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Suzanne Belperron

Mar 17, 2016

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Suzanne Belperron was one of the most talented and influential jewellery designers of the 20th century. Inspired by the discovery of her personal archives in 2007, the authors of this book have created the first volume dedicated to the life and works of this renowned Parisian jeweller.
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Page 1: Suzanne Belperron
Page 2: Suzanne Belperron

Prelims (pp1-17) 25/8/11 11:14 am Page 2

Page 3: Suzanne Belperron

Preface 6

Chronology 16

Chapter I – An Artist’s Life 18

Chapter II – ‘My Style is my Signature’ 60

Chapter III – The Stones and their Combinations 132

Chapter IV – Themes and Influences 196

Chapter V – A Very Prestigious Clientele 264

Sketches 300

Designs 312

Plaster Casts 318

Personal Effects 332

Bibliography 346

Acknowledgements 348

Picture Credits 350

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Prelims (pp1-17) 6/9/11 11:56 am Page 5

Page 4: Suzanne Belperron

Suzanne Belperron was able todesign articulated jewels like

flowers or butterflies. Her mostfashionable clients adorned their

dresses with ‘flower’ brooches,which vibrated attractively

with every movement.Other examplesinclude: an articulated

‘flower’ clip brooch withgold petals and a diamond

pistil; an articulated brooch,created around 1935, in white and

blond agate, its pistil adorned with an old-mine-cut diamondand surrounded with cabochon corals, its stem made ofdiamonds mounted in gold and platinum.

There were infinite variations on the floral theme, allreflecting the whims of their owner, but also pieces inspiredby insects, such as butterflies with moving wings, whichSuzanne Belperron was particularly fond of. These jewels arenot particularly reflective of her œuvre.

In an article entitled ‘Brooches and Bracelets, GloveJewellery’, published by Vogue in March 1935, a journalistcontrasted different fashions in jewellery. He compared thesupple style with the ‘rigid style’ of Suzanne Belperron. Giventhe right attention to detail and technical prowess, he noted,pieces of jewellery on a supple mount could be made to looklike a ruffled piece of fabric. The examples given were: aCartier bracelet which looked like a ribbon wrapped aroundthe wrist and then held with a knot made of two buckles

passing one under the other; a Boucheron necklace made ofplatinum and diamonds, a triumph of suppleness, lightnessand flexibility; and a Mauboussin clip brooch which could bepinned to a low neckline to look like a ribbon or a garland. Tothese he opposed a ‘massive’ parure in agate and amethyst bySuzanne Belperron. Nevertheless, the journalist could nothelp but admire the bracelet with a double ring of agate cutfrom a single block linked by a cabochon amethyst.

Chapter II – ‘My Style is my Signature’

80

Above, left: A Fleur (flower) brooch in platinum and yellow gold, the pistil andstamens are decorated with diamonds, there are white agate petals and carved

blond agate leaves; the ensemble enhanced with red coral. (Collection Pierre Bergé & associés)

Above, right: Parure in agate and amethyst. (French Vogue, March 1935)

Opposite: Parure in agate and amethyst comprising a brooch, a ring and a pair ofdetachable clips. These jewels are very characteristic of Suzanne Belperron’s work.

(Siegelson, New York)

Chapter 2 (pp60-131) 18/8/11 11:57 am Page 80

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Chapter 2 (pp60-131) 18/8/11 11:58 am Page 81

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During a soirée organised at the Théâtre National de l’Opéraduring the Colonial Exhibition of 1931, a show was put on withtableaux vivants, bringing together the works of Jeanne Lanvinand the jewellery of Boucheron. By now, some famous couturiershad become so convinced of the importance of jewellery in theart of fashion that they were tempted to create their owncollections; these were referred to as ‘couture jewellery’. Thesejewels were made of new plastic materials that were fashionable

at the time – Bakelite, Erinoid or rhodoid – or composed of fakepearls, imitation stones and coloured crystals. Coco Chanel andElsa Schiaparelli were two famous names associated with thisimmediately successful new form of couture jewellery, which wasappreciated more for its decorative effect than for its intrinsiccommercial value. For their part, the jewellers appropriatedfashion accessories such as precious combs, belts, clutch bagsand evening bags, and treated them as jewellery.

Chapter II – ‘My Style is my Signature’

98

A necklace mounted in yellow gold and set with faceted and cabochon-cut emeralds. (Private collection)

Opposite: A ring in yellow gold and platinum set with a rectangular-cut emerald and diamonds. (Private collection)

Chapter 2 (pp60-131) 18/8/11 12:07 pm Page 98

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99

Chapter 2 (pp60-131) 18/8/11 12:07 pm Page 99

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118

White agate parure comprising abracelet formed of nine rows of agate

beads, a brooch in agate set withdiamonds, a ring in agate decorated

with a black pearl, and a pair of Feuille(leaf ) ear clips in agate and diamonds.

