Schlumberger Tiffany & Co. 18 Karat Gold Pea Pod Pill Box, circa 1960
View Similar Items
Schlumberger Tiffany & Co. 18 Karat Gold Pea Pod Pill Box, circa 1960
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:
- Weight:19.2 g
- Style:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Contemporary
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1184310855782
Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co.
Jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger once said that he strived to “make everything look as if it were growing, uneven, at random, organic, in motion.” His jewels interpreted the vitality of the natural world with lively designs that included a moonstone-topped jellyfish brooch with sapphire tentacles exuding a watery shimmer and a ring encrusted with a burst of diamonds that “bloomed” like a flower bud.
A self-taught jeweler, Schlumberger’s mastery of color as well as his expertise as a draftsman brought his fantastic ideas to life. Born to a leading textile manufacturing family in Alsace, France, Schlumberger took to drawing as a child and showed promise as an artist, but his parents instead sent him to study banking in Berlin in the 1930s. Uninspired, he departed for Paris and began creating buttons for Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who also commissioned him for costume jewelry.
One of Schlumberger’s early pieces — a cigarette lighter in the form of a fish whose head opened to reveal the flame — demonstrated his skill for capturing the vivacity of nature in precious metal. The designer’s imaginative jewelry was in contrast to popular geometric lines of Art Deco, an independent vision he affirmed in the extravagant 1941 Trophée de Vaillance brooch created for fashion editor Diana Vreeland. An extravagant confection of diamonds, amethyst, rubies and gold, the brooch featured gemstones adorning an intricate intersection of tiny spears and a breastplate over a glittering shield.
After serving in the French army and the Free French forces during World War II — and surviving the Battle of Dunkirk — Schlumberger left war-torn Europe for New York and in 1946 established a jewelry salon with Nicolas Bongard. There, his vibrant work caught the eye of Tiffany & Co. After joining the American luxury jewelry house in 1956, he soon had his own studio on the mezzanine of Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue store that he accessed by a private elevator. In his workshop, Schlumberger used a rainbow of gemstones, gold and diamonds to create some of the company’s most beguiling designs.
From striking earrings shaped like soaring wings to diamond birds perched on glittering gemstones, each of Schlumberger’s Tiffany designs dazzled. His supporters included Bunny Mellon, whose love for horticulture inspired commissions such as the Jasmine necklace with diamond blossoms flowering from a garland of colored sapphires, and Jacqueline Kennedy, who wore his Croisillon bracelets so often they became known as “Jackie bracelets.” Schlumberger retired from Tiffany in the late 1970s, but decades after his designs were introduced many of his popular pieces remain in production.
On 1stDibs, find an extraordinary range of vintage Jean Schlumberger jewelry designed for Tiffany & Co.
- Tiffany & Co. 1960's Basse-Taille Enamel 18 Karat Yellow Gold Vintage Pill BoxBy Tiffany & Co.Located in Philadelphia, PADesigned as a sphere form with raised gold ridges featuring recessed segments of enamel Basse-taille and glossed over engraved linear chevron motif Transparent medium blue and green...Category
Vintage 1960s Brooches
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
- Tiffany & Co. Victorian Moonstone 18 Karat Gold StickpinBy Tiffany & Co.Located in Philadelphia, PACentering an oval cabochon moonstone measuring approximately 14.0 x 9.2 mm Beautiful billowy silver adularescence, and excellent polish and luster In a hammered gold surround Full...Category
Antique 1880s Victorian Brooches
MaterialsMoonstone, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Schlumberger Tiffany & Co. 18 Karat Yellow Gold Circle Rope BraceletBy Tiffany & Co.Located in Philadelphia, PAComprised of dimensional circle links alternating in size Large links are comprised of twisted rope motif Small links are smooth With high polish finish Completed by concealed cla...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Link Bracelets
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Schlumberger Tiffany & Co. Emerald 18 Karat Gold Twisted Rope Vintage NecklaceBy Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co.Located in Philadelphia, PADesigned as entwined large and small twisted rope motif link chain With a high polish gold finish and terminating with toggle clasp Featuring 4.0 mm round emerald cabochons - bezel s...Category
Vintage 1960s Rope Necklaces
MaterialsEmerald, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- 1960s Vintage 18 Karat Gold Cable Car CharmLocated in Philadelphia, PAAerial cable car charm is a dimensional rectangular form With pierced out windows, a strong brushed finish, and topped by pulley wheels Tested as 18 ...Category
Vintage 1960s Contemporary Charm Bracelets
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Louis Comfort Tiffany Black Opal Cabochon 18 Karat Gold Antique StickpinBy Tiffany & Co.Located in Philadelphia, PADesigned as a pear shaped form with gold bead and twisted rope details Featuring a bezel set black opal double cabochon measuring approxima...Category
Antique Early 1900s Victorian Brooches
MaterialsOpal, Black Opal, Gold, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
- Tiffany & Co. Elegant Gold Pill BoxBy Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYCrisp, substantial gold pill box. Made and signed by TIFFANY & CO. Rectangular, with deep diagonal line cut pattern on top and sides. Beautiful condition; it was never engraved. ...Category
Vintage 1930s American Boxes and Cases
Materials14k Gold
- Tiffany & Co. Heavy Vintage 14k Gold Pill BoxBy Tiffany & Co.Located in New York, NYEmbrace the vintage charm of the 1970s with this luxurious Tiffany & Co. heavy 14k gold pill box, a true treasure from a bygone era. Crafted with the utmost attention to detail, this...Category
Late 20th Century Boxes and Cases
MaterialsYellow Gold, 14k Gold
- 18 Karat Yellow Gold Oval Pill BoxLocated in Mount Kisco, NYFinely finished in eighteen karat 18K yellow gold, this luxury oval pill box is a fine adornment for any vanity. Measuring 1-5/8 inch wide by l-1/2 inch long and 3/8 inch deep, the ...Category
Vintage 1970s French Vanity Items
Materials18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Mauboussin 18k White and Yellow Gold Pill Box Clover Pill BoxBy MauboussinLocated in New York, NYFine 18K yellow and white gold pill box by Mauboussin, circa 1990s. This modern Mauboussin pill box is a stunning and functional piece of jewelry. The pill...Category
1990s Boxes and Cases
MaterialsGold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
- Bulgari Emerald and 18 Karat Yellow Gold Pill BoxBy BulgariLocated in Geneva, CHBeautifully designed this oval shape 18K gold pill box shows a gadrooned outline. It features a pendant hoop and a push button with one bezel-set rou...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Boxes and Cases
MaterialsEmerald, Yellow Gold
- Bvlgari 2 Section 18k Gold Pill BoxBy BulgariLocated in New York, NYFine 2 section 18k yellow gold pill box, by Bulgari circa 1950s. This Bulgari geometric design pill box is a rare and exquisite piece of vintage jewelry. This pill box is crafted fr...Category
Mid-20th Century Boxes and Cases
Materials18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
These Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. Earrings Are Just the Right Amount of Bold
Someone wanted to “modernize” the Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. masterworks, but Mahnaz Collection came to their rescue. Here, the dealer explains precisely why they’re such an extraordinary find.
Tastemaker Bunny Mellon’s Extraordinary Schlumberger Jewels
The philanthropist and heiress was an avid jewelry collector, and her trove of Jean Schlumberger creations embodies the love of nature she shared with the famed designer.