The jewels of René Lalique

 

Introduction: The name Lalique conjures up images of opalescent glassware decorated with flowing organic lines, highlighted with birds, cherubs and the female form.

However, René Lalique was also a leading designer of art nouveau jewelry, producing some of the finest pieces of the twentieth century. He aligned symbolist and art nouveau themes, using such diverse materials as baroque pearls, horn, ivory, amber, tortoiseshell and glass, combined with fine plique a jour enamelwork.

Designing for such prestigious houses as Cartier and Boucheron his reputation grew. He attracted an influential clientele, notably the diminutive tragic actress Sarah Bernhardt, for whom he produced a series of jewelry from 1891 to 1894.

This article will give an overview of his life, relating specifically to his jewelry work, key design features, marks used and auction values. René (Jules) Lalique (1860-1945):

• 1860:Born to a Parisian merchant at Ay on the Marne. Studied design while at school.
• 1876:Apprenticed to jeweler Louis Aucoc.
• 1878:Went to study at Sydenham College, England. Entered various design competitions.
• 1880:Returned to Paris.
• 1881:Worked for jeweler Auguste Petit. During this period he also designed such items as fans and wallpaper. Contributed designs to the magazine ‘Le Bijou’. He then formed a partnership with a Monsieur Varenne, signing designs ‘Lalique et Varenne, rue de Vaugirard 84’.
• 1884:Exhibited, for the first time, his own jewelry at the Louvre.
• 1885:He managed the workshops of jeweler Jules Destape.
• 1886:Lalique took over Destapes’ workshops.
• 1890:Business expanded and moved to 20 rue Therese. Began producing the Bernhardt jewels.
• 1894:Exhibited at the salon of the Societe des Artistes Francais, for three years. It was at this time that he began to develop his interest in glassmaking.
• 1900:The Paris Exhibition of this year saw his works acclaimed by the aristocracy, and his jewels became fashionable with the wealthy classes.
• 1902:Moved his workshop to 40 Cours la Reine. Exhibited at the International Exhibition, Turin.
• 1903:Exhibited at the International Exhibition, Berlin and at the Grafton Galleries, London.
• 1904:Exhibited at the International Exhibition, St.Louis.
• 1905:Opened another shop at 24 Place Vendome. Exhibited at the International Exhibition, Liege.
• 1906:Commissioned to produce scent bottles for Francois Coty.
• 1910:Purchased glassworks at Combes-la-Ville.
• 1914:With the exception of some glass mounted pieces, Lalique ceased production of jewelry and his time to the art of glassware.

During the years 1895 to 1912, Lalique had been commissioned by the Armenian banker Calouste Gulbenkian to create a series of fine jewels, over one hundred and forty of which are presently owned by the Gulkenkian Foundation, Lisbon.

The fall and rise:
Between the wars, there was a move towards more geometric lines and away from the artist-jewelry in favor of more mass-produced items.

During the 1920’s and 1930’s, sadly, many of Lalique’s jewels were broken up or remodeled. Even as recently as 1969, when a diamond set fern leaf tiara only fetched œ250 at auction, Lalique’s designs were still not appreciated.

In recent decades, perhaps due to such fine exhibitions as the one held at the Goldsmiths’ Hall London in 1987, Lalique’s designs gradually became popular again. For example, in 1989, an 1895 winged female form pendant sold at auction for œ42,000.

A fine art nouveau jewelry collection was auctioned by Sothebys Geneva in November, 1995. The collection had been put together by a Joseph R Pitman and the sale included thirty-three Lalique jewels, many of which were of such importance to have been previously illustrated in noted academic works.

The star lot was a ‘water nymph and dragonfly brooch cloak clasp’ circa 1904-05. The design is comprised of two opposed dragonflies flanking a triangular glass intaglio. It commanded on the day SF 190,000 against an initial estimate of SF 60,000-100,000.

Key features:
His jewelry often employed plique a jour (open to daylight) enamelwork, the finest depicting a human female form having butterfly or dragonfly wings.

Using organic lines on bracelets, necklaces, pendants, haircombs, rings etc. combined with classical art nouveau motifs such as peacocks and serpents with blossoms, orchids, lily-of-the-valley, chrysantheum, poppies, as well as ferns and vines.

