Jewels of History

Opal A-List Jewelers

Opal Jewellery - Who's Who of the Masters

Baer
Baer Jewels was established in 1988 as an atelier in Hong Kong, Peter and his wife Doris’ duplex showroom and workshop is a unique concept in the heart of Central. Peter Baer is an award-winning designer who apprenticed in his native Switzerland and studied gemmology in Germany, he held design and management positions with leading companies in both Europe and Hong Kong before going independent. Baer jewels are distinctively modern, combining geometric and sculptural lines which evoke a certain architectural quality. Baer use only the finest quality metals and gemstones, including jade, pearls and Opals. Each creation carries the hallmark ‘baerjewels’ with an embedded diamond as a testimony of authenticity and guarantee of superb craftsmanship. www.baerjewels.com

Blennerhassett
Susan Blennerhassett is a renowned national and international award winning jeweller, co-owner with husband John of Blennerhassett Fine Jewellers in Western Australia. Since her apprenticeship 28 years ago, a major part of her training involved working with Opals, their uniqueness, fiery colours and free-form shapes inspired a passion for working with Australia's National Gemstone. This enthusiasm remains with Susan today, client’s commissions to design have led to her most creative pieces featuring the naturally playful colours in Opals enhanced by diamonds and coloured stones. www.blennerhassett.com.au

Boucheron
Frederic Boucheron (1830-1902) was a masterful technician who apprenticed under Jules Chaise prior to opening his first jewelry salon in 1858 at Palais Royale, the jeweler's area of Paris. The firm's reputation for design, craftsmanship and the use of gemstones propelled it into the luxury market. In 1893 Boucheron was the first to set up shop at the Place Vendome, still the company’s headquarters. Boucheron exhibited in the early international expositions including the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial; the 1889 and 1900 Expositions Universelle in Paris; the 1893 World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago; and the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Boucheron has participated in every style of contemporary jewelry. The business has been passed through the family and remains privately owned. Maison Boucheron operates branches in London, the Middle and Far East, Japan, and Moscow.

Buccellati
Mario Buccellati opened his first shop in Milan in 1919. In the following years he made jewelry for the royal families of Italy, Spain and Egypt, as well as Pope Pius XI and Pope Pius XII, among others. In 1925 he opened in Rome followed by Florence in 1929 and New York in 1953. In 1965 the founder's three sons, all goldsmiths, reformed the company to preserve the Buccellati style. According to the company's creative director and daughter of Gianmaria, as a child she sometimes played with the rare Opal egg which years later was on show at the Smithsonian, now netted in diamonds. Under the leadership of Gianmaria Buccellati and his children Maria Christina, Andrea and Gino, 70 Italian craftspeople create personalised jewels featuring texture-engraved gold Their unique artistry can be enjoyed in exclusive boutiques in Milan, Sardinia, Paris, New York, and Beverly Hills, as well as franchises in Venice, Capri, Elba, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Osaka. The firm in the United States is known as Buccellati. But because of the other brothers Lorenzo and Federico's shops in Europe, Gianmaria's European boutiques are called Gianmaria Buccellati. www.buccellati.com

J.E. Caldwell
In 1839, James Emmott Caldwell, a New York City trained jeweler, began to supply wealthy Philadelphians with stylish European jewelry, silver, and objets d'art. Business soon flourished and over several decades, the store moved to more fashionable premises in Chestnut Street also changing owners several times. In 1868, the firm was officially established as J.E. Caldwell and Co.and towards the end of the nineteenth century, the firm began to hand fabricate beautiful gem-set jewels which are heralded among the finest examples of American Art Nouveau and Art Deco jewelery. Caldwell were 'the' jeweler to the establishment in the city of brotherly love, their clientele consisting mostly of married and conservative people. Around the turn of the century, finely chased surfaces, were combined with unusual gemstones such as Opals, complimented with typical Nouveau motifs: curvaceous women, vines, garlands, flowers, and insects. Throughout the 1920’s, the firm produced fine pieces of Art Deco jewelry, now well sought after by collectors. The company’s tradition of using fine Opals continued into the Deco period, and beyond, whereas Opal was no longer the gemstone of choice in the new era. J.E. Caldwell continues to offer high quality jewels according to the current styles. www.jecaldwell.com

Cartier
In 1847 Louis-Francois Cartier founded his business, in Paris, joined by his son Alfred. During the Art Deco era grandsons Louis, Pierre, and Jean-Jacques took over, opening salons in Paris, London and New York. They parlayed the company's distinctive oriental-influenced style, diamond set platinum jewels and technical excellence into a famous worldwide empire. In 1972, a private investment group bought Cartier Paris. A separate boutique product line named 'Les Must de Cartier' was developed at the time to appeal to the public at large. The merger of "Cartier" and "Les Must de Cartier" took place in 1981. In 1983 Eric Naussbaum began attending auctions worldwide to build the Cartier Collection, which now constitutes a priceless record of this amazing House's creativity. Several important pieces in the collection, dating from the 1930's to the 1960s', reveal an affinity with Opal had by the London firm ran by Jean-Jacques Cartier. In 1993 Cartier became a part of Richemont's Vendôme Luxury Group. www.cartier.com

Wallace Chan
Born in China into a traditional Chinese cultural environment, Wallace completed rigorous training as an ivory sculptor and studied art at university. A self-taught person by nature, in the mid 1980’s he invented the so called "Wallace Cut," an image-carving and reflecting technique incorporating elements of cameo, intaglio and gem faceting. A rich practical knowledge of metallurgy and machinery lead him to combine different kinds of gems, like Opals, and various metals which resist a creative idea because they are not easily combinable, he “marries” them until they are melted or cast into a unity. Creative influences include traditional art realism, Buddhist art and Greco-Roman mythic motifs. Particularly renowned by collectors in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and Germany where his works are available in selected venues. 1987 winner of the Hong Kong Jewellery Design Grand Award. Chan’s Motto: Nature conceives, I complete. www.wallace-chan.com

Chanel
The famous Parisian fashion house founded by the late couturier Coco Chanel in 1909. Chanel is synonymous with haute couture and perfumery and is one of the most recognized labels in the luxury goods industry. Coco Chanel was a leader of the 20th century costume jewellery movement. In 1932 Madamemoiselle Chanel exhibited her first fine jewelry collection, consisting of diamonds and platinum jewels. In 1993 the House of Chanel launched 'Fine Jewelry' with the creation of new pieces and the reissue of the outstanding models of 1932. Today innovative interpretations of the brand identity are causing Chanel to introduce more colourful gemstones into their repertoire. The design philosophy remains true to the founders intention, as Coco Chanel said to Harpers Bazaar in 1923, "Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance". Privately held, la Maison de Chanel is jointly owned, by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, the grandsons of the early Chanel partner Pierre Wertheimer. www.chanel.com

Chaumet
Originally founded in 1780 by Marie-Etienne Nitot, as Nitot & Sons, the firm became the official jeweler to Napoleon’s court. Among their achievements were the Consular sword, the tiara of Pius VIIand the grand gemstone parures, including Opal sets, ordered by the Empresses Jospehine and Marie-Louise. Joseph Chaumet, joined the firm by marriage in the mid 1870s, assuming corporate leadership in 1885, he later renamed the firm. Joseph Chaumet's creativity and naturalistic approach created romantic jewels catapulting him to the pinnacle of Belle Epoque design. Chaumet served as the jeweler to many of the royal houses of Europeand won numerous awards at international exhibitions, aigrettes and tiaras became the company's signature items. Through the 1960s and 1970s, Chaumet's animal and flower jewels were prominent. The firm expanded its market share introducing watch designs. Now owned by LVMH Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, Chaumet has numerous boutiques across the globe. www.chaumet.com

Dali
Salvador Dali (1904- 1989) was accomplished in all forms of art, his jewelry as per his paintings, reflect the Surrealist movement. A fascination with dreams and mythology helped shape his most popular theme, metamorphosis. He has famously collaborated with great names in jewelry including Verdura and Piaget. His first pieces of jewelry were commissioned by Eric Ertman of Finland and a number were displayed at the Milan Triennale, 1954. An expanding collection passed into the possession of the Owen Cheatham Foundation with whom Alemany of New York have an exclusive option to make the Dali designs.

Stuart Devlin
Born in Australia in 1931 Stuart Devlin is an internationally renowned sculptor, silversmith and jewellery designer. He won a competition to design Australia’s first decimal currency coinage issued in 1965. Devlin went on to design coinage for more than 30 countries and designed several hundred trophies and medals including the order of Australia. In 1967 he started making a series of unique decorative Easter eggs for which he is well known. He delighted his patrons with these as gifts; the egg he made in 1974 contained an Opal mosaic and is a renowned objet d’virtu. Based mostly in London, Devlin is a great patriot who has expertly crafted Australia’s National Gemstone into his distinctive masterpieces on numerous occasions. In 1980, the Queen conferred on him the Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George “for services to the art of design” and in 1982 he was granted the Royal Warrant of appointment as Goldsmith and Jeweller to Her Majesty the Queen.

Christian Dior
Founded in Paris in 1946 and now owned by LVMH. As the newest entrant to fine jewellery creation of the famed Parisian luxury brands Dior has been fond of the fashionable palette of colours found in Opal. Creative director Victoire de Castellane is enamoured of Opals and the value equation of size and colour Opals offer. Opals of all types are preferred for use in the portrayal of aquatic designs and bold cocktail rings.
www.diorjoaillerie.com

Henry Dunay
Henry Dunay Designs was launched in 1965. Dunay began ‘faceting’ gold in 1967, hand rendered textures would become his signature and most important selling innovation. Recognized as one of the leading jewelers in America, and an international star, Dunay has won 53 awards in as many years. He crafts his detailed creations in yellow gold incorporating rare gemstones, particularly Opals of all types. Always designing with an eye for how a piece will look on a woman and to achieve harmony of line and balance. Dunay shuns mass-market production, his sculptural forms are miniature art objects and each piece is one-of-a-kind. His client list reads like a who’s who of celebrities, including; Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Hilary Clinton, Danielle Steel, Liz Taylor, Salma Hayek, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Pricess Diana, Baz Luhrman, Leonardo Di Caprio…. Dunay maintains a studio and workshop in New York City. www.henrydunay.com

A. Dragsted
Established 1854 in Copenhagen. Jewellers to the Royal Court of Denmark and Greece, and to the Imperial Court of Russia. Presented at numerous exhibitions over several generations.

www.a.dragsted.aok.dk

Faberge
Peter Carl Faberge grew up working for his father's jewelry business in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1872, Faberge took control of the company. A master goldsmith, Faberge drew inspiration from the fabulous collections housed at the Hermitage museum. He was appointed jeweler to the Imperial Court, where he achieved his greatest fame, fabricating 50 jeweled Imperial Easter eggs between 1885 and 1916. Faberge produced miniatures carved in gemstones and set with precious trappings in prolific amounts, several exemplary pieces contain Opals. His patrons included worldwide royalty and the social elite of the era. His jewelry designs and sculptures captivated the world. Faberge fled Russia in 1917 following the October Revolution. He died in Switzerland in 1920, leaving behind a legacy for unparalleled technical mastery of metalwork. Faberge brand now belongs to Unilever Corporation and continues to produce lavishly detailed jewelry and art objects utilizing the techniques and tools reminiscent of the originals from St. Petersburg.

