Peter Suchy’s Best Designer Vintage Jewelry Picks!

Tiffany & Co.

 

In 2012, Tiffany & Co. celebrated its 175^th anniversary. Its story began in 1837 as a New York jewelry store that was opened by Charles Lewis Tiffany and John Young and quickly became the jewelry store of the wealthy during the Art Nouveau period (1895-1910). Over the decades, Tiffany & Co. expanded and grew to become one of the most desirable jewelry store for many designers including Paloma Picasso, Elsa Peretti and Jean Schlumberger. Unlike so many other jewelry enterprises, the company maintained its rightful place among silversmiths and jewelry makers. At this time, Tiffany & Co. operates about 200 stores across the world and doesn’t every woman want to be Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and receive a stunning bobble in the now-famous blue box?

Cartier

 

Cartier was founded by Louis-François Cartier in 1847. By 1874, his son Alfred would take over the reins but Alfred son’s Pierre and Jacques were the one who made the Cartier watch brand a worldwide brand that became synonymous with luxury via a partnership with Edmond Jaeger who supplied all the movements.  The Cartier family maintained the watch and subsequent jewelry house until  1964; it is now a subsidiary of Compagnie Financière Richemont SA.  The famous panther brooch was created for Wallis Sympson, the Duchess of Windsor in the 1940s and this jewelry house has a strong history of famous clients including King Edward VII who ordered 24 tiaras in 1902. Although its headquarters remain in Paris, the Cartier brand is easily found worldwide.

David Yurman

 

David Yurman jewelry is a labor of love and innate talent. Founded by sculptor David Yurman and his painter wife, Sybil, the brand officially launched in 1980. Yurman took great pains not to be pigeonholed into any one market. Instead, he succeeded at creating numerous collections and lines that appeal to broad segments of the market as well as various niche groups. Never compromising on style or quality, each item that carries the brand name is a stand-alone masterpiece that is easy to recognize. Take for example the cable bracelet, which became David Yurman’s real introduction to the jewelry-buying public. Created in 1983, it consisted initially of gemstones and a twisted sterling silver helix. Other cable jewelry pieces followed. The design is so easily recognizable that is has become a hallmark of the brand and is the type of jewelry every beginning aficionado readily pinpoints in a crowd.

Kokichi Mikimoto

 

Kokichi Mikimoto is the genius behind Mikimoto jewelry. The Japanese artisan was born in 1858 and began supporting his family financially a short 11 years later. It was not until 1878 that he set up a pearl judging contest and recognized the poor quality of the products that even respected jewelry makers brought to the table. From this time on, he devoted his energy and resources to perfecting the cultivation of pearls. Focusing on Akoya oysters as vessels for growing the layers of nacre that make the pearls, Mikimoto suffered a number of setbacks. Octopi would eat his oysters after he had already introduced particles into the animals to begin the pearl-forming process. Red tides killed numerous specimens. It was not until 1893 that his efforts finally showed success. By 1896, he was granted a patent for his cultured pearls. Mikimoto opened his very first pearl boutique in 1899. Setting up shop in Tokyo’s fashionable Ginza, the quality and size of the pearls soon made him a household name. Skillful artisans incorporated the pearls into a wide variety of jewelry designs. Before long, he expanded his business to Paris, London and other big cities across the world. Participating in London’s Anglo-Japanese Fair in 1910, he introduced many non-jewelry shoppers to his designs by displaying a fan and screen studded with pearls and his jewelry today remains sought-after by collectors and individuals alike.

Van Cleef and Arpels

 

The story of Van Cleef & Arpels Jewelry began in 1895, when Alfred Van Cleef married Estelle Arpels. Van Cleef grew up in the stone-cutting trade. His father had garnered a reputation for being able to change the cuts of flawed stones to increase their value. Arpels’ family was involved in the precious stone trade. By 1906, the couple started a business named Maison of Van Cleef & Arpels with Arpels' brothers. In the 1920s, Van Cleef & Arpels released a line of jewelry that was clearly inspired by the desire for Asian and Egyptian goods. The artisans began using lapis lazuli and cornelian, which led to unusual pieces that quickly caught the eye of the public. This was also the time when the jewelers made stunning Art Deco pieces that would immortalize their names among jewelry connoisseurs. In the 1930s, the second generation began coming into the business. By 1939, Claude Arpels made the international move and opened a store in New York City. As the fashionable desire for Art Deco’s straight lines and geometric designs began to wane, Van Cleef & Arpels adjusted to the shift by introducing new jewelry that featured romantic motifs and used plenty of yellow gold. Diamonds, sapphires and rubies became the stones of choice.

David Webb

 

The David Webb jewelry collection is one that collectors watch with great care. It all began in 1941, when 16-year-young David Webb made the move from North Carolina to New York City. He was already working on his jewelry designs at that age, but it took the move to New York for a French connoisseur to notice his talent. This aficionado would go on to become Webb’s backer for opening of a store in 1948. Webb’s designs quickly became the talk of the town. He specialized in the fulfillment of special orders as well as the re-styling of outmoded pieces that took on a new appearance under his careful ministrations. The 1950s and 1960s inspired Webb to create jewelry that focused on flora and fauna. Nature in all its shapes and varieties became the theme for pieces of all sizes. The 1970s saw a change in Webb’s approach to style. His creations featured enamel colors, plenty of hammered gold and exquisite textures. It was a sad day when Webb died in 1975. To keep the business going, the Silberstein family took over. Using Webb’s creativity as a springboard, Silberstein took David Webb Jewelry into Beverly Hills and as far away as Kuwait. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed a little taste of some of Peter Suchy’s favorite designer vintage jewelry pieces! Many of the jewelry pieces you see here can be viewed in our showroom located at 1137 High Ridge Road in Stamford CT.

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