The theatrical jewels commissioned for Sarah Bernhardt allowed Lalique to develope his dramatic style, some of which were designed in the Eyptianesque taste. It was perhaps this association, more than any other, that propelled Lalique’s designs to the fore as they attracted wide publicity in the art magazines of the day.

Lalique’s avant-garde designs, his dramatic use of the female form, secured his reputation as one of the most innovative and influencial jewelry designers of the art nouveau period.

Marks:
René Lalique used a variety of marks, sometimes impressed into the material rather than stamped in order not to cause any damage to the finely-made jewelry.

Generally, one finds a variation of his signature (R.LALIQUE or LALIQUE) in block. His initials RL are sometimes incorporated in the French maker’s mark, known as a poincon de fabricant, flanking a drawn sword within a lozenge surround.

Other marks may be observed. For example, there may be an eagle’s head representing 18ct gold, the winged head of Mercury on items intended for export and the French silver standard mark of a boar’s head.

Auction values:
It would be impossible to suggest auction values, as can be gleaned from the example of the ‘water nymph’ brooch mentioned above. Each piece is an individual artistic creation and would be assessed on its own merit.

 

Author: Steven Jordan FGA DGA FNAJ FIRV

Jewellery valuer and historian

www.hawksworth-valuations.co.uk

 

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Introduction: Jet has been used in jewellery for at least fourteen thousand years. It was formed in the Jurassic period, about 180 million years ago, when trees, similar to our present-day monkey puzzle tree, perished and fell into swamps and rivers. The waterlogged trunks and branches eventually sank and were compressed under further detritus. The resulting pressure and chemical change altered the wood to jet. Pieces formed in freshwater became soft jet, in saltwater hard jet. It was jet’s ability to take a high polish that led to its use in jewellery. Hard jet that was found on the North Yorkshire coast led to the thriving jet industry in the Whitby area. Initially it was the Romans who exploited the resources of the region and by the third century AD they were producing all manner of jewellery and trinkets. Throughout the Dark Ages and Medieval period jet was used for talismans and religious items such as rosaries, crosses and objects that would help ward off the evil eye. The industry continued during the Elizabethan period, dying down until about 1800. It was the introduction of the lathe and the growth of the railway in England that led to the industry being reborn out of the desire for cheap holiday souvenirs. The jet industry’s heyday was between 1809 and 1875 when hundreds of men, women and children were employed, reaching a figure in excess of fifteen hundred in 1872. Today barely a handful of skilled craftsmen continue working in Whitby. Fashion: As fashion moved away from the light materials of the Regency period and towards the heavier Victorian garments jewellery had to accommodate the trend. Jet was an ideal material for the production of large brooches due to its lightness. The 1851 Great Exhibition brought attention from the continent, culminating in orders from such dignitaries as the Empress of France and the Queen of Bavaria. It was the death of Prince Albert in 1861, which caused Queen Victoria to engage in a long period of mourning, that led to jet being the only form of jewellery that could be worn at court. Most commoners followed the practise in their own bereavements and many mourning brooches were produced. The craftsmen: Hard jet when skilfully carved was an expensive item. In the third quarter of the nineteenth century a skilled jet worker could earn up to œ4.00 a week, a considerable sum at the time. As it was always considered that a craftsman’s work could be recognised by the style of a piece very few were signed. When you start to collect Whitby jet jewellery you’ll admire the craftmanship in the carving but will probably be amazed at the quantity of brooches with misspelt names. The majority of the workmen were illiterate. Sometimes they would run out of space and leave letters out. See the image for a good example. Bower in 1873 wrote, “I saw workmen, one of the best hands in a large shop in Whitby, able to cut the most elaborate monograms, the most accurate portraits, the most elaborate foliage, but quite unable to sign his name”. Notable Victorian jet workers were the Speedy family, George Tyson, John Wray, James Ainsley, William Stonehouse, Matthew Snowdon and the workshops of Charles Bryan and that of E H Greenbury. One mark that was used was that of a ‘Star of David’ being a quality mark on findings, i.e. jewellery fittings such as brooch pin plates. Jet and its imitations: Jet is a fairly light material, (specific gravity approximately 1.3), has a conchoidal fracture (shell-like) and burns with the smell of burning coal. It is hand carved, its imitations are generally moulded, shows a woody structure under magnification and leaves a brown streak on ‘crocus’ paper or unglazed porcelain plate. Vulcanite, an early form of hardened rubber, is also fairly light, (specific gravity approximately 1.15-1.20), fades to a khaki colour in daylight, also produces a brown streak but gives off a smell of burning rubber when touched by a hot needle. As items were mass-produced they show moulding lines, rounded edges and repeated design elements such as graduated beaded edges. A useful tip when looking at a locket is to check behind the photograph area. A jet locket is left rough inside, a vulcanite one has a smooth interior. Bakelite, although not invented until 1909, can be deceptive. However, it gives a black streak and will emit a smell of carbolic acid when applied with a hot needle. Another clue is that many of its fittings are stamped ‘patent’. French jet is a manufactured glass, as is an English version known as Vauxhall glass. Cold to touch and heavier than true jet, (s g approximately 2.20), it cannot be scratched with a pin nor will a hot needle have any affect. It should be noted that a very small amount of true French jet has been produced. Irish Bog Oak was never meant to imitate but can be confused with jet. It has a distinct visible wood structure, is dark brown in colour and is generally carved in Irish themes such as harps, shamrocks and castles. Cannel Coal is carved into ornaments rather than jewellery and gives a black streak. There are other materials, such as onyx and obsidian, that could be mistaken for jet but their heaviness and cold touch make them easily differentiated from the warmer, lighter jet.   Places to visit: The Whitby Museum, Whitby, North Yorkshire. The Castle Museum, York.

