I know some of you do not "do" Instagram and I have been posting images for the Vintage Fashion Guild's account there - @vintagefashionguild. I am going to post this particular yellow diamond “bee ring” by Jean Schlumberger. It was made for Mrs. Paul Mellon, who gave him the diamond to set in a ring of his design. One source says the diamond was 8.8 carats, another says 11.3 carats. It was purchased for $1.08 million at a Sotheby’s auction in 2011. Schlumberger joined Tiffany as a “signature designer” in 1956. He was the first jewelry designer to win the Fashion Critics’ Coty Award in 1958. Before Tiffany he began his career creating buttons for Elsa Schiaparelli in the 1930s. Schiaparelli later commissioned him to design costume jewelry for her firm. He is perhaps best known for the brooch below - Tiffany's "A Bird on the Rock" brooch which features a 128.54 carats yellow diamond in a fanciful setting typical of Schlumberger's style.
Beautiful ring, Amanda! It looks like the Jean Schlumberger collection will be traveling to the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida, later this year. Code: http://mfastpete.org/exh/jean-schlumberger/
Quite the interesting auction they had of her jewelry back in November 2014 - Sothebys - The Jewels of Mrs. Paul Mellon - there is still a short video clip for it.
Yellow has never been one of my favorite colors, but I have been known to make exceptions! In this case, I can and will be happy to do so!
Bonnie, you attended the exhibit last year when it was at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, is that right? If so, did you have a favorite (or favorites) from the collection?
I sure did attend that fabulous exhibit at the VMFA last year with two of my dearest friends. After we drooled over all of the wonderful pieces in the exhibit, we went back and forth all the way home about what was our favorite piece. I don't think any of us could narrow it down to just one single thing, but for me, I loved the enamel pieces the most, especially the bangles. The enamel boxes were amazing, too. I know this sounds crazy with all of the magnificent gems that were in the jewelry, that I might choose the enameled pieces, but I am crazy about enamel work. And the gold work on those pieces was so spectacular and the colors of the enamels were just beautiful. But, everything was wonderful , including the best cookies ever in the cafe! I was so happy that I did get to see that exhibit. Did you see it Laura, and what was your favorite piece, if you did/
Unfortunately, I didn't get to see it, Bonnie. But I remember when you mentioned your trip and thinking to myself "what a lucky ducky". ;)
I did feel fortunate to be able to see such masterpieces and to stand so close to them, too. It sure would have been great fun if we could have tried some of them on!!! I don't thing that would have gone over well with the security folks who were standing all around.
