Art Deco Amethyst and Chrysoprase Ring

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Art Deco Amethyst and Chrysoprase Ring

About the Item

A ring bezel-set in the center with a modified step-cut amethyst, the shoulders and sides cascading with decreasing lines of bezel-set rectangular cabochon chrysoprase; mounted in silver, with French assay marks • Maker’s mark for Grœné et Darde • Size 6 3/4 Considered one of the most original and fiercely talented jewelry designers of modern era, Suzanne Belperron created jewels that defied time, artistic movement, and convention. Her work can be instantly recognized from the use of volume, fluidity, and lines. Belperron received significant praise during her lifetime, often gracing the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar and collected an extraordinary client roster. With all her success, Belperron maintained the intimate tradition of bespoke jewelry by not opening a retail store or advertising and was completely consumed with the production of each jewel. From beginning to end, she would work with her workshops and examine each piece daily to ensure it maintained her original concept. Belperron was never confined by tradition and had a love for semi-precious stones and unique color combinations. For this ring, an unusual color palette was used with the deep rich purple amethyst and opaque green chrysoprase. The volume of the ring is extraordinary with the amethyst balanced in size by the cascading bands of square-cut chrysoprase. Although the scale is large, there is fluidity in the lines and a bold use of color creating an inherent elegance to the piece. The amethyst is a traditional shape, but cut uniquely on the crown with bowed facets creating a curved surface on the stone, a mix between cabochon and faceted, adding a touch of femininity to the piece. Belperron’s work captured the spirit of the avant-garde modern world and still remains modern and chic today. Dating from between1933 to 1937, just after Belperron left Boivin, this is an early jewel from the artist and as such it is extremely rare. This ring is a superb example of the keen eye of a design icon that pioneered modern jewelry design.

Creator:
Suzanne Belperron
Ring Size:
7 US, Resizable
Metal:
Silver
Stone:
Amethyst,Chrysophrase
Stone Cut:
Sugarloaf Cabochon
Style:
Art Deco
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1930-1939
Date of Manufacture:
1935
Condition:
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
Seller: F69511stDibs: LU2075217312412

Shop All Suzanne Belperron

Suzanne Belperron

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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