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Lost Pearls of History

I have always had a fascination, as can be gleaned from my blog, with historic lost jewels. Probably something to do with my love of the works of Rider Haggard and Conan Doyle. Perhaps I fancied myself as a Professor Challenger or Allan Quatermain. It’s the romantic view of times past, the gentleman adventurer risking life and limb in his search for that fabled lost treasure.

In this brief article, I shall highlight some of the pearls of history that have disappeared from public gaze.  Perhaps destroyed, or buried in a tomb or unlabelled in a forgotten security box deep beneath the streets of London.

For a starting point I have chosen the travels of the adventurous merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689).

Tavernier was a French gem merchant and made six voyages to Persia and India between 1630 and 1668.

Amongst the many treasures that he handled perhaps the most noteworthy was the Tavernier Blue Diamond (116 carats) which he sold to Louis XIV of France. This was recut into The French Blue.  Subsequently stolen and reappearing thirty years later as the famous Hope Diamond. The Hope Diamond has a current weight of 45.52 carats.

Unlike diamonds, pearls cannot be recut to enhance their appearance or disguise their origin.  They can be skinned but this has limitations.  Therefore, if any of the lost pearls are still out there they will appear similar to their original shape and size.

In chapter XXII of ‘Travels in India by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier’ he lists several pearls that he had seen on his travels or that he had knowledge of. For me the most interesting, no. 2, is the one suspended from the neck of the peacock of the renowned Peacock Throne (Takht-i Tāvūs) he saw at the Court of the Great Mogul.

The pearl was pear shape, yellowish and of approximately 50 carats.

In 1739 Nadir Shah of Persia invaded Delhi and took the Peacock Throne. Some of the jewels, notably the Koh-I-Noor diamond, were taken to Afghanistan, subsequently returned to India and eventually claimed by the British. But what of the pearl?

To muddy the waters further, before we leave this pearl, have a look at Tavernier’s sketch of his ‘five greatest pearls in the world’. In my copy of Tavernier’s Travels in India the Peacock Throne pearl is listed as number 2. In some modern works the Peacock Throne pearl is listed as number 1, (for example P 90 Joan Younger Dickinson, The Book of Pearls). It is believed that this pearl was sold by Christies in 1992, and is known as ‘Sara’. Is this the Peacock Throne pearl?

Many jewels were stolen from the treasure house of Louis XIV in 1791 by revolutionaries. One large pearl of twenty-seven carats, known as The Queen of Pearls, found its way to Russia and became known as the Zozima pearl. But what of the others taken from the treasure house? Perhaps in private collections, Royal treasuries or lost forever.

