Raymond Yard Jewelry Includes Abstract Designs

Raymond C. Yard is another American success story that showcases one of the facets of the country’s jewelry business. The young Yard entered the world of the jewelry trade as a 13-year-young door boy for Marcus & Company. Rubbing elbows with customers and traders gave the young man a solid understanding of the clientele that a typical American jewelry business would deal with on a daily basis.

Yard did not remain a door boy for too long. Over the course of about two decades, he took on a host of duties that introduced him to a wide variety of tasks related to running a jewelry business. He received on-the-job training in the production of intricate jewelry pieces. He also learned how to sell the finished pieces to a choosy customer base.

By the time he was in this 30s, Yard had risen to the rank of expert salesman. It was in this capacity that he caught the attention of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who believed that this young man had all the makings of an entrepreneur. Taking the challenge, Yard created an exquisite line of jewelry pieces, which soon caught the eye of America’s high-end buyers. The majority of the pieces were produced by outside manufacturers who had to follow strict design guidelines and only use the superior stones Yard provided.

While it was Rockefeller’s recommendation that brought customers to the business in the first place, it was Yard’s work with platinum mountings and Art Deco style that turned new clients into repeat customers. Moreover, the finished pieces frequently mixed a variety of diamond cuts to create inimitable plays of light. In 1958, Yard handed the reigns of his empire to Robert Gibson, whom he had met when the latter was a young caddy at a golf course. Gibson passed the baton to his son in 1989.

Some of the most famous Yard pieces feature intricate renditions of artistically designed figures and objects. The Cocktail Rabbit is a piece of high-detail artwork that took buyers by storm in 1929. Other designs feature rabbit brides or rabbit sailors. There are still rabbit brooches that occasionally make it onto auction blocks or into private sales. The realistic depiction of the human form paired with the whimsical rabbit design and the use of exquisite gems has made them favorites.

It is interesting to note that Yard’s pieces are very easy to recognize. Although design styles have moved on from Art Deco, the use of carved pearls and buttercup designs still holds court. Rings featuring ruby centers and a halo of adjoining diamonds are still commonplace elements. Similar cocktail rings also feature amethysts, moonstones and citrines. Relying heavily on French mountings and abstract designs, modern Raymond Yard jewelry pieces are much sought-after by high-end jewelry wearers and collectors of American pieces.

Peter Suchy Jewelers is located at 1137 High Ridge Road in Stamford Connecticut and we invite you to stop by our showroom. Or, if you prefer perusing and purchasing estate and vintage jewelry online, please visit our eBay store.

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