Palm Beach Show 2011

17 An important 18-karat yellow gold and diamond retro necklace by Cartier, circa 1950. Courtesy, Fred Leighton. THIS PAGE , BELOW : Citrine, amethyst and diamond cuff bracelet by Trabert & Hoeffer-Mauboussin, circa 1940s. Courtesy, Fred Leighton. “Panther” one of Cartier’s signature motifs. It joined the earlier “Pink Flamingo” brooch created by Jean Toussaint in gold, caliber emeralds, sapphires, and rubies as one of the most recognizable and widely imi- tated jewels of all time. There was a huge demand for glamorous jeweled objects: powder compacts, cigarette lights and cases, evening bags, and lipstick cases. Cocktail parties and balls were revived and women wore sweeping gowns by Marcel Rochas, Norman Hartnell, Jacques Fath, Dior, and Balenciaga, and their low necklines—paired with the upswept hairstyles of the day—left vast expanses of lovely necks and seductive cleavage to be adorned with ornate necklaces and Seaman Schepps cluster ear clips, an innovative style that heaped together lavish mounds of cabochons of colored stones. The late 1940s and early 1950s saw a lot of experimentation in jewelry. Artists like Salvador Dali, Max Ernst, and Tony Duquette all explored jewelry design, with Duquette creat- ing pieces for the Duchess of Windsor. Retro jewelry in all its manifestations fell out of favor in the 1960s and 1970s and, unfortunately, a lot of examples were broken up and melted down to recycle the metal and reclaim the stones for use in new designs. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Retro jewelry began to attract a new generation of passion- ate collectors. Artist Andy Warhol was one of the first new collectors to recognize the distinctiveness of Retro jewelry, and he built an impressive collection. “In the Eighties, I bought a Retro style bracelet: a heavy gold setting, with a huge citrine,” recalls Audrey Friedman. “One of our associates, a lovely young woman from a very good family looked at it and said, ‘that’s one of the ugliest things I have ever seen!’ A short time later, Andy came in and bought it, caus- ing no small amount of embarrassment!” The historic sale of the Duchess of Windsor’s jewels, in 1987, and a year later, the Warhol estate sale brought Retro jewelry into the headlines and back into fashion. Today, it still attracts collectors who appreci- ate its bold and fearless designs. “It’s coming out of the closets and the family safes,” says Judith Price. “People are taking a close look at their mother’s and grandmother’s jewelry and realizing its value and beauty.” She adds, “You can’t make jew- elry like this anymore.”