Another pearl of note is the Venezuelan pearl, known as The Charles II Pearl, which became for a while the twin to La Peregrina, a pearl of 203.84 grains, in a pair of earrings for the Queens of Spain. It is alleged to have been destroyed in the fire of 1734 at the old palace Madrid.

A famous pearl, of thirty-one carats, whose current whereabouts is also unknown is ‘The Orphan’. A pearl so named as it was found loose on the sea bed, was once worn by Isabel de Bobadilla, daughter of the general that took Columbus home in irons. It became part of the crown jewels of Spain.

Many famous pearls have been lost throughout history. Destroyed, stolen, sold, forgotten. Some pearls were even consumed. Sir Thomas Gresham, in the reign of Elizabeth I, in order to impress the Spanish ambassador, crushed and consumed a large pearl. It was said at the time to be worth £15,000 !

Some pearls do, eventually, find their way home. On the eve of his execution in 1849 Count Batthyani of Hungary gave a scarf pin set with a black pearl to his valet. The valet’s son inherited the pin and took it to Budapest to raise funds. The authorities became suspicious and it was discovered that the pearl had been stolen from the English crown one hundred and fifty years previous. It was redeemed by the British government for £2,500 and returned to the Crown.

For another intriguing pearl mystery refer to one of my previous blogs, ‘The Great Pearl Robbery of 1913’.

Many famous pearls are out there waiting to be rediscovered. Good hunting.

Steven Jordan FGA DGA FNAJ FIRV

Jewellery valuer, gemmologist, jewellery historian

www.hawksworth-valuations.co.uk

 

References:

The Book of Pearls, Joan Younger Dickinson

The Book of the Pearl, George Frederick Kunz and Charles Hugh Stevenson

Pearls, their origin, treatment& identification., Jean Taburiaux

The Great Pearl Robbery of 1913, Christmas Humphreys

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On a question of index linking jewellery values.
I recently valued a natural pearl necklace sold by Cartier in the early 1940s and valued by them at approximately £14,000. A tremendous amount at that time.
Using an index linked multiplier this would equate to about £675,000 today.
If the value was associated with the gold price it would be about £1,600,000.
The process for me is to relate the value to a similar item in the current market. The jewellery market is fluid, relying on fashion trends and availability.
Another way to illustrate this is to look at another historical sale of a natural pearl necklace. In 1917 Cartier bought 653 Fifth Avenue Mansion with a string of pearls.
Obviously, client confidentiality precludes me from declaring how much I valued the pearls for. Probably less than what you are thinking.
www.hawksworth-valuations.co.uk

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I was looking for an image of me to use and came across this. Didn’t know it existed.

Who Values Trophies at the Royal Thames Yacht Club?

The more I look, the more I find.

 

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HOW DID YOU BECOME A VALUER?

As an integral part of the service I offer I frequently find that I spend several hours with clients.  During the course of which I am often asked how did I begin my career?

The simple answer is that it wasn’t my initial path.  I left school and spent a year in banking.  The bank thought, and so did I, that a year was long enough for all concerned.

I had since childhood had an interest in history, geology and horology.  I was a geek before the word had been invented.  So I was delighted to be accepted by a local independent jeweller. It was 1973 and in those days there was very little educational structure for the jewellery industry.  My education came via three older gentlemen in the shop. Amongst the many pockets of wisdom I learnt to strip down and reassemble a watch, identify a diamond (long before there were digital devices for the task) and recognise fake hallmarks.  This intense and unstructured education has stood me in very good stead in my valuing career. I carried out my first valuation in 1974, I recall it well. It was a gold charm bracelet.

Being ambitious I joined another local company where I had heard that the proprietor, Edward Cox, was a keen gemmologist. Edward’s contagious enthusiasm for the subject spurred me on to further my studies.  The formal study of gemmology is crucial to anyone who desires to become a jewellery valuer.  I could do more than recommend The Gemmological Association of Great Britain. Gem-A are based in Hatton Garden and run world renown courses on gemmology and diamond grading. The courses have in recent years been extended to include a Batchelor of Science degree in conjunction with Birmingham City University.