Paul Flato
American Paul Flato (1900-1999) opened his first shop at 1 East Fifty-Seventh Street in New York City in the late 1920's, several years before Tiffany & Co. relocated to their current address just across the street. In 1937, Flato opened a branch on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, his popularity reached its zenith in 1930-40s Hollywood where his lavish creations adorned the likes of Merle Oberon, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Charlie Chaplin, Katherine Hepburn and Hopalong Cassidy. Flato's style was design oriented, his designers were Adolph Kleaty, George Headley and Fulco di Verdura, the results are often humorous yet always characterized by refined lines and impeccable craftsmanship. The business closed in the USin the late 1940s, in 1970 he opened a shop in the fashionable Zona Rosa district of Mexico City. Flato passed away in Dallas, Texas, at age 98.

Fouquet
A family business founded by Alphonse Fouquet (1828-1911), spanned three generations, as his son Georges and later, grandson Jean worked tirelessly creating classic Art Nouveau designs. Georges' work rivaled that of Lalique; although Georges Fouquet is considered more versatile. Georges collaboration with artist Alfonse Mucha, in 1900, created spectacular plique-a-jour enamel designs. Their collaborative effort on an Opal inlaid serpent bracelet created for actress Sarah Bernhardt solidified their place in jewelry history. Georges worked alongside his son throughout the Art Deco era until the mid 1930s, when the company closed its doors.

Garrard
The Crown jewellers established in 1735. Descending from George Wickes the famous 18th century silversmith in the Haymarket. In 1802 the Garrard family name was cemented when Robert Garrard Snr took control. The company became one of the leading British silversmiths and maintained a silver and jewel factory as well as a shop in Albemarle street, making many British and foreign crown jewels. Prince Albert commissioned numerous Opal jewels by Garrard often providing the designs himself. In 1952 the company was acquired and moved to 112 Regent Street. In 1961 Garrard won first prize in the DeBeers Jewellery competition. Although later merged the company encountered difficulties during WWII and discontinued in 1963. The year 2002 heralded a dynamic re-launch of Garrard onto the international stage.

Giuliano
Carlo Giuliano (1831-1895) moved with his family from Italy to Englandin the mid 19th century, where he began to make granulated gold jewelry in the ancient Greek and Roman style. This style was popular at the time and his contemporaries the Castellani family were also based in London. Giuliano’s workshop was in his name after 1860 and in 1874 he opened a retail shop with his son under the name Carlo and Arthur Giuliano. By the 1870s, archaeological-style jewelry had lost much of its appeal, and the Renaissance style was capturing attention. Rather than replicate Renaissance jewelry, Giuliano sensitively interpreted it to suit late 19th century taste and the company blossomed. Precise enameling and careful attention to detail mark truly original designs. Giuliano’s superb yet understated pieces were enriched with a modest combination of gems including cabochon Opals. Patrons included Queen Victoriaand the Prince of Wales. Collaborations with Castellani and artist Edward Burne-Jones, a leader of the Aesthetic movement, resulted in a successful range of designs. Collectors and connoisseurs alike seek out Giuliano jewelry, the pieces are still fresh and feel heavy compared with other Victorian pieces, because Giuliano worked only in solid gold.

Giulians
Established in 1966 by Ivan Vortuni, the House of Giulians' iconic George St showroom in Sydneyis world renowned for impeccable service and one of the finest collections of Australian precious gemstones. Over the years Giulians has served numerous famous clients including entertainment superstar Michael Jackson. Giulians is a family run company specialising in the highest quality Australian opals, South Sea Pearls and Pink Diamonds. All jewellery is designed and handcrafted exclusively by their own in house designers and jewelers, overseen by award winning jeweler Gary Coffey. www.giulians.com.au

Guild of Handicraft
Charles Ashbee established the Guild of Handicraft in 1888 in order to develop techniques and aesthetics in jewellery, as well as in furniture and metalwork. Ashbee who was inspired by John Ruskin’s writings and William Morris’s work, started his career as an architect and was one of the first designers in the Arts and Crafts Movement to experiment with jewellery. C.R.Ashbee collaborated with other British jewellers, including John Paul Cooper to produce a range of items including belt or waist buckles, clasps, hatpins, pendants and brooches. Fine craftsmanship and ideologies of the medieval period inspired their work, including the use of naturally hewn stones such as split faces of Boulder Opal. It was essentially a reaction to the shoddy machine-made goods that had been created by industrialization in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Despite being the main inspiration for the Wiener Werkstatte and the fact that their designs were much copied by Liberty & Co., the Guild went into voluntary liquidation in 1907.

Oscar Heyman
Founded in 1912, this New York based manufacturer of the very finest precious gemstone jewelry is one of only a handful of family-owned workshops still dedicated to European-style craftsmanship and "by hand" fabrication. The family of six brothers and three sisters emigrated from Latvia in the early 1900's. Having apprenticed at a Faberge workshop in Russia, two of the brothers had extensive experience with platinum, a new metal at that time. Another brother was skilled at tool making. Together, they were able to establish a self-contained company where quality could be monitored at all stages. In time, the firm manufactured and supplied jewelry for the most prestigious American jewelry houses of the 1930s. Flower brooches became the company's signature item. Their magnificent creations are often purposely unstamped as a discretion to their trade customers and may require specialist authentication. The tradition continues as the family owned and operated company makes its own tools, alloys its own platinum and gold, selecting the finest gems, amongst them the most magnificent Black Opals, from which they design and create jewels for the most discerning clientele. Oscar Heyman is a preferred supplier and a key source for the finest retail jewelers worldwide.

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www.oscarheyman.com

Iskenderian
John or Isky as he is known to his many friends within the Australian trade established himself in 1963 and comes from an Armenian family of jewellers who traded in Jerusalem. Winner of numerous awards, the De Beers Award in 1985, he counts President Bill Clinton as a client. To mark the birth of little Prince Christian of Denmark born in October, and whose birthstone is Opal, the Jewellers Association on behalf of the Australian people presented a Boulder Opal pendant encased in gold to HRH Crown Princess Mary and a set of custom made Opal and gold cuff links to HRH Crown Prince Frederik on the 6 August 2006 at Fredensborg Palace. These jewels were both superbly crafted by Mr. John Iskenderian of Sydney.

Georg Jensen
In 1904 Danish sculptor Georg Jensen founded his silversmith business in Copenhagen.His unique designs embrace elegant lines, organic motifs and simplicity of form that made him a commercial success. Not tied to one artistic arena, Georg Jensen created masterful works in jewelry, cutlery and hollowware. His brightly polished creations, both pure and timeless, encompassed Art Nouveau and Avant-Garde styles. Georg Arthur Jensen died in 1935, his legacy is that of one of the most influential silversmiths of the 20th century, his extraordinary vision lives on; The privately held company continues to cultivate new design talent and produces fine jewelry, watches, gift items and cutlery in gold, sterling silver, stainless steel and precious gems. Georg Jensen is a global luxury brand with 1000 employees, present in more than 12 countries, through an international retail network of more than 100 stores. www.georgjensen.com

Lalique
Rene Lalique (1860-1945) began his career as a freelance jewelry designer for acclaimed houses Cartier and Boucheron. In 1885, he opened his own workshop where he produced spectacular sculptural pieces through the use of unique materials such as glass, horn, Opal, enamel and textured gold. His designs seamlessly wove fantasy and nature together. The theory of metamorphosis and its affect on the female figure created some of the most dramatic imagery known to art, let alone jewelry. Lalique is indisputably the master of Art Nouveau jewelry design. Actress Sarah Bernhardt brought Lalique great fame by promoting his designs, which she boldly wore on-stage and at public events. Under the patronage of oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian, Lalique created 145 commissioned pieces, many contain Opals and they head the line-up for the leading exhibition at the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal.

Liberty & Co.
Established by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875, the luxury department store on London’s Regent Streetbegan selling ornaments, fabric and objets d'art from Japan and the East. The iconic Liberty fabrics were used for both clothing and furnishings. Arthur L. Liberty intended to change the look of fashion and this extended to jewellery, which had first been imported from Germany. Immediate success justified the development of a range of fabrics and jewellery for the company’s aspiring middle class clientele. Liberty employed numerous, mainly unknown English artist designers, and by 1901, had invested significantly in machine mass production. Archibald Knox was the major force behind Liberty & Co.’s jewellery design. Due to Knox, the Celtic Revival of Liberty & Co., was for a short time to exemplify English Art Nouveau to such an extent that in Italy, the style became known as the Stile Liberty. Liberty & Co. was prolific in the production of Opal encrusted jewellery in both silver and gold, prominently set in pendants and necklaces. Numerous silverware objet d’art including cultlery sets, vases and cigar boxes were lavished with Opals as well as agates, turquoise, pearls and enamel. The Liberty department store, brand-name and design archives belong to MWB Group Holdings plc, founded by Richard Balfour-Lynn and listed on the London Stock Exchange. www.liberty.co.uk

Marchak
Joseph Marchak established his firm in 1878. Known as the 'Cartier of Kiev', Marchak was a household name in Russia, he and his contemporary Faberge were the appointed jewellers to the Romanov Tsars. His son Alexander Marchak immigrated to Paris from Russia at the start of the Russian Revolution, rising to prominence during the Art Deco period, having exhibited at the 1925 Paris Exhibition of Decorative Arts. Favourite themes were birds and floral sprays, all highly romanticized and decorated in the most colourful precious and semi-precious gemstones including Opals. www.marchak.fr

Marcus
Dresden jeweler Hermann Marcus left Germany for New Yorkin the 1850s. He worked for Tiffany & Co., followed by Ball, Black and Company before partnering with Theodore B. Starr in the firm, Starr & Marcus. Following a brief return to Tiffany's, he entered into partnership with his son William's business in 1884. The name officially became Marcus & Company in 1892. The firm rose to prominence during the 1920s and 1930s. They manufactured expensive diamond jewels, as well as artistic jewelry featuring cut Opals engraved in-house and plique-a-jour enamel in the Art Nouveau style. Famous for spectacular flower brooches: pansies, morning glories, orchids, et al, the company flourished during the Art Nouveau era. Along with their New York office, Marcus & Co. operated branches in Paris, Bombay, Palm Beach and London. The business merged with Black, Starr & Frost in 1962.

