All That Glitters

Rene Lalique dragonfly enamel brooch (1898).

This is my tribute to jewelry design.

I do it because Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and there’s nothing that says “I adore you” like a gorgeous piece of jewelry.

I do it because I’ve always loved jewelry, though most of what adorns my body is of the costume variety because I get tons more bling for my buck.

I do it because jewelry is sweetly nostalgic for me as I remember my father going to Gray’s Jeweler in Culver City to buy my mother rings, diamond necklaces and more. I often wore my mother’s gems, including her pearl necklaces, which I still treasure.

I do it because through the ages, many pieces have shown incredible craftsmanship, artistry and imagination.

This ancient Roman bracelet (300-400 A.D.) can be seen at the Getty Villa in Malibu.

Finally, I do it to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of the Art Nouveau movement – World War I spelled an end to it – and to note there were beautiful jewels created during that era (two of my choices below are Art Nouveau pieces).

Here are six of my favorite body adornments, which are found all over the world. I’ve included one that you can see right here in the Los Angeles area, at the Getty Villa in Malibu. (Click on photos to match the description to the image.)

1. My all-time favorite, hands down, is the René Lalique dragonfly enamel brooch (1898), which can be found in the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon. This stunning piece made by the French Art Nouveau master is of gold, enamel, chrysoprase, moonstone, and diamonds. (I believe this was created for legendary actress Sarah Bernhardt. It’s huge, and you need a spectacular set of ta tas to pull it off.)

Georges Fouquet dress ornament (1923).

2. This ancient Roman bracelet (300-400 A.D.) – which can be seen at the Getty Villa in Malibu – is made of gold, glass, emeralds, and sapphires.

3. This Georges Fouquet dress ornament (1923) is of jade, onyx, diamonds, enamel, and platinum. It can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

4. This rare Art Deco/Egyptian motif bracelet (1922) by Lacloche Freres, is made of diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires.

5. This rockfish brooch is a piece of costume jewelry designed by Adolph Katz, chief designer for CORO, for the spring-summer collection in 1944. This “ROCK YOUR WORLD” sterling silver, rhinestone & enamel piece is so striking that it is been memorialized in many books about costume jewelry.

A rare Art Deco/Egyptian motif bracelet (1922) by
Lacloche Freres.

6. Ending as we began, with an Art Nouveau piece (1904), this delicately beautiful gold and enamel brooch by Gaston Lafitte was auctioned off by Christie’s for nearly $40,000 in 2008.