Chapter 2 (pp60-131) 18/8/11 12:15 pm Page 118

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119

A pair of earrings identical tothose worn by the model on the

left-hand page (Privatecollection). See also items on

pages 88, 117 and 140.

Parure comprising a fluted smokyquartz bracelet with diamond

border; a Demi-marguerite (half-daisy) clip with petals in smokyquartz, its heart pavé-set withbrilliant-cut diamonds; yellow

diamond ear clips; and a smokyquartz and brilliant-cut diamondring. (Photo: Hoyningen-Huene)

(Double page: American Vogue,May 1934. Archives

Olivier Baroin)

Chapter 2 (pp60-131) 18/8/11 12:16 pm Page 119

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Chapter III – The Stones and their Combinations

140

Top: A rock crystal bracelet, decorated with a square-cut emerald and diamonds. (Christie’s)

Left: A fluted smoky quartz bracelet designed as ‘mandarin segments’, edged on each side by a line of diamondsmounted on platinum. Worn by a model photographed by Hoyningen-Huene, this bracelet was reproduced in French

Vogue in November 1933. (Private collection)

Right: Gouache, a study for an aquamarine, sapphire and yellow gold brooch and ring shown opposite. (Archives Olivier Baroin)

Opposite: An aquamarine, sapphire and yellow gold brooch and ring corresponding to the study above. (Private collection)

Chapter 3 (pp132-195) 25/8/11 10:48 am Page 140

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Chapter 3 (pp132-195) 22/8/11 9:42 am Page 141

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Chapter 4 (pp196-263) 22/8/11 3:43 pm Page 224

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Chapter IV – Themes and Influences

225

A necklace of Indian inspiration composed of five rows of carved emerald beads, joined on each side by a gold motifpunctuated by diamonds and surmounted by a cluster of emeralds, sapphires and rubies. The gold chain holding the

piece is also enhanced by carved emerald beads. (La Galerie parisienne)

Opposite: A necklace in yellow gold, composed of faceted sapphires and faceted and cabochon emeralds,intercalated with pear-shaped rubies. (Private collection)

Chapter 4 (pp196-263) 22/8/11 3:44 pm Page 225

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Chapter 5 (pp264-299) 24/8/11 8:59 am Page 270

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The names of several Hollywood cinema stars, then at the pinnacle oftheir fame, appear throughout the pages of the appointment books:Pola Negri, Dolores del Río, Adèle Astaire (not her brother, whodoesn’t appear in the archives). There has been much fancifulspeculation about Suzanne Belperron’s clientele; as it happens, neitherDoris Duke, Frank Sinatra nor Clark Gable, contrary to what hasbeen written elsewhere, frequented the salons at 59, rue deChâteaudun. Suzanne Belperron notes, for example, in November1938, the visit of Mrs Gary Cooper, who ordered a bracelet insapphire, ruby and aquamarine, a ring of fine gold (design no. 3), andclip-on earrings of ruby and aquamarine; these pieces of jewellery weredelivered to the Hôtel George V. At another appointment, orderswere placed for a Cœur (heart) ring and a necklace of 22-carat gold.

Chapter V – A Very Prestigious Clientele

271

Top left: A pair of white chalcedony Mandarine (mandarin) earrings, in a ribbed design, each with a central pearl (Private collection). The original gouache forthe earrings is also shown (Archives Olivier Baroin).

Above, right: The cinema actress Marcelle Chantal wearing Pédoncules de poivron (pimento stalk) earrings in gold and white chalcedony by Suzanne Belperron.

Opposite, above: A pair of Toit (roof ) earrings mounted in white gold, platinum and diamonds. (La Galerie Parisienne)

Opposite, bottom left: A pair of earrings mounted in white gold, platinum and calibré-cut sapphires. (Christie’s)

Chapter 5 (pp264-299) 24/8/11 8:59 am Page 271

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The images on the following pages are a collection of designs by Suzanne Belperron which show the delicacy ofher brushtrokes, as much in the reflection of the materials as in the quality of the line. Most of her gouachesfrom the start of her career were painted on grey card, or sometimes a coloured background – always including ashadow in the bottom right corner – unlike other artists who worked mainly on beige-coloured tracing paper.

DRAWINGS (pp312-317) 24/8/11 12:12 pm Page 312

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Designs

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DRAWINGS (pp312-317) 24/8/11 12:13 pm Page 313

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