Mariora
Established by Mario Antolovich in 1975 at the goldenmile in Surfers Paradise on Queensland's Gold Coast. Mariora jewellery is individually created using the finest Queensland Boulder Opals and Black Opals, 18kt gold and platinum complimented by fine quality diamonds. Australian born designer Helen S. Parer, daughter of the founder, heads a team of talented designers who have won numerous awards at the Australian Jewellery Design Awards including the Grand Prix Trophy in 1992. Mariora’s office in Osaka Japan distributes under the brand name. www.mariora.com.au

Masriera
Spanish jeweler Josep Masriera i Vidal was born into a family of jewelers and artisans. Masriera opened his workshop in the silversmiths quarter of Barcelona in 1839. Later joined by his son Lluis, a creative genius and inventor who rose to fame during the Art Nouveau movement. His series of winged nymphs are some of the most important pieces of the period. Masriera is credited with formulating a specialized enameling technique referred to as "Barcelona Enamel". The process took translucent enamel and blended it with an element inducing luminosity; the newly minted enamel was then formed in relief, adding texture, volume, and depth, creating a sculptural quality to the individual design. The legacy continues through the faithful execution of Lluis Masriera's designs taken from original drawings and made from the actual molds. In 1985 Masriera y Carrera was the resulting merger of Spain's two great houses. The brands were since seperated and Bagues-Masriera is now part of Carrera Y Carrera which is a public company. www.masriera.es

Mauboussin
It was Paris1827, the year when the House of Mauboussin opened. The firm specialized in highly stylized architectural jewels set with precious gems of vibrant hue, often Opals, accented by sparkling white diamonds. They exhibited at the 1925 International Exhibition des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, and won the grand prize. Georges Mauboussin believed that jewelry should reflect the wearer's personality with a jeweled accent. Its Reflection series struck a chord with socialites and celebrities, such as Marlene Dietrich, who flocked to Mauboussin. The company opened offices in Buenos Aires and London prior to New York, in 1929. The ill-timed opening of their New York branch coincided with the stock market crash the same year. A weakened Mauboussin merged with Trabert & Hoeffer, Inc.

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Moser
Bruno Moser; a Swiss born jeweller, moved his family to the opalfields of Andamooka (South Australia) in 1952. From there he exported opals to Japan, the USA and Europe. Today, the family business Moser is world-renowned for miniature gemstone sculptures - incorporating all gemstones with a spectacular emphasis on Opal. Initially known for their unique cutting abilities, the exceptional craftsmanship, quality and purity of their gemstone compositions continues as Moser sculptural jewellery takes inspiration from wind, water and the flow of nature - which embodies their characteristic style. Each of Moser’s jewellery designs is guided by the natural flow and balance of the sculptured stones. Moser jewellery is exhibited and sold worldwide in galleries, shops and department stores. Moser created bronze sculptures and larger gemstones also adorn public reception areas and private homes. Richard Moser, the founder’s son, heads a team of highly-skilled experts including jewellers, designers and polishers to create Moser jewellery. www.moserjewellery.com

Piaget

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Founded by Georges Edouard Piaget in 1874, who produced highly precise mechanical clock movements in his workshop on the family farm in the Jura mountains of Switzerland. Grandsons Gerald and Valentin registered the brand and expanded it geographically. The small village of Cote-aux-Fees became the centre of new developments in the field of ultra-thin mechanical movements, with a new workshop built in 1945. Defining moments include the sensational 1964 launch of ‘Gemstone faced’ watches, the ‘Cuff’ watch and in 1976 developed the worlds smallest quartz movement. Under the guidance of Yves Piaget since 1980, Piaget has a dozen boutiques around the world and numerous prestige outlets purvey the firm's jewelry and watches. Piaget use only the finest quality rough crystal Opal to make exclusive one-piece Opal faced watches.www.piaget.com

Paloma Picasso
Paloma Picasso is one of the world's most successful jewelry designers. The daughter of famed artist Pablo Picasso, Paloma received her jewelry training at the University of Paris. She worked for the Greek jewellery firm Zolotas, where she created gold jewelry. She joined Tiffany & Co. in 1980 and made a name for herself with her bold, graphic style. Her passion for color is evident in her choice of gemstones: tourmaline, tanzanite, and Opals. Paloma is an advocate for rubelites and fire Opals - two of the brightest, intensely coloured stones yet among the most underrated gems. Picasso prefers 18k yellow gold as her medium, and designs for women with the scope of empowering women to buy jewelry for themselves.

Rachi
Miwako and Sumihiro Rachi are Tokyo based jewelry artisans. Engaged in the jewellery industry since 1974, set up studio “Melpool” in 1989 and show room in 1997. They are part of an elite group of celebrated Japanese designers. Rachi draw their inspiration from the Baroque & Rococo periods and the romanticism of Florence, Rome and Vienna. Particularly fond of blue-green Boulder Opals, these often form the centrepiece of Rachi's compositions.

Scavia
Established in 1923 as a goldsmith’s workshop in Milan by Domenico and Sara Scavia. Today, Fulvio Maria Scavia is the driving force behind this emerging Italian luxury group, encompassing the fine jewelry brand and a very personal concept of elegance expressed through a collection of precious accessories. Scavia’s unmistakeable style is characterized by the use of bold gemstones and colourful compositions. The creations are skillfully handcrafted from designs which are aesthetically researched and timeless. Scavia operate branded stores in Milan, Bangkok, Tokyo and Moscow. www.scavia.it

Seaman Schepps
Seaman Schepps created one of America's most avant-garde jewelry companies of the 20th century. He started out as a purveyor of jewelry and art objects, prior to designing his own jewels, as of 1926. His boutique in New York City offered one-of-a-kind original designs in the Arts & Crafts Movement. Schepps designed wearable works of art featuring unusual materials, such as shell, ivory, turquoise, Opal, wood, coral, and rock crystal as well as found materials such as glass. The company reached its zenith in the 1940s and 1950s, where bold animal themed designs graced celebrities and high society, alike. Through the patronage of the Rockefellers and the British Royal Family to Marlene Dietrich and Andy Warhol, Seaman Schepps' dazzling jewels graced the covers of Town & Country, Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Although he passed away in 1972, Seaman Schepps legacy of unusual, artistic designs continues to be offered today.

H. Stern
The Brazilian jewelry company, H. Stern, was founded by a young German émigré named Hans Stern in 1945. He got his start buying and selling colored gemstones in Rio de Janeiro. His sharp eye for color was equaled by his interest in creative design. The company's golden rule was that each piece had to be beautiful. Once small, H. Stern has grown to an international manufacturer and South America's largest jeweler with boutiques throughout the world. Under the leadership of Hans Stern's son, Ronaldo, the company continues to design exquisite jewels always set with the finest quality gemstones native to Brazil - a paradise of Gems and major Opal producing nation.

Tiffany
In 1837 Charles Lewis Tiffany (1812-1902) founded the firm that bares his name. The boutique style business retailed stationery, silver, jewelry and objects d'art. Tiffany & Co. are credited with revolutionizing the jewelry industry by the invention of the open six-prong diamond setting and with the growth of their jewelry interests, Tiffany soared. By 1907, the son of the founder, Louis Comfort Tiffany headed the company. He had been internationally acclaimed for his profusion of the arts (painting, interior design, glass and jewelry) before entering the business. As Opal was well suited to his palette Tiffany & Co. became benefactors of Lightning Ridge's infant Black Opal Industry, buying a major share of the early production. Great designers for the brand such as Donald Claflin in 1955, Jean Schlumberger in 1967, Angela Cummings, later Elsa Peretti in 1974 and most recently Paloma Picasso in 1980, were given artistic license to create and sign their collections in-house for Tiffany. www.tiffany.com

Van Cleef & Arpels
Parisian jeweler Alfred Van Cleef in partnership with his brothers-in-law, Julien and Charles Arpels, opened their first salon at Place Vendome in 1906. The company quickly earned a reputation for using only the highest quality coloured gemstones. Their timeless designs employed elegant curves and clean fluid lines; capturing the essence of beauty in motion. Their success was immediate and led to the opening of several more salons in the pleasure spots of France and abroad. In 1930, the firm patented the first minaudiere, a fancy purse-like compartmentalized lady's vanity case. In 1933, Van Cleef & Arpels introduced "invisible setting", or "mystery setting", a channel setting using calibrated stones without any metal showing from the top. This innovative technique took the market by storm, creating the illusion of floating gems, each stone being fastened by wires from the underside of the piece. Popular throughout the 1930s and 1940s this signature style returned to vogue in the 1990s. Van Cleef & Arpels is a unit of the Richemont group and now operates 70 locations across the globe. www.vancleef-arpels.com

Verdura
The Sicilian Duke of Verdura, Fulco Santostefano della Cerda, began his career in 1926 as a costume jewelry designer for Coco Chanel. He left Paristo work for Paul Flato in the United States. In 1939, Verdura opened the first of his salons in New York where his love of nature could be fully displayed. It was reflected in his signature designs: the scallop shell, the frame, and the wing. He created animals and figures utilizing shells, Opals, coloured stones and enamel. His fame and influence impacted both the jewelry industry and fashion worlds. Verdura is single handedly credited for renewing interest in enameled jewels.He also implemented the rope motif in modern jewelry, a first. Verdura sold his business and retired to London, where he died in 1978. The company continues to produce fabulous jewels based upon Verdura's original artwork

Nicholas Varney
Born into a New York society family, his father was famed interior designer Carleton Varney and his mother textile designer Suzanne Varney, who traveled extensively together with Nicholas from an early age. Having grown up surrounded by inspired design and educated in some of New York’s finest schools he came to associate jewelry with “love, travel, excitement and happiness”. Coveted in the pages of Vogue, W, New York Times and the Robb Report, Nicholas Varney’s jewelry attracts the attention of private clients, exclusive jewelers and galleries such as Bergdorf Goodman. Known for his artistic use of gems, Opal is an all-time favourite in his pursuit of the world's rarest and most beautiful stones. Often compared to miniature sculptures of museum quality, Varney’s works of art are worthy of being displayed as objects de virtu, better still they are very wearable. Varney says he strives to combine the “bravado of bold American designers such as David Webb and Tony Duquette with fine European craftsmanship.” www.nicholasvarneyjewels.com

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Vever
The family firm Vever was founded in Paris in 1821. When grandson Henri Vever (1854-1943) took control of the company he was already a distinguished jeweler, writer, and art collector. Vever's artistic approach and his use of enamel was often likened to that of Rene Lalique, and he too was enamoured of Opals. Henri Vever is particularly noted for expertly inlay setting Opals into his lavish creations. The House of Vever accomplished their greatest work during the Art Nouveau period with the highlight being the 1900 Paris Exposition. Maison Vever continued to make fabulous jewelry and objects d'art through the Art Deco era.

