AN ELEGANT ART DECO AMETHYST AND DIAMOND BANGLE BRACELET, BY SUZANNE BELPERRON

Suzanne Belperron In 1921, at the tender age of 21, Suzanne Belperron (née Vuillerme) was hired by the prestigious French firm of Boivin. Already a graduate of the prestigious Icole des Beaux Arts in Paris, where she studied decorative arts, she was initially hired as a salesgirl. However, she soon established herself as a leading creative force at the house. No one could have predicted that she would evolve into one of the most enigmatic and influential figures of 20th century jewelry design. During her ten-year collaboration with Madame Jeanne Boivin, she was exposed to the maverick style so indicative of that house's oeuvre. Adept at juxtaposing non-precious materials, such as agate, chalcedony and rock crystal with gemstones she carried this signature style with her when she left Boivin and began an association with Bernard Herz, a pearl dealer, in 1933. The firm of Herz-Belperron, whose creations were executed by Darde et Fils, soon won the accolades of an intimate and influential group of collectors, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Elsa Schiaparelli, Diana Vreeland and Frank Sinatra. On a practical level, they may have been drawn by her reasonable fees and her skill at re-using stones. Yet, on a more creative level, they were most likely captivated by her sublime use of colors, such as muted blues and smoky grays, as well as the bold sculptural quality that culminated in truly imaginative designs. Madame Belperron never signed her pieces, believing that they would be instantly recognized as her design. Her unique combination of characteristics were a departure from the confines of the earlier Art Deco style. Semi-precious stones, such as the amethysts in lots 300 and 303, exemplify her taste for a strong palette, here encasing the wearers' finger and wrist in shades of purple. Lot 250 features a domed ring encrusted with emeralds, peridots and tourmalines, each with subtle variations in hue, tone and saturation, revolutionary at the time. Her sculptural treatment of platinum and gold imparted a sensual and bold look that conveyed the confidence and elegance of the woman. Lot 306, a diamond and gold brooch, mixes the paisley motif, so popular in the 1920's, with two strong gold scrolls. The diamond and gold ring, lot 301, makes a bold statement, uniting a large yellow diamond with an equally large gold mount. The diamond and gold bangle, lot 304, and the diamond and platinum ring, lot 305, illustrates her affinity for paving curved surfaces, creating movement with stones and metal. Nature also played a role in her designs, as seen in lot 249, a diamond and gold flower brooch, yet she was more apt to present them in a stylized, abstract form. With the onset of WWII, Madame Belperron preserved the firm by putting it in her name, while Bernard and Jean, his son, were imprisoned at concentration camps. Bernard eventually died in the camp in 1943 and Jean was released in 1945. After the war, Jean and Madame Belperron formed a partnership, Jean Herz-Suzanne Belperron, which thrived until her retirement in 1974. Prior to her death in 1983, she chose to burn virtually all her personal papers and photographs, adding to her already mysterious image; a legacy nearly lost to time. Today, Ward Landrigan, owner of Verdura, continues the Belperron tradition by producing pieces to the same exacting standards and according to her original designs, to which he owns the exclusive rights. An Exquisite Collection of Jewelry, The Property of Two Sisters, Elizabeth Calvin Bonner and Margaret Calvin Bowles, Sold to Benefit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri

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AN ELEGANT ART DECO AMETHYST AND DIAMOND BANGLE BRACELET, BY SUZANNE BELPERRON
Designed as a triple-row openwork oval-cut amethyst cuff, enhanced by old European-cut diamond collets and polished gold boules, to the polished and sculpted rigid gold band, mounted in gold, circa 1940, 2 1/16 ins. diameter

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