Jewelry Making: The Art of the Shiny Thing

Jewelry designs

 

Finding old art at the brocante is as easy as finding plates, linens, or anything Louis Phillipe. But finding an art portfolio of jewelry is another thing all together. The other day at the brocante I found just that: A nineteen century, French jewelry design portfolio. 

My mouth watered.

Above are two watercolor drawings:

One is a bracelet design, and the other a pendant. 

Silver or gold?

 

Jewelry desing french antiques

 

Each piece of artwork in drawn, then water-colored. 

A necklace, followed below by a bee ring.

The bee on the ring's body is a precious stone. The other is a beetle of some sort holding a diamond. Interesting.

A bee or a beetle? 

What type of jewelry do you like best? I like necklaces. 

 

Bracelet design French

 

The bracelet is delicately intricate. If made it would cost the price of a small used car, or a couple bottles of Chateau Margaux 2009?

What would you prefer:

The bracelet?

A small used car?

A couple bottles of Chateau Margaux?

or

The ability to design and draw like the above artist?

 

Brocante jewelry designs

 

This one appears to be a sword with a piece of fabric draped over it.

I am not so fond of this one. Though I admire the workmanship.

In Paris you can take Jewelry classes at Van Cleef & Arpels, 

for more infomation click here.

 

For more serious studies about jewelry making there is Ecole Boulle in Paris.

 

 

Antique pendant designs

 

Pendants French antique jewelry designs

 

A cameo, and a couple of drop pendant.

A few years ago I sold these paintings/drawings… sort of sad about that. 

 

 

Antique jewelry designs brocante 

 

I wonder if the designer ever saw any of her designs become pieces of jewelry?

If so how what stones were used, and how much did they cost to produce?

I wonder if any of these pieces are around, and if someone is wearing any of the today?

 



Comments

14 responses to “Jewelry Making: The Art of the Shiny Thing”

  1. The drawings are beautiful.
    I would wonder it they were
    made too. Oh I hope so and
    I hope the designer was delighted.

  2. I would prefer the bracelet over a car or wine. The necklace is beautiful. Tell Rodger that I’d like one of each, please!

  3. I would love to be able to draw like that. I’d take that over any of the other offers. I definitely don’t have that talent.

  4. corey these are so PRECIOUS-which would you prefer either or-depends…. an old fiat 500 or 2cv totally redone over the bracelet or chateau margaux; chateau
    margaux over car or jewelry for a wedding or birth celebration or any life event, maybe just a good day depends on mood; jewelry over all choices on a toally self indulgent whim-circumstance factors in, but the bee ring, oh my would love that ….. i’m into bees lately!

  5. Without a doubt, the ability to draw & paint like that.

  6. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    I saw a British version of “Antiques Roadshow” on TV recently. Someone had brought in several colored jewelry drawings like yours pictured here, designed by some famous jewelry person. The show I saw had a revisit of these illustrations, as someone who had seen the original show actually had one of the brooches. It was pretty cool. The jewelry specialist/appraiser was ecstatic.

  7. I would definitely love the ability to draw so beautifully, but that bracelet has my heart too!

  8. The ability to draw what my imagination sees. Always.

  9. I’ll take the artistic ability please. 😉 Beautiful finds, truly lovely pieces.

  10. so beautiful!!! Definitely the ability to draw and create! Happiness comes from that, with a flourish! Patsy from HeARTworks

  11. You shoul try and have the bracelet made, it’s beautiful.

  12. WHAT A FIND!!!!!!!KEEP THAT BOOK PLEASE!!!

  13. what a gift to be able to draw like that . . .

  14. Stunning artistry. Thank you for sharing these.

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