Wartski
Founded in North Wales in 1865 by Morris Wartski. In 1907 two shops were established in the fashionable seaside resort of Llandudno. Business thrived for Wartski under the patronage of King Edward VII and a colourful clientele including Bing Crosby, Jackie O and the Marquis of Anglesey aka. the 'dancing Marquis' who had a penchant for emerald-set ping-pong shirts. Wartski opened premises on Regent Street and has moved shop to Grafton Street in London. Chairman Nicholas Snowman, maternal great-grandson of the founder, continues to support the firm's welcoming and scholarly traditions. Wartski is a family owned firm of antique dealers, specialising in fine jewellery, Silver and Russian works of art, including Faberge. www.wartski.com

David Webb
Formed in 1946 by partners David Webb and Nina Silberstein, David Webb Inc. created colorful jewelry recognized for its bold, sculptural design. Webb drew inspiration from the work of Cartier, Seaman Schepps, Faberge and Verdura. His passion for color, texture, enamel, gems and unusual materials brought him to the forefront of jewelry design in the 1950s and 1960s. His fondness for nature and ancient cultures influenced his most famous motifs, stylized animals and flowers. David Webb created contemporary wearable gold sculptures until his death in 1975. He left behind a legacy as one of the pioneers of American jewelry design. David Webb Inc. continues to produce jewelry based upon original artwork and sketches under the guidance of the Silberstein family.

Wiener Werkstätte
Members of the artists’ association ‘Secession’ and Vienna’s Kunstgewerbeschule, (College of Arts and Crafts), founded the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop) in 1903. The workshop brought together architects, artists and designers whose first commitment was to design art which would be accessible to everyone. Clientele were mostly artists and the open-minded, progressive and financially well-to-do upper middle class, not the masses. As well as jewellery, leather goods, enamel, postcards, ceramics & clothing the Wiener Werkstätte even had a hat department – in line with the spirit of art as a holistic concept. Protagonist Josef Hoffmann and his main collaborator Koloman Moser created a geometric style whose functional simplicity anticipates later modernism and has influenced the work of many of today's leading designers and architects. Leading names of the period, such as Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele, Dagobert Peche, Otto Prutscher, Ernst Lichtblau and Josef Frank created works for the brand. Many of the jewels and metal objects produced were gem-set, often liberally with Opals, and cabouchon coloured stones were preferred. The creations were stamped with three different hallmarks, the trademark of the Wiener Werkstätte, the monogram of the designer and that of the craftsman. The Wiener Werkstätte had 100 employees in 1905, of whom 37 were masters of their trade. Though for a time the products enjoyed tremendous commercial success, which led to the establishment of sales outlets in Karlsbad, Marienbad, Zurich, New York and Berlin, the Wiener Werkstätte went into liquidation in 1932.

Harry Winston
Harry Winston first opened shop on New York City's 5th Avenue in 1932. Renowned for having possessed, cut or re-cut many of the world's most spectacular diamonds, Winston generously donated important gemstones and jewels to the Smithsonian museum; Amongst them the Oppenheimer, the Hope, the Portuguese diamond and the Peacock Black Opal brooch. “If I could, I would attach the diamonds directly onto a woman’s skin.” Winston celebrated magnificent stones and was passionate about adorning women with them. Rather than the precious metal shaping his designs, Harry Winston was consumed with the possibility of individual stones. His was a legendary approach with vastly modern results. Harry Winston died in 1978. The business continues to operate in select cities across the World.

Wolfers Frères
Philippe Wolfers (1858-1929) trained in the Brussels workshop of his father, master goldsmith Louis Wolfers. The famous Belgian jeweller, sculptor and glassware designer played an important role in the development of Art Nouveau locally and abroad. Early influences were the Rococo Revival and Japanese art and naturalism. By the 1880's, Philippe was the artistic director and designer of the family workshop: Wolfers Frères. He began to create jewellery that was of a sinuous and sensual nature; often curved and decorated with asymmetrically distributed floral motifs. Wolfers’ outstanding creations were well received at the Exposition Internationale Antwerp in 1894 and at the Exposition Internationale Brussels in 1897. Wolfers' success was immediate and resulted in the opening of branches in Antwerp, Liège, Ghent, Düsseldorf, London and Paris. Encouraged by this success Philippe committed Wolfers Frères to the Art Nouveau style. Wolfers exhibited at the Munich Secession 1898-1899 and in 1900 showed an important collection of his jewellery at the Paris Salon. In 1902 he exhibited at the Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Decorativa in Turin. Inspired by the Symbolism Movement’s dream-like themes, he plied chased gold or silver with ivory, pearls, rubies, diamonds, Opal or enamel to create luxuriant jewels. Pendants, brooches, belt buckles and hair ornaments decorated with floral, animal and natural designs, sensual female forms, with fluid symbolic ornaments. The House of Wolfers Frères closed their doors in 1975.

Yoshiko Yamamoto
Born in Kobe Japan Yamamoto moved to USA in 1968 to attend the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She remained in Boston, initially working with Miye Matsukata at Janiye atelier and gallery until his death in 1981. Opals, especially Boulder Opals emerged as her stone of choice during the 1980’s and they remain a definite favourite. Yamamoto prefers Boulder Opal because of its natural, organic appearance; she views the brownish matrix as a “part of the earth…alive with passionate colour.” Yamamoto’s creations are characterised by a preference for high Karat gold incorporating 18K, 22K, and 24K with matt and etched finishes applied, providing a modern twist on the ancient art of textured gold. Throughout her 35 year career the shape of the stone has informed the design and geometry has been a recurring theme of Yoshiko Yamamoto’s ever evolving and experimental compositions.

Raymond C. Yard
Raymond Yard worked for Marcus and Company both behind the scenes in production and then as a salesman before leaving to open his own business in 1922. His New York boutique sold watches and jewelry made of the finest material. An impeccable eye for quality and detail became Raymond Yard's trademark. Rarely advertising, Yard's fame and reputation spread by word of mouth, earning him the patronage of America's finest families: Vanderbilt, Flagler, Rockefeller, Woolworth and Firestone. Amongst others the du Pont family famously bought numerous Black Opals including the Sydney Queen and they commissioned various Opal jewels in the late 1960's early 70's. Yard also attracted celebrities such as Joan Crawford and Douglas Fairbanks. A humble man, his jewels are simply marked YARD. Raymond Yard is viewed as one of the prominent Art Deco jewelers. Though Yard retired in 1958 his firm continues today.

Sources & Image Credits:

AMAZING CARTIER: JEWELLERY DESIGN SINCE 1937, Nadine Coleno, 2009.

www.departures.com/articles/bewitched-bothered-and-buccellatid

Heritage Auction House Jewelers article

Christie's Jewelry Collecting Guide: Master Jewelers

professionaljeweler.com/archives/articles/2001/jan01/0101v.html (Giuliano)

Sondra Schneider – writes of Nicholas Varney in Aspen Peak Magazine

Nicholas Varney quoted from Robb Report: Rising Stars

PIAGET WATCHES & WONDERS SINCE 1874, Franco Cologni, Giampiero Negretti & Franco Nencini, 1994.

THE WOLFERS DYNASTY: FROM ART NOUVEAU TO ART DECO, Werner Adriaenssens & Raf Steela,

Paloma Picasso interview with Susan Skelly, QANTAS Magazine February 2010

QUIET RIPPLES: THE CREATIVE JOURNEY OF YOSHIKO YAMAMOTO, Yvonne Markowitz, 2009.

YARD: THE LIFE & MAGNIFICENT JEWELRY OF RAYMOND C. YARD, Natasha Kuzmanovic, 2007.

Opal Collectors Items

Famous Opals, Museum Artefacts, Name Stones & Collectable Jewels

European Collections:

The Crown of the Holy Roman Empire also known as the Crown of Charlemagne was made in the 2nd half of the 10th century and now resides in Vienna at the Schatzkammer Museum of Art History. Originally set with various precious gems including the most legendary stone of Medieval Europe the 'Orphanus' Opal as referred to by Albertus Magnus. Dubbed the 'Stone of wisdom' it was thought to represent the chosen of God. The translucent white opal with an intense red flash glowed in the dark. It disappeared from the front panel of the crown under the reign of Charles IV in about 1350.

The Russian Imperial Crown c.962 AD, containing Hungarian Opals is also on view at the Vienna Schatzkammer Museum in Austria.

This reliquary statue of Lady St Foy at Conques in France dates to the late 10th century. She is a wooden figure covered with sheets of gold and silver, wearing a crown and earrings decorated with granulation and filigree. Her bodice is set with numerous stones; cameos, pearls and gems. The gems including Opals are uncut stones typical of the Middle Ages.

The 'Grenville' Jewel (English c.1635-40). A richly enamelled gold locket containing the miniature portrait by David Des Granges (signed DDG) of the Royalist hero, Sir Bevil Grenville (1596-1643), who was killed whilst leading the Cornish army at the Battle of Lansdown, near Bath. The jewel mentioned in his widow's will in 1647, remained in the family until the late 19th century. This exquisite rarity offers sound evidence of English court taste on the eve of the Civil War. Interestingly the piece is interspersed with emeralds, rubies and diamonds in rubbed-in settings, but the opals are claw set to allow light through them.

