Verdura Aquamarine "Eight Blades" Ring
View Similar Items
Verdura Aquamarine "Eight Blades" Ring
About the Item
- Creator:
- Metal:
- Stone:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:21st century
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Greenwich, CT
- Reference Number:Seller: EJRIN737181stDibs: LU284293603
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.
- Aquamarine Gold RingBy Amanda Clark for AltfieldLocated in Central, HKA beautifully handcrafted ring with oval cabachon aquamarine set in 18 karat gold frame with decorative beaded edges. US size: 7.75 Interior: 1.6c...Category
2010s Hong Kong Contemporary Cocktail Rings
MaterialsAquamarine, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
- Large Aquamarine Gold and Diamond RingLocated in Palm Beach, FLA ladies 18K yellow gold Ring centered around an amazing, emerald cut, aquamarine, weighing 40.20 carats. Each shoulder of this amazing ring is set with 11 rd brilliant cut diamonds,...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Cocktail Rings
MaterialsAquamarine, Diamond, White Diamond, 18k Gold, Platinum, Gold
- Large Aquamarine & Diamond RingLocated in New York, NYLarge Aquamarine & Diamond Ring 1 emerald cut aquamarine surrounded by 8 round cut diamonds set in 14k white gold. Ring Size: 6.25 Resizable free ...Category
Vintage 1980s Cocktail Rings
MaterialsAquamarine, Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
- 25 Carat Aquamarine Ring in PlatinumLocated in Houston, TX25.13 carat step-cut aquamarine ring in a simple basket mounting done in platinum. The ring measures 11/16 inches long and 3/4 inches wide, and stands 3/...Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Cocktail Rings
MaterialsAquamarine, Platinum
- Aquamarine Ring 18.59 Carat Pear ShapesBy MerkabaLocated in Beverly Hills, CAIncredible pair of vivid blue Aquamarine pear shapes, weighing a total of 18.59 carats, and a total of 0.80 carats of round brilliant diamonds, a...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Cocktail Rings
MaterialsMulti-gemstone, White Diamond, Diamond, Beryl, Aquamarine, Platinum
- Aquamarine Diamond Gold Cocktail RingLocated in Beverly Hills, CAA classic cocktail ring featuring a 6.53 carat cushion cut aquamarine. The soft blue gemstone is accented by a halo of round brilliant cut diamonds as well as two large baguette cut ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Cocktail Rings
MaterialsAquamarine, Diamond, White Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold