Marguerite Stix Double Shell Ring, Margaretacea

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Marguerite Stix Double Shell Ring, Margaretacea

About the Item

Elegant and formidable oversized ring by Marguerite Stix circa 1965, named The Margaretacea, one of her most recognized and popular designs. Exotic clam shells with a pinky lilac iridescence are the "stones" used for this ring. An extremely heavy gold mount supports the open shells which have the appearance of being in flight. From the profile, the ring looks like a fortress or a cathedral, very unique and dynamic. Marguerite Stix was a well known artist and sculptor who became impassioned with her husband, of rare and unique shells in the 1960's. Both of them became avid collectors and 1968 saw the publishing of their book The Shell: 500 Million Years of Inspired Design which featured a number of items from the Stix’s private collection. As their treasure trove of beautiful natural shells continued to increase, the Stix’s chose to make their passion public and established a museum in 1964 - The Stix Rare Shell Gallery – at their home in Manhattan. Her jewelry was sold out of the Cartier store in New York in the early 1970's. Her designs gained a devoted following, including style icon Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and were featured in high fashion magazines such as Vogue. Only a limited number of pieces were ever crafted and, sadly, she died of cancer in 1975. The following is an excerpt from Richard McLanathan’s book, The Art of Marguerite Stix: “To Marguerite Stix art and life were inseparable. As a gifted child, a prize-winning student, a concentration camp prisoner, a penniless refugee, a designer of accessories for the haute couture, a factory worker, a recognized sculptor and painter, a creator of widely sought-after jewelry and of fantastic ephemera, she never departed from her deeply felt celebration of life and its meaning. Human sensibility, the wonders of nature, exuberance or despair, humor or play, vulnerability or bravado, infancy or old age, the simple joys of home or the elegance of the privileged world – all called into play her extraordinary talents". Size: 4, Approx 1.75" across x 1" depth. Height is 1.4". This design is one of her best known, but, this item is not marked. Marguerite Stix’s jewelry is in the following public collections: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cooper-Hewitt Museum of Design, Minnesota Museum of Art, The Headley Museum, Kentucky and lastly, Reading Public Museum of Art, Pennsylvania.

Metal:
10k Gold
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1960
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent. There is a small line (approx .25" ) on one shell which is under the surface but is slightly visible when the light hits it a certain way. This design is in her biography, The Art of Marguerite Stix, page 168-9, Harry Abrams .1977.
Seller Location:
Riverdale, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU40353202