The Sun Jewel pictured was worn by the British maritime hero Sir Francis Drake (1543-1596). At the centre of this hat jewel is a ruby engraved with an intaglio orb, surrounded by Opals within a diamond and Opal border.This is framed by straight and curved rays alternately enameled red and set with rubies. On the back of the jewel is a miniature of Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603). The orb, which is emblematic of sovereignty, may allude to Elizabeth, or to Drake’s historic circumnavigation of the world. The jewel has four loops for attachment to a hat. In total it contains twenty Opals which were much in fashion in England after 1573.

This jewelled pendant is crowned by 5 crystal opals. A white hand grasping a laurel wreath is flanked by dragons emerging from cornucopiae all framing a crystal reliquary containing a curl of Queen Mary's dark brown hair.

Mary Stuart Queen of Scots (1542-1587), though she has not been canonised by the Catholic Church, many consider her a martyr, and there are relics of her. The pendant was a gift by Queen Mary to one of her closest supporters James Gordon ancestor of the Earls & Marquesses of Aberdeen. Ever since it has been worn by the reigning Marchioness of Aberdeen.

This lapis lazuli drinking cup sits on a stem formed by two gold dragons with Fire Opal eyes, four dolphins and a white enamelled putto. It forms part of a collection of ceremonial vessels in the treasure of the Grand Dauphin - Louis of Bourbon (1661-1711). On display at the Prado Gallery in Madrid it is reputedly the work of the Saracchi brothers, circa.1600.

This piece is important as a rare early example of the use of Opal from the newly discovered American continent.

Countess Elizabeth of Exeter (1681-1723) wore this 'Dragonfly' pin in her hair. Most likely made by a local jeweller, set with cabochon opals, rubies, garnets and diamonds, it is enamelled on the reverse. This lovely piece now resides in the Museum of London.

This attractive necklace of Opals mounted in brilliants originally belonged to the Maréchale de Rochambeau. Made towards the end of the eighteenth century it is exemplary of the care and attention given to mounting Opals; imitation Opals were also made but usually in pinks and mauves which are unknown to mineralogy.

During the eighteenth century women of high rank in society were sure to include coloured stones in their list of jewels. Opals were greatly appreciated for their rare colouring and especially preferred in the demi-parures intended for daytime wearing rather than by candlelight.

At the height of his power Napoleon Bonaparte presented his first wife Empress Josephine de Beauharnais with a blazing red Opal known as the ‘Burning of Troy’. The stone is reputed to have had a dark body tone and weighing in around 700 carats it was unquestionably the most valuable Opal in the world and arguably the most highly prized gemstone at that time.

The Crown jewels of France; Napoleon Bonaparte, for his wedding to the Austrian archduchess Marie Louise on the 2nd of April, 1810, commissioned two splendid parures from the jeweller Etienne Nitot et Fils: one of emeralds and diamonds, the other of opals and diamonds. Both were to become part of the young empress’s private jewellery collection, the former is now in the Louvre.

Chief amongst the royal regalia of Norway is the King's Crown: made for King Carl Johan in 1818 by goldsmith Olof Wihlborg of Stockholm. This colourful golden corona clausa is lavishly set with gems; foremost is a large green tourmaline, numerous amethysts, chrysoprases and pearls are accompanied by an emerald, a ruby, a topaz, an alexandrite and an Opal. Intricate gold work surrounds the gems in the form of wreaths of oak leaves and vines of strawberry leaves. The gem laden yellow gold contrasts magnificently against the red velvet lining and the Latin cross atop the blue enameled orb at the crowns crest.

At the end of the nineteenth century some grande dames, but mostly women of the theatre and courtesans were attracted by the bizarre and the seductively twisted new style of jewellery. Above all it was the snake theme that fascinated the fin de siècle, which was attracted by its evil portents. It formed the chief motif of the Fouquet bracelet made in 1906 after a drawing by Czech Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha for actress Sarah Bernhardt. Bernhardt wore it in her stage role as Cleopatra. The gold bracelet and attached finger-ring feature Opals accompanied by enamel, rubies, emeralds and diamonds.

The famous French jewellery houses of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; Lalique, Fouquet, Vever, and those still operating in Paris today Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Mauboussin, Marchak and the newest entrant Dior have all featured opal in their designs. The stones were and are still often selected and cut by in-house lapidaries.

Cartier made two pearl necklaces with opal and diamond clasps for the late Barbara Woolworth Hutton. One with two-rows of golden pearls and a multi-red coloured opal which she often wore with her fabulous ruby and diamond tiara. The other was an important strand of pearls once worn by Queen Marie Antoinette of France and now sporting a beautiful Black Opal (pictured).

At the Musee d’Orsay in Paris can be seen a magnificent objet d’art, a carved Boulder specimen c.1900 depicting ‘A Pantheon of gods seated in the clouds above Mount Olympus’.

A 77 carat Opal having belonged to Louis XVIII is kept in the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

The Musée de Minéralogie, Paris, possesses a very fine Opal carved into a bust of Louis XIII's likeness as a child.

This stately chalice is carved from Opal matrix and the urn and several others like it are decorated with Hungarian Opals, they are on view at the Schatzkammer Museum in Vienna, Austria. Such vessels have been consecrated and used as religious objects by Roman and Byzantine aristocracy.

Other opal bearing articles worthy of mention include a collection of rings at the Schatzkammer Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna and a necklace belonging to Princess Isabella of Hungary held at the Nemzeti Muzeum in Budapest.

This decorative parure (matched set) was a gift from the city of Budapest to Princess Stephanie of Belgium on the occasion of her marriage to Crown Prince Rudolph on the 10th of May, 1881. After the death of Archduke Rudolph, his widow remarried and returned this parure to the imperial treasury in Vienna. Created by the Egger Brothers of Hungary and now housed at the Schatzkammer Museum of Art History in Vienna; Princess Stephanie’s (1864-1945) collection includes belts, bracelets, eardrops, headpins, necklaces and no fewer than ten opal brooches.

The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal is the legacy of oil tycoon Calouste Gulbenkian. Gulbenkian was one of the world's richest men; he assembled during his lifetime one of the most important private collections of art, recognized by its diversity and quality. Whether it be coinage, paintings or sculpture, jewelry or ceramics, Gulbenkian acquired only masterpieces.

Calouste Gulbenkian commissioned 146 jewelled artworks by Rene Lalique between 1895-1910. Lalique’s creative imagination and his preoccupation with beauty saw him select Opals as his gemstone of choice repeatedly in dozens of these jewels. This is an unrivalled collection of works by one of the greatest figures in the history of art. Not only a representative set of the multifaceted work of Lalique, the collection is a testament to the vibrant colours, versatile qualities and mesmerizing effects of Opal.

Museum_of_the_Calouste_Gulbenkian_Foundation

fig_1._the_beautiful_butterfly_by_pery_marks__c.1930.jpg The 'Butterfly’ also known as the ‘Red Admiral’, this famous Lightning Ridge Black Opal of 51 carats was set by Percy Marks jewellers of Australia who sold it in 1930. Marks since resold it to an eminent Scottish collector and it remains in the family collection. Roughly the shape and colour of the British Red Admiral butterfly, it was found in 1920. The exact field of origin remains a mystery, either the diggings at New Rush or Phone Line, not far from the discovery site of 'Pride of Australia' and 'Empress' stones. The 'Butterfly' was given supreme pride of place by Ted Murphy, one of the best judges of opal at the time.

A 203 carat Andamooka Crystal Opal and diamond necklet with matching earrings were presented to Queen Elizabeth II by the South Australian government to mark the occasion of her first visit to Australia in 1954. The rough stone which became the 'Andamooka' Opal, also known as the 'Queen's Opal', was procured and cut by Altmann & Cherny.

Among the Royal collection of Jewels at Sandringham House are many pieces featuring Opals. Some are the work of the famous Russian jeweller Faberge whose workshops also carved and polished the gems they set; many in the likeness of animals, fish, birds, dogs and cats, a use for which Opal is well suited.

A large silver cigar box designed by famous British Arts & Crafts jeweller Archibald Knox for Arthur Lasenby of Liberty & Co. resides in London's Victoria and Albert Museum. A large Boulder Opal takes pride of place on the lid of this Celtic Revivalist masterpiece which dates to the first decade of the twentieth century.

Fish by Cartier London 1962	The Cartier Collection	Kingfisher 1960, Black Opal, ruby, sapphires & diamonds
	At the heart of the House of Cartier's heritage policy since 1989, the Cartier Collection includes more than 1,300 pieces, acquired at auction and from private individuals. The collection has been displayed in major retrospectives at internationally renowned museums. Catalogued using Cartier's own archive documents, it illustrates the changes in design styles and techniques in the Maison's creations. Several important pieces in the collection, dating from the 1930's to the 1960's, reveal an affinity with Opal.

In 1967 internationally renowned sculptor, silversmith and jewellery designer Stuart Devlin started making unique decorative Easter eggs for which he is well known; the egg he made in 1974 contained an Opal mosaic and is a renowned objet d’virtu. Devlin gifted his decoratively jewelled eggs to his patrons, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II amongst them.

Eastern Collections:

Since ancient times the most luxurious and beauteous decorative arts and adornments have been attributed to the Persian Empire. To this day the most magnificent royal jewels in the world are the Iranian Crown Jewels housed in the Museum of the Treasury of National Iranian Jewels in Tehran. The profusion of gemstones is without match as a collection in number, size and quality. As testament to her rare yet undeniable beauty, Opal is represented in the collection by a small spray at the top of a jiqa or plume (Case 10, No.36). The piece is signed “Gebruder Wiser Wein”, and probably dates from the reign of Muhammad Shah (1834-1848), there can be little doubt that the Opals originated in the centuries-old mines of Cervenica (Hungary), now in Czechoslovakia.

American Collections:

When Black Opal was discovered in 1903 nothing like it had been seen before....the Lightning Ridge gems were so strikingly beautiful they took the world by surprise. By the 1930's famous Opals had captured the hearts and minds of the world's richest nation and her most wealthy citizens....

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The ‘Fire Queen’ or 'Dunstan’s Stone' was Lightning Ridge’s first famous gem, found in 1906 by Charlie Dunstan at the Angledool diggings north of Lightning Ridge. Weighing in at about 6.5 oz. or nearly 900 carats, this was the largest gem nobby found to date. After being originally sold for a mere £100, the stone changed hands several times, each new buyer finding it difficult to sell. Black Opal was still not well understood by the market and the industry still only in its early infancy.

