighs approximately 1.05 carats while surrounding smaller diamonds weigh approximate...Category
Vintage 1970s Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Coral, 18k Gold
- Yellow Gold Brooch with Six Carats GRS No Heat Royal Blue Sapphire and DiamondsBy Polya Medvedeva JewelleryLocated in Berlin, DEThe heart of this 18 karat yellow gold Tobacco Flower brooch is a stunning GRS-certified vivid royal blue oval sapphire from Sri Lanka, measuring 10.73 x 9.64 x 5.99 mm and weighing ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary German Artist Brooches
MaterialsParaiba, Diamond, Sapphire, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Green Sapphi...
- Antique No-Heat Blue Sapphire and Diamond Horseshoe BroochLocated in New York, NYAntique brooch showcasing 10.00 carats total of graduating oval cut blue sapphires, accented with old mine cut diamonds weighing 3.00 carats total. Natural No-Heat.Category
20th Century Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Sapphire
- Art Deco Sapphire and Diamond Brooch, Burma No HeatLocated in Hummelstown, PAThe center of this charming Edwardian / Art Deco brooch is like a tiny flower with petals of natural vivid blue sapphires and shimmering old mine-cut diamonds, floating within a fram...Category
Vintage 1910s Unknown Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Sapphire, Platinum
- 25.00CT Ceylon Sapphire (No Heat) Diamond pin/pendant AGL certificateLocated in Chicago, ILEveryone deserves a medal... especially if this "medal" contains 25.00CT Oval Cabochon cut Natural Ceylon Sapphire NO HEAT (please check AGL certificate picture for details. Sapphir...Category
Vintage 1960s Unknown Modern Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold, Platinum
- French Edwardian No Heat Ceylon Sapphire Diamond Platinum 18K Gold Antique RingLocated in Philadelphia, PACentering an elongated cushion cut sapphire weighing 2.64 carats total - transparent medium blue Natural Sri Lanka in origin and displaying no indications of heat treatment Set in a ...Category
Vintage 1910s Edwardian Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum
- 18K Sapphire Diamond Brooch 20 caratsLocated in North Hollywood, CAThis 18K Sapphire Diamond brooch is unique as it has over 20 carats of Sapphires. These Sapphires are oval cut and of different colors of Sapphires, from...Category
Early 2000s North American Contemporary Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Sapphire, 18k Gold