There followed further years in a variety of managerial and valuer roles.  I eventually found myself working for the Hopper family in Lincolnshire.  The manging director, Gerry Hopper, was keen for myself and his son Tim to qualify as Registered Valuers.

We both attended a one day course run by the late David Wilkins and the late Michael Norman. Both of whom were great ambassadors for the newly created National Association of Goldsmiths Registered Valuers scheme.  The scheme, over the past two decades, has developed into the highly regarded Institute of Registered Valuers, of which I am honoured to say that I am a Fellow.

In March 1993 I decided to go independent. I appreciated there was a gap in the market for a service visiting retail jewellers. At that time there were very few independent valuers around and the majority were office based.

The first few months were extremely difficult.   I relied initially on advertising and press releases. The response was minimal.  Therefore I decided to go ‘cold calling’, a practise somewhat frowned upon these days.  There was no internet, no social network platforms, no LinkedIn to promote my business.  I had to do it the hard way.  But I was determined to make it work. I’ve always lived by the ethos ‘just get on with it’. So I did.

I visited over seventy businesses in a two week period. Mainly retail jewellers and auction houses to offer my consultancy service.  Unceremoniously I was manhandled out of one shop.  Took a deep breath, brushed myself down and entered the next shop.

My first break came when Steve Thompson of Eric A Bird Jewellers of Lincoln said they thought a visiting specialist valuation service would be an ideal addition to their customer services.  It just takes one person to say ‘yes’.

Within a few weeks I had a portfolio of five shops in Lincoln and an auction house, Neals of Nottingham.  From that moment on the business and my reputation grew steadily.

However I realised that if my business was to expand further I needed to move further south.  At the invitation of my good friends John Carter and Peter Hering of Cellini jewellers in 1996 I opened an office in Cambridge.

The office gave me a good platform not only to offer businesses a visiting service but also a secure postal service. During this period I came under the radar of one of the major retail jewellery groups. Within a few months my fledgling business began to fly.  Working twelve hours, six or seven days a week was the norm.

I wasn’t satisfied.  There was a gap in my education. I had studied gemmology, diamond grading, horology, jewellery history, silver.  I had qualified as a gemmologist, a diamond grader and a Registered Valuer. I even attend jewellery and silver making courses in order that I can appreciate how items are made. However it was the fleeting experience in the auction field that made me realise that I needed to handle, examine, determine and appreciate the finer jewels.  It was one thing to visit exhibitions and auctions to view these items. It was another to appraise them.  To be a consummate jewellery valuer I felt that a more in-depth experience of the auction world was crucial.

Phillips auctioneers, subsequently absorbed into Bonhams, advertised for a jewellery specialist. The post was a one year contract, based in Oxford and London. To be responsible for the appraisal, collection and cataloguing of jewellery for (fifty !) Fine Art, Regional, London and International auctions.

My interview was with Director John Benjamin (of BBC Antique Roadshow fame).  Part of my interview involved the determination and valuing of a tray of, soon to be auctioned, items. I recall a Sri Lankan sapphire and a Carlo Guilliano brooch. Both of which I must have gauged correctly as I was offered the position, having seen off the other forty-three candidates.

I returned to Cambridge to close down my business and relocate to Oxford. Not an easy choice as I had to halve my income for the year.  The year was intense. However I achieved what I set out to do.  I handled some very fine items and made a contribution on the way in increasing the sales figures for the department.

After the contract I returned to Cambridge, rekindled Hawksworth Valuations, but now concentrated on the High Net Worth market.

In 2009 I was awarded the National Association of Goldsmiths’ Institute of Registered Valuer’s highly prestigious David Wilkins award for ‘outstanding skill, dedication and service in respect of jewellery appraisal and valuation’.

Today my business is primarily based around London HNW clients.

So what advice can I offer?  It takes one person to say ‘yes’.  Find that person. Have a goal, not a plan.  Be determined, even if you do get man-handled. Continued professional development is key, never stop learning.  Identify your USP.   The best boss in the world is yourself.

Just get on with it.

Steven Jordan FGA DGA FNAJ FIRV

Jewellery, watches and silver valuer

MD Hawksworth Valuations Limited

www.hawksworth-valuations.co.uk

 

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