The Jeweller & Watchmaker, 10 October 1949, gave the following description:

“The 'Fire Queen', is of such rare loveliness as to be beautiful beyond description. It’s like a ripe pear with golden velvety sheen. As the light catches it, it becomes a living ball of fire, flashing red, gold, orange, a glorious peacock blue, touched with tinges of flame. The finder sold it for £100, and it was eventually bought by the late J.D. Rockefeller for £75,000, a record for an Opal.”

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This Opal 'Parrot' is carved from a single piece of white Opal and perched in a miniature yellow gold cage. Residing in a private US collection it is one of the best examples of Fabergé's skillful lapidary workmanship.

Made by the St. Petersburg workmasters of Faberge around the turn of the twentieth century. This translucent white jade cigarette case is bordered with an enamelled gold rim and features an Opal cameo of Tsarina Alexandra Feodorvna and her daughters Olga and Tatiana. The Opal cameo is enclosed in a frame of diamond leaf design and the case is operated by a pearl thumb-piece. This magnificent heirloom was provided to an American collection by prominent New York art dealers Hammer Galleries.

Tiffany of New York was one of the first jewellers to use Black Opals which were discovered at Lightning Ridge in 1902, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s dragonfly brooch was first shown at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition. It resides in the Tiffany Permanent Collection.

A Pocketful of Gems...

The ‘Black Prince’ aka. 'Harlequin Prince' a famous Black Opal of 180 carats, was found in 1915 at the Phone Line field in Lightning Ridge by Ted Brown and Tom Urwin, it was procured in England by the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The ‘Pride of Australia’ aka.'Red Emperor' (pictured) was found in the same pocket as the ‘Black Prince’ and 7 other big named stones. It is a double sided gem of 225 carats which went to the Forest Lawn Museum USA to whose president it was sold in 1954 for a reputed ₤150,000.

The same Phone Line patch also produced the Empress of Australia a 110 carat flag patterned gem and the largest stone of all was the 'Flamingo' Opal weighing in at a whopping quarter of a pound or 800 carats. In 1919 Ernie Sherman paid brothers-in-law Urwin and Brown £2000, then a record price for four Black Opals. Sherman's sister Bertha named the stones.

Paulding Farnham was design director for Tiffany & Co. from 1891 until 1902. Farnham was responsible for producing a series of exquisite silverware items in a range of cultural styles:

Celtic motifs characterise the 'Viking' vase (pictured left) studded with numerous Crystal Opal cabochons and orbs and decorated with enamels. Designed for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo.

Based on Navajo pottery this vase (pictured right) is embellished with Boulder Opals, turquoise and freshwater pearls. It was designed for the 1900 Paris Exposition.

A silver and ebony punch bowl with swinging handles is set with four Black Opals in the central band around its body. Completed in late 1902 it was commissioned by a client who had admired the 'Viking' vase on show in Buffalo.

An amazing silver and copper Aztec Indian bowl dates to August 31,1905. Featuring Boulder Opal matrix carved and inlaid into generous swinging handles.

This Louis Comfort Tiffany Indian-style pendant of crystal opals, sapphires, topazes, pearls, demantoid garnets and chrysoberyl was made about 1915. This spectacular piece is now on display in the Hall of Gems at New York’s American Museum of History.

An Inkwell in the Art Nouveau mode, silver holloware featuring champlevé enamel and cabochon Boulder Opals. Made by Marcus & Company, New York, after 1900. In the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art having been donated by friends of the museum in 1976.

The 'Flame Queen' a renowned 263.18 carat Lightning Ridge Black Opal found in 1915 by miners Jack Philips, Walter Bradley and “Irish” Joe Hegarty. The most unusual color pattern of this opal is best described as having the appearance of a fried egg—gemologically known as the “eye-of-opal” effect—created when opal infills a cavity. The 'Flame Queen' is the best known gem of this type. Polished as a broad, pear-shaped buff top cabochon, its flashes change from vivid red to fiery bronze when viewed from different angles and in different light.

Raymond C Yard was a favourite jeweller to celebrities and America's high society. In 1958 he sold his company to his employees. The young proprietors at Yard Inc cultivated new clients such as the du Pont and the Firestone families. Yard made significant new stock acquisitions in the 1960's with the purchase of the 43 carat 'Sydney Queen' and two other pear shaped Black Opals. In 1967 the three exceptional stones were sold to the du Pont family. The Black Opal ring (pictured) is set in platinum with diamonds and was commissioned in 1970 by Samuel Hallock du Pont.

This 'Peacock' brooch sporting a 30.92 carat Black Opal was designed by Carnevale and Koumrouyan for Harry Winston, New York. Completed in 1967, this fantastic jewel is set in gold and platinum and is accentuated with rubies, sapphires and emeralds.

The 'Peacock' and the 318.44 carat ‘Zale' Opal, donated by Zales Jewellery Corporation, are part of the extensive collection held at the Smithsonian Institute Museum in Washington. They are accompanied by a 345 carat opal with intense play of fire against a white background and a spectacular Black Opal of 58.8 carats.

Active Image This magnificent Black opal ring also resides at the Smithsonian.

More recently in the 1980’s a stone weighing 574.09 carats was added to the Los Angeles Museum collection.

Master Jeweller Henri Vever’s “La Bretonne” pendant is amongst the most iconic of the Art Nouveau designs created at the turn of the century; it was exhibited at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris and earned Vever the Grand Prix award for design.

The Bretons of France are an ethnic minority who migrated from south western Britain to north western France in the 4^th to the 6^th century, they speak Breton and are considered one of the six Celtic nations.

The characteristic white bonnets or coiffes worn by Breton women were a popular subject for writers and artists during the Romantic period.

Crafted in enamel and inlaid with blue-green Opals, highlighted by diamonds, and amethysts, the pendant bears the delicate profile of a young girl wearing the traditional female headdress of Brittany, set against the background of a flowering bloom.

Sold by Christies on October 21 2009 at Rockerfeller Center in New York for $554,400, on an estimate of $400,000-600,000.

Australian Collections:

Among the many magnificent gems crafted by the great lapidaries in Idar Oberstein Germany at the turn of the last century were some marvellous solid Boulder Opal Cameos. The cameo on the left remains in the private collection of Tully C. Wollaston’s descendants in South Australia.

Idar Oberstein or Kirschweiler was an Historic Opal Cutting Center and once the richest town in Rheinland-Pfalz, if not in all Germany, courtesy of imports of the magical gem from Australia.

The Ceremonial Scissors used to cut the ribbon at the official opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the 19th of March 1932 are encrusted with six striking Opals and were made by Angus & Coote jewellers of Sydney. These regal scissors were used again 60 years later to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel on the 29th of August 1992. They were again used for the opening of the Glebe Island Bridge on the 3rd of December 1995.

Eric a 110 million year old Opalised Pliosaur is housed at the Australian museum in Sydney NSW. This remarkable skeleton was found in 1987 by Joe Vida at Coober Pedy SA. In 1993 a public appeal raised funds to purchase Eric and keep him in the country. Laws have since been enacted to curtail the export of such fossil heritage.

The ‘Rose’ is a mystical Queensland Boulder Opal touchstone. This miraculous specimen was found at ‘Jerry’s Mine’ Palparrara and remains in the collection of its finder Jerry Doktor.

One of the largest precious Opals ever found in the world. The ‘Olympic Australis’ was found in Coober Pedy South Australia in 1956. That same year Australia hosted the Olympic Games in Melbourne, fittingly the stone which weighs 17,000 carats (3.4 kilograms), is in the collection of Altmann & Cherny of Melbourne.

‘Halley’s Comet’ - A massive Nobby (rough Black Opal) the size of a man’s fist was found at Lightning Ridge on November 3rd 1986. Noted in The Guinness Book of World Records as ‘The world’s largest gem uncut Black Opal’, it currently weighs 1982.50 carats, its dimensions are 100x66x63cm and it is for sale with an asking price of AUD$1.2m.

The famous 'Galaxy' stone is a marvellous 550 carat (11cm x 9cm) palm sized gem Boulder Opal found in October 1989, at Opalville Mine No. 135 near Jundah Queensland, by Josip Grguranic aka. Jundah Joe or Silky Joe. It is reported to have been valued at $1.2 million.

Also found near Jundah in 1988 was the majestic 'Mariora Star' another magnificent black boulder gem of 60.74 carats.

Joe mined this area for nearly a quarter of a century and was a prolific producer of red and patterned Opal.

The 'Virgin Rainbow’ is a rare Black Crystal Opal belemnite fossil or 'pipe', it is eye-clean and 63mm in length. This incredibly luminous gem was mined at Brown's Folly (3 Mile) field by long time Coober Pedy Opal miners John Dunstan and his partner Steve Jagar, in September 2003.

The 72.65 carat gemstone featured in the four part documentary ‘Opal Fever’ for the ABC Reality Bites documentary series.

Sources & Image Credits:

A HISTORY OF JEWELLERY: 1100-1870, Joan Evans, 1970 (2nd Ed.). (Sir Francis Drake - English fashion after 1573)

AMAZING CARTIER: JEWELLERY DESIGN SINCE 1937, Nadine Coleno, 2009.

www.cartier.com/tell-me/living-heritage/patrimony/the-cartier-collection/

ANCESTRAL JEWELS, Diana Scarisbrick, 1989. ( 1.Queen Mary, 2. Cheapside hoard, 1690 Schedule at Burghley House)

A JOURNEY WITH COLOUR Vol II Part B, A HISTORY OF LIGHTNING RIDGE, Len Cram, 2004.(Dunstan's Stone)

BEAUTIFUL OPALS - AUSTRALIAS NATIONAL GEM, Len Cram, 1994.

DUBNICKY OPAL, Maros Barok & Peter Semrad, 2001.

CROWN JEWELS OF IRAN, V.B.Meen & A.D. Tushingham, 1968.

HILTON AUSTRALIA Vol.2 No.4 summer Issue 1987/88, Article: 'Opals - Australia's National Gem' by E. Gregory Sherman

HOLLYWOOD JEWELS, Penny Proddow Debra Healy & Marion Fasel, 1992.

JEWELRY 7000 YEARS, Hugh Tait (ed), 1991. (Grenville Jewel)

JEWELLERY FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO ART NOUVEAU, Claude Fregnac, 1965. (Necklace once belonging to the Maréchale de Rochambeau)

LAPIDARY JOURNAL, Article 'Crown of Charlemagne', June Culp Zeitner, May 1983.

