Verdura Cabana Blue Topaz Green Tourmaline Gold Brooch
View Similar Items
Verdura Cabana Blue Topaz Green Tourmaline Gold Brooch
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:18k Gold
- Stone:Topaz,Tourmaline
- Weight:45.8 g
- Dimensions:Height: 2.25 in (57.15 mm)Width: 2.25 in (57.15 mm)
- Period:Late 20th Century
- Date of Manufacture:late 20th century
- Condition:
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1221653993
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.
- Retro Blue and Yellow Sapphire Diamond Gold BroochLocated in New York, NYElegant blue and yellow sapphire brooch, circa 1940s. Set in 14k yellow and pink gold, it features approx. 25 carats of colored sapphires with t...Category
Vintage 1940s Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Gold, 14k Gold
- French Retro Citrine Gold BroochLocated in New York, NYChic retro citrine and 18K yellow gold brooch of French origin, circa 1940s. It features bright citrines and an elegant flowing design. Great workmansh...Category
Vintage 1940s Brooches
MaterialsCitrine, 18k Gold
- Mid-Century Diamond and Gold BroochLocated in New York, NYElegant Mid-Century diamond and 18K yellow gold brooch and accessory piece of European origin. It features high grade round brilliant cut diamonds, over an impeccably made 18K yellow...Category
Mid-20th Century Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, 18k Gold
- Van Cleef & Arpels Onyx 18k Gold Dog BroochBy Van Cleef & ArpelsLocated in New York, NYFine and rare brooch by Van Cleef and Arpels, of French origin and circa late 20th Century. This brooch is made in the likeness of a small dog with a rolled up newspaper in its mout...Category
Late 20th Century Brooches
MaterialsOnyx, 18k Gold
- CARTIER PANTHERE Emerald Onyx Gold Prowling Panther BroochBy CartierLocated in New York, NYUnleash the Enchantress: A Cartier Panthère Emerald Onyx Gold Prowling Panther Brooch Embrace the allure of the wild with this captivating Cartier Panthère Emerald Onyx Gold Prowlin...Category
Late 20th Century Brooches
MaterialsEmerald, Onyx, 18k Gold, Gold
- Cartier Diamond Chalcedony and 18 Karat White Gold Turtle BroochBy CartierLocated in New York, NYExquisite Whimsy: Cartier Diamond Chalcedony and 18 Karat White Gold Turtle Brooch This enchanting Cartier brooch embodies a timeless blend of luxury and playful elegance. Its whims...Category
Late 20th Century Brooches
MaterialsChalcedony, Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
- Verdura Ray Gold BroochBy VerduraLocated in New York, NYVerdura "Ray" gold brooch 18 karat yellow gold; marked Verdura, 750, Made in Italy Size: width 2.38 inches, length 2.38 inches Total weight: 52.8 gramsCategory
Mid-20th Century Brooches
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Verdura Diamond Gold Brooch PinBy VerduraLocated in New York, NYLarge 18k gold brooch by Verdura. Set with approx. 1.20cts in diamonds, the brooch measures 52mm x 58m. Comes in original Verdure box. Marked: Verdura, 750, made in Italy. Weight - 3...Category
20th Century Italian Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Gold
- Verdura Maltese Brooch Pendant 18Kt Gold With 31.1 Ctw In Diamonds & TourmalineBy VerduraLocated in Miami, FLOutstanding jeweled Pendant-Brooch designed by Verdura. An iconic vintage piece, designed in 1950 by Verdura as a stylized asymmetric eight pointed Maltese cross. It was individually assembled by pieces, crafted in solid 18 karats of high polished yellow gold and embellished with gemstones. Suited at the reverse with a hinged vertical double pins bars with a trombone lock. Can be wear as a pendant too. Prong set with a mix of 28 rounds and oval cuts gems, of natural green tourmaline, gradated from deep and light color variations,. They have a combined weight of about 30 carats. Accented, with 22 round brilliant cut diamonds, all prong set, with a total weight of 1.10 carats, F/G color, VS-2 clarity. This piece have a total weight of 54.1 grams and a measures of 58 mm by 58 mm (2.28 by 2.28 inches). Stamped with the maker's mark, serially numbered and signed, "VERDURA VC 1061". The Duke Fulco Di Verdura (1899-1978) start his career as a designer in Paris in 1920, Creating the iconic Maltese cross cuff bracelet for his friend Coco Chanel. In the 1934 he moved to the United States and closely collaborate with Paul Flato in California, designing jewelry for the Hollywood stars of the new movie era, including Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich. In the 1939, he moved again, but this time to the city of New York and open the Verdura boutique, in the Fifth Avenue location. in that period Verdura gain the estimation of the very high-profile clientele in the new York's high society. Literature: This exact model is published in the book, Verdura; The life and work of a master jeweler, Patricia Corbett, Thames and Hudson 2002, pp-85 illustrated. Note: The Maltese cross, is a cross symbol, consisting of four "V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which developed from earlier forms of eight-pointed crosses in the 16th century. Although chiefly associated with the Knights Hospitaller (Order of St. John, now the Sovereign Military Order of Malta...Category
Vintage 1950s American Modernist Brooches
MaterialsDiamond, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$22,360 Sale Price20% OffFree Shipping - 1890s Victorian Green Tourmaline Pearl Gold BroochLocated in Firenze, ITClassic central entwined design, centered by a claw set oval shape mixed cut green tourmaline bordered by a pearls frame, accented by pearl set clovers at the sides to a carved galle...Category
Antique 1890s Italian Victorian Brooches
MaterialsPearl, Tourmaline, Gold
- Green Tourmaline Flower Vase BroochBy Valentin MagroLocated in New York, NYJeweled blossoms overflow in abundance. Colored citrines are carved to form flowers of various sizes and leaves. Brilliant cut diamonds, with colorless DEF hues and VVS clarity, prov...Category
Early 2000s American Brooches
MaterialsCitrine, Diamond, Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Impressive Green Tourmaline & Diamond BroochLocated in New York, NYTourmaline & Diamond Brooch Mounted in Platinum Approximate weights: Emerald cut Green tourmaline 39.62 carat, 27 square shaped diamonds 3.90 carats 16 round diamonds 1.10 carats Me...Category
Vintage 1960s Brooches
MaterialsTourmaline, Diamond, White Gold