Suzanne Belperron Paris circa 1950 Geometric Diamond Ring

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Suzanne Belperron Paris circa 1950 Geometric Diamond Ring

About the Item

A ring designed with a central bezel-set cushion diamond sided by intersecting platinum planes set with square and rectangular diamonds; mounted in platinum, with French assay marks • 1 cushion-cut diamond, weighing approximately 2.95 carats • 12 square-cut diamonds, total weighing approximately 2.40 carats • 12 baguette-cut diamonds, total weighing approximately 0.90 carats • With maker’s mark for Groëné et Darde Suzanne Belperron was a leader in modern design who created some of the most innovative jewelry of the twentieth century. Her bold curvaceous jewels caught the attention of the fashionable elite including Elsa Schiaparelli, Diana Vreeland, and the Duchess of Windsor. Unlike the renowned jewelers along rue de la Paix and la place Vendôme who drew in customers with glittering window displays, Belperron received her clientele only by appointment in her salon at 59, rue de Châteaudun. Her jewels spoke for themselves, and often she refused to sign her pieces stating, “My style is my signature.” The address was privately passed amongst the most fashionable women in Paris who were drawn to her original designs. Often featured in top fashion magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, her modern designs were sculptural forms that were uniquely Belperron. This ring is a study in shadow and light. Called modèle facetté, or faceted model, the form of the ring itself is modeled on the facets of a gemstone. Even with the strong geometric planes, the form expresses the sensual curves Belperron favored in the rounded edges where the facets meet, and in the rounded bezel of the cushion-cut central diamond. The simple color palette of platinum and diamonds is given depth by the different stone cuts and their myriad reflections. Belperron carefully chose the stone placement on her jewels, working and reworking the arrangement in a wax model until everything was perfect and exactly how she pictured it for her client. Treating each commission with great care, she found about her client’s lifestyle, examined their appearance, and took meticulous measurements like that of a tailor. As a result of her careful attention, each of Belperron’s jewels are unique, modern, and impeccably made. This stunning diamond ring is just as magnificent today as when it was made. Belperron Certificate of Authenticity stating that the platinum modèle facetté ring was made in Paris between 1946 and 1955 from a design by Suzanne Belperron.

Creator:
Suzanne Belperron
Ring Size:
6.5 US, Resizable
Metal:
Platinum
Stone:
Diamond
Stone Cut:
Antique Cushion Cut
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1930-1939
Date of Manufacture:
1950
Condition:
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
Seller: F68641stDibs: LU2075211052462

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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