LA BRETONNE, Henri Vever:

www.christies.com/presscenter/pdf/09172009/105759.pdf

http://thejewelryloupe.com/christies-sells-fred-leighton-jewels/

LETTERS TO ERIC, Judith Smith & Dr. Alex Ritchie, 1993.

MAGNIFICENT TIFFANY SILVER, John Loring, 2001.(Paulding Farnham Vases)

OPAL - THE PHENOMENAL GEMSTONE, Lithographie, 2007. (Stephanie's Parure)

PAULDING FARNHAM TIFFANY"S LOST GENIUS, John Loring, 2000. (Tiffany's opal encrusted silver holloware)

PETER CARL FABERGE GOLDSMITH & JEWELLER TO THE RUSSIAN COURT HIS LIFE & WORK, Henry Bainbridge, 1967. (Alexandra Feodorvna and her daughters)

REDISCOVER OPALS IN AUSTRALIA, Stephen Aracic, 1999. (1.Historic Scissors used to open Sydney Harbour Bridge 2. Famous 'Galaxy' Boulder Opal)

ROYAL JEWELS; FROM CHARLEMAGNE TO THE ROMANOVS, Diana Scarisbrick, Christophe Vachaudez & Jan Walgrave, 2008. (Sir Francis Drake)

ROYAL TREASURES, Erich Steingraber, 1968. (Drinking Cup in the Prado)

THE DESIGNS OF ARCHIBALD KNOX FOR LIBERTY & CO., A.J. Tilbrook, 1995. (Cigar Box)

THE GREAT BOOK OF JEWELS, Ernst A. & Jean Heiniger, 1974.

TIFFANY COLOURED GEMSTONES, John Loring, 2007.

TWENTY FIVE YEARS OF STUART DEVLIN IN LONDON, The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, 1983.

YARD: THE LIFE & MAGNIFICENT JEWELRY OF RAYMOND C. YARD, Natasha Kuzmanovic, 2007. (Yard - du Pont; Image courtesy of Southebys)

Opal & The Master Jewellers

Quintessential Gemstone of Art Nouveau Jewellery

The Art Nouveau period occurred during the last two decades of the nineteenth century and into the first two decades of the twentieth century. The term was taken from La Maison de l'Art Nouveau, a shop opened by the art dealer Siegfried Bing in Paris in 1896. Art Nouveau formed the bridge between the 19th and the 20th century and changed the jewellery industry indefinitely just as the Impressionists changed art forever after.

(pictured: Scarf clip by Georges Fouquet, sporting a lovely Yowah Nut Opal cabochon)

Opal & The Mastery of Colour

Jewels of fantasy....Tutti Frutti!

Deliciously delectable like tropical fruit!

Natures Art: designed to inspire Life....

Modern Colourful Creations

The famous French jewellery houses still operating today Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Mauboussin, and the newest entrant Dior have all recently featured opal in their designs. In the United States Tiffany & Seaman Schepps continue to create opal jewellery. Often the stones are selected in the rough and cut by in-house lapidaries; as does Piaget of Switzerland who create single piece opal faced timepieces.

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1.Jellyfish by Dior 2005

2.Tiffany Bracelet

3. Black Opal breasted hummingbird by Verdura

4. Verdura Ring c.1950

5. Scavia necklace 2006

6. Van Cleef & Arpels Ring

7. 'Picasso's Man' by bolda

8. Mauboussin Jellyfish 2000

The use of Opals in Jewellery design is wide spread. Those designers who truly appreciate these diverse and phenomenal gemstones have used them more extensively and creatively to produce beguiling jewels which celebrate the artful nature of jewellery and adornment.

Being the most colourful gemstones Opals are well sought after by jewellers to portray flora, fauna and nature.

It is by no coincidence that Dior, Mauboussin - the House of, and Patrick Mauboussin (opp.) have all recently used Opals in their renditions of Jellyfish. (Photo.1,8,9)

Van Cleef & Arpels 'Nuit d'Orient' ring (Photo.6) features a magnificent black opal of 22.96 carats. The ring has aquatic highlights enhanced by the mounting which represents the pools, cascades and bridges of peaceful Oriental gardens.

Fulco di Verdura established himself in the US in the late 1930's, until then he had been working there for the famous Hollywood jeweller Flato. Verdura's whimsical flair made for unforgettable jewels, the themes of which included beasts, birds, fish and neptunes. He emphasised colour and semiprecious stones, often using Opals. Clients with important jewels and gemstones would come to his small atelier and trade in their valuable pieces for his up to date creations. However Verdura retained the respect of New York's precious jewellers to whom he sold back the jewels and gemstones which were out of place in his repertoire.


Nicholas Varney NYC	Paula Crevoshay NYC	bolda Noosa Australia

In Europe, Scavia of Italy and Majoral of Spain are successful contemporary designers who use opals extensively and to great effect. Whilst in America a trip to Bergdorf Goodman luxury department store on New York's 5th Ave confirms that Opals are popular amongst the elite clientele of the hot new jewelry designer names such as Nicholas Varney & Paula Crevoshay. In Australia the closing decade has seen the emergence of several brands bolda, Depazzi, and Venerari, all are focused on bringing Opal to the attention of fashionable customers whose passions are awakened by exciting modern designs.

Objet d'Art

Opals continue to be adapted with great effect in the decoration of Objet d'Art such as these beautiful and practical items below:

Swiss watchmaker and jeweller Piaget made a lasting impression when he launched ultra-slim precious watches with gemstone dials. After 1964, the two-millimetre high case incorporated hard-stone dials just seven-tenths of a millimetre thick. These generously sized dials made numerals and hour markers superfluous. In the early 1970s Piaget used hard stones both for dials and to adorn its oversized cuff watches for men and women. The firm still produces solid Opal faced watches, they are highly collectible and particularly popular in Japan. Pictured: Cuff watch from the 'slave' collection with Opal dial and 1,000 brilliants made in 1971.

Famous jewellery house Mauboussin formed a horological division in 1994, since creating beautiful and functional jewel set watches. The Haute jewellery version of the 1995 female sports model (pictured) has an automatic movement and is made of solid white gold set with sapphires, Opals and diamonds.

Haas & Cie of Switzerland are renowned watchmakers who have been creating fine timepieces since 1848. In the mid 1980's Haas produced a series of solid gemstone watch cases, Opal featured amongst these highly collectible editions.

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Marcus & Co. of New York (1892-1942) always added a level of complexity to what is already a complex stone. This marvellous brooch deftly recreates the church's traditional marble floors, featuring a lozenge pattern dark and light Opal mosaic, within the golden frame of a Gothic Cathedral.

In 1914 Louis Comfort Tiffany, who was an accomplished stained glass window designer, reproduced his 'Four Seasons' on the cover of this 18K Gold Jewel Box encrusted with more than 100 Opals as well as tourmalines, sapphires and chrysoprases.	The geometrically designed Art Deco vanity case below is a mechanical marvel with sides parting to reveal miniature drawers to hold a lady's cosmetic needs; Tiffany & Co., c.1920; gold & Opal mosaic.


This hammered golden cigarette case by Verdura & the renowned multi-talented artist Salvador Dali was part of a collaborative collection in 1941. Depicting a Medusa headed spider in a barren landscape. An Opal bodied beetle lurks on the border of this surrealistic yet functional piece.	A wonderful Tobacco Case by Josef Hoffman of the Wiener Werkstatte uses various coloured stones including several opals.

Sources & Image Credits:

BEJEWELED: GREAT DESIGNERS, CELEBRITY STYLE, Penny Proddow & Marion Fasel, 2001.

Hollywood Jewels, Penny Proddow Debra Healy & Marion Fasel, 1992.

www.haas-cie.de

Hautehorlogerie.org, Precious Watch: When beauty meets functionality - Piaget.

Master Pieces of French Jewelry, Judith Price, 2006. (Tiffany Hexagonal Compact)

MAUBOUSSIN: JOAILLIER DE L'EMOTION 1827-2007, Marguerite de Cerval, 2007.

Rene Lalique: Exceptional Jewelry, 1890-1912, Yvonne Brunhammer, 2007.

Scavia Jewellery Italy, 2006.

The Jeweled Menagerie, Tennenbaum & Zapata, 2001.

THE JEWELRY & ENAMELS OF LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY, Janet Zapata, 1993.

(Jewel Box: Charles Hosmer Morse museum of American Art, Winter Park, Fl.)

Verdura: The Life & Work of a Master Jeweler, Patricia Corbett, 2002.

Wiener Werkstatte Jewelry, Hatje Cantz, 2008.

Opal & The American Masters

Australia was very shy of her unique Black Opal until America hallmarked it. TullyC. Wollaston - Opal: The Gem of the Never Never, 1924.

One or two enterprising jewelers on Fifth Avenue, New York, did much in the early days to stimulate the public taste, displaying Black Opals on a grand scale in lovely settings with complimentary coloured stones and the best enamels. Now these gems are heralded in almost every country.
Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933) was an accomplished artist, interior decorator and designer of decorative art objects. When he turned his hand to jewelry design his selection of stones was not part of the repertoire Tiffany & Co., his father Charles' company, considered suitable for their clientele. Black Opals and Boulder Opals intrigued Louis and he made prolific use of these mysterious and mesmerising gemstones to the benefit of the newly emerging middle class.

In all of Tiffany's Opal jewelry, the stone takes precedence over the mounting. The Black Opals displayed opposite are encircled by enameled vines and the Yowah Nut Opal is totally surrounded by leaves. The mountings are almost caressing the Opals to ensure they do not fall out. These settings are at once protective yet not such that the stones cannot be identified as natural and their reverse sides are just as intricately worked.

In 1899 Tully Wollaston sold his first parcel of cut Boulder Opal bound for the American trade. With the discovery of Lightning Ridge in 1902 Wollaston began travelling directly to the US in 1906. He and the New York converts helped spread the gospel of Black Opal and by 1910 it found steady and increasing sale.

Coloured stones came into vogue all over America and 'street wear' or 'day' jewelry became popular. Ladies began choosing the colours of the stones to match the colours of their dress.

Above: Black Opal beads,platinum and diamond on blue thread, Tiffany & Co. New York, c.1904 length: 71.5cm (16.3-6.3mm)Carved from one piece of Black Opal rough the quality of these beads remains unique to this day.

Pictured: Louis Comfort Tiffany

Above: Yowah Nut Opal enveloped in gold leaves; followed by several Black Opals in enameled vine-leaf settings.

J.E. Caldwell's jewelry business dates back to 1839 and was known as 'the' jeweler for the Philadelphia Mainline establishment.

Left: This carved Black Opal pansy with a diamond center and stem (c.1920) is one of a series of floral pins, reflecting the socio-economic status of Caldwell's clientele, who consisted primarily of married and conservative people.

'Fantasy Ship' brooch created for a family who loved to leisure in the activity of sailing; featuring an engraved boulder opal, pearls and diamonds, 1900.	Marcus & Co. of New York was established in 1892 by German immigrant Herman Marcus. Herman first worked for Tiffany and then Theodore B. Starr, establishing Starr & Marcus. In the 1920's William Marcus opened Marcus & Co. branches in London, Paris and Palm Beach. Raymond C. Yard worked as door boy for Marcus & Co. before achieving recognition on his own. In 1908 Marcus & Co. advertised "Black Opals are Luck Stones" in the New York Times and that they had acquired "the entire last year's output" of Black Opals from Lightning Ridge. The cache of stones was no doubt supplied by Tully Wollaston and Marcus one of, if not, the enterprising jeweller Wollaston most admirably refers to.
Marcus & Co. was one of the most highly regarded American jewellery Houses of its day, receiving praise from the French jeweler & historian Henri Vever for beautiful design and masterful execution. Australian Opals including Black Opals, Light Opals and Boulder Opals all appeared in Marcus jewellery frequently. They were expertly cut, engraved and assembled by the company's own lapidaries.	Art Nouveau style brooch featuring white opals, diamonds and platinum on gold 1905.
"A distractingly beautiful gem and one of the most difficult to use in design - most jewellers set Opals in plain mounts with little embellishment - the movement of the blues, greens, oranges and pinks in the stone itself provides a lot of excitement. Marcus added a level of complexity to this already complex stone" - Proddow & Fasel	Brooch by Marcus & Co. from the early 1900's features a Queensland Boulder Opal carved cameo of Aurora, goddess of the dawn, flying through a sky lit up with diamonds. Demantoid garnet fish and seaweed decorate the ocean bottom.
	The superb bar brooch and pendant necklace c.1925-1930 (pictured left), combine Black Opals, sapphires and diamonds, set in platinum and gold. The hexagonal cut Opals and rectilinear style of these jewels are the embodiment of the Art Deco period, during which Opals were no longer the gem of choice. However Marcus & Co. courageously and devoutly insisted on these fine gems. The results are increasingly recognised as amongst the most collectible jewels of the twentieth century. In a 1930 advertisement in Vogue Marcus & Co. again adulated Black Opals as "an unearthly blend of all the rarest jewels."

By the 1930's the famous European names, including Cartier, Mauboussin & Van Cleef Arpels, had set up shop and were developing their creations in America.

Born a Sicilian Duke, Fulco di Verdura (1899-1978), began his career in 1920's Paris collaborating with Coco Chanel as a textile designer and later as a jewelery designer for her boutique costume jewelry collections. Verdura went to America in 1934 where he soon became head designer for Paul Flato, Hollywood's society jeweller of the 1930's. In 1939 Verdura established himself in New York and through the 50s and 60's was the master jeweler of choice for the glitteratti; "Verdura ended up being the jeweler to the stars because at the time, the movie studios were paying to have jewelry made specifically for the films and would give the jewels to the actresses as part of their payment." Says Ward Landrigan who now operates the Verdura brand and has been reproducing collections from more than 4000 sketches since 1984.

Verdura's is not ''hang a cheque around your neck'' jewelry, his is witty and ultrasophisticated, shells set with precious stones, natural motifs and the most colourful of gemstones. His deployment of Opals was arguably de rigueur, the results however were enchanting and the stones most enlightened by his unorthodox style.

Left to Right: The Duke of Verdura & Coco Chanel; Black Opal & ruby cocktail ring; Crystal Opal headed mouse with rubies emeralds & diamonds.

''No one can hold a candle to Verdura, there is so much erudition, taste and fantasy involved in each of the pieces. The jewelry is not for insecure people and does not appeal to the herd instinct. Women who wear Verdura don't want to look like every other person wearing their Van Cleef diamond flower pin, their Chanel suit and their Prada bag. It is the ultimate status symbol, recognized only by its initiates, who might wink at each other across a crowded room.'' Says Amy Fine Collins, fashion writer for Vanity Fair.

Collins considers Verdura the 20th century's best jewelry designer and the New York Times proclaimed Verdura 'America's Crown Jeweler'.

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Above) are lavishly applied all around the pieces including their clasps. A diamond-set floral and foliate motif frames the center stone and all the Opals are joined by chains of round and marquise cut diamonds. Although elaborately designed, Schepps does not attempt to contrast the multicolored Opals but merely to complement them with accent stones, whether those be diamonds or emeralds and sapphires (Right).

Commissions from many White House families led The Washington Post to dub him ‘ America ’s Court Jeweller’.

Seaman Schepps (1881-1972) a classic American success story. Born of Hungarian immigrants who lived on New York’s lower East side. Seaman went to California to seek his fortune. By the age of 25, he had opened his first jewelry shop. He later returned to NY and opened several stores, finally making it to Madison Ave in 1933.The 1930’s Great Depression was a time of austerity and many modern women felt it inappropriate to flaunt their wealth, the simpler fashions of the 30’s and 40’s also reflected this. Schepps designed bold colourful jewels which became essential to change the look of plain suits and dresses, now made to be worn for several seasons without dating.

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His clients included Katherine Hepburn, the Duchess of Windsor, Wanda Toscanini Horowitz and Doris Duke. Andy Warhol was an avid collector of the jewelry.

Raymond C. Yard is a classic rags-to-riches story, he began his career in jewelry as a door boy for Marcus and Company, where he went on to work both behind the scenes in production and then as a salesman before leaving twenty years later. In 1922 at the age 37, with the encouragement of John D. Rockefeller he opened his own salon in Manhattan. An impeccable eye for quality and detail became Raymond Yard's trademark. By the late 1950’s fanciful flora and fauna came to characterize his style, to which Opal was well suited and well adapted to numerous floral bouquets and renditions of birdlife.

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Rarely advertising, Yard's fame and reputation spread by word of mouth, earning him the patronage of America Woolworth, Havemeyers and Firestone. Yard also attracted celebrities such as Joan Crawford and Douglas Fairbanks.Yard Inc. acquired some of the finest Black Opals and prided themselves on sourcing such rare gemstones much to the delight of their well heeled clients. Amongst others the du Pont family famously bought numerous Black Opals including the Sydney Queen and they commissioned various Opal jewels in the late 1960's early 70's. A humble man, his jewels are simply marked YARD. Raymond Yard is not only regarded as an American Master jeweler, he is viewed as one of the prominent figures in Art Deco jewellery. Though Yard retired in 1958 the tradition of melding the finest gemstones with superior craftsmanship continues today.

In 1969 Yard Inc. designed a clip pin for the Sydney Queen which they supplied and mounted in paltinum with diamonds.

Above:Commissioned by S.Hallock du Pont this Black Opal ring in platinum with diamonds was made in 1970.

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Although synonymous with diamonds, 'Jeweller to the Stars', Harry Winston has the distinction of being the benefactor of this majestic 'Peacock' brooch sporting a 30.92 carat Black Opal.

Designed by Carnevale and Koumrouyan and completed in 1967, this marvellous jewel is set in gold and platinum and accentuated with rubies, sapphires and emeralds.

The peacock is a recurring theme in Opal jewelry, particularly from the Art Nouveau period. This example, though reflective of its era, is timeless.

Henry Dunay is one of the most prestigious and awarded jewelry designers working in America today. Elegantly sculpted yellow gold with pave-set diamonds is an outstanding showcase for exquisite gemstones and what makes this master’s craftsmanship instantly recognizable. Dunay selects the most magnificent Black Opals and harmoniously affords them pride of place, incorporating his signature yellow gold pave settings and hand-textured finishes. Henry Dunay was named ‘The World's Best Jewelry Designer’ by the Robb Report in 2000 and 2001.

Above: This 36 carat Black Opal sublimy 'flame' patterned with masterful brushstrokes contrasts beautifully with the hand-rendered 'Sabi' textured yellow gold mounting. Distinctly Dunay!

Opposite: Black Opal pairs like these are exceptionally rare and exemplary of the style and good taste of a Master Jeweller with 60 years of experience in the jewelry industry.

Sources & Image Credits:

BEJEWELED: GREAT DESIGNERS, CELEBRITY STYLE, Penny Proddow & Marion Fasel, 2001. (Quote on Marcus & Co. & Photo of Aurora jewel)

HENRY DUNAY - A PRECIOUS LIFE, Penny Proddow & Marion Fasel, 2007.

LOUIS C. TIFFANY - THE GARDEN MUSEUM COLLECTION, Alastair Duncan, 2004.

MASTERPIECES OF AMERICAN JEWELRY, Judith Price, 2004.

New York Times, America's Crown Jeweler, by Jean Nathan, November 22, 1998.

OPAL, THE GEM OF THE NEVER NEVER, Tullie C. Wollaston, 1924.

SEAMAN SCHEPPS - A CENTURY IN JEWELRY DESIGN, Amanda Vaill & Janet Zapata, 2004.

VERDURA: THE LIFE & WORK OF A MASTER JEWELER, Patricia Corbett, 2002.

THE GREAT BOOK OF JEWELS, Ernst A. & Jean Heiniger, 1974. (Harry Winston piece)

THE MAGAZINE ANTIQUES, September 2007, Article: 'Part II, The Marcus & Co.years, 1892-1941' by Janet Zapata.

YARD: THE LIFE & MAGNIFICENT JEWELRY OF RAYMOND C. YARD, Natasha Kuzmanovic, 2007.


Opal Mining Lightning Ridge	Opal Cutting 1925

Where to dig	Ilia, the Opal Miner

Jewels of History

Opal A-List Jewelers

Opal Jewellery - Who's Who of the Masters

Opal Collectors Items

Famous Opals, Museum Artefacts, Name Stones & Collectable Jewels

European Collections:

Eastern Collections:

American Collections:

Australian Collections:

Opal & The Master Jewellers

Quintessential Gemstone of Art Nouveau Jewellery

Opal & The Mastery of Colour

Modern Colourful Creations

Objet d'Art

Opal & The American Masters

By the 1930's the famous European names, including Cartier, Mauboussin & Van Cleef Arpels, had set up shop and were developing their creations in America.

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