Suzanne Belperron

Prelims (pp1-17)

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Prelims (pp1-17)

6/9/11

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VÉÇàxÇàá Preface

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Chronology

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Chapter I – An Artist’s Life

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Chapter II – ‘My Style is my Signature’

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Chapter III – The Stones and their Combinations

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Chapter IV – Themes and Influences

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Chapter V – A Very Prestigious Clientele

264

Sketches

300

Designs

312

Plaster Casts

318

Personal Effects

332

Bibliography

346

Acknowledgements

348

Picture Credits

350

Chapter 2 (pp60-131)

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Page 80

Chapter II – ‘My Style is my Signature’

Suzanne Belperron was able to design articulated jewels like flowers or butterflies. Her most fashionable clients adorned their dresses with ‘flower’ brooches, which vibrated attractively with every movement.

Other examples include: an articulated ‘flower’ clip brooch with gold petals and a diamond pistil; an articulated brooch, created around 1935, in white and blond agate, its pistil adorned with an old-mine-cut diamond and surrounded with cabochon corals, its stem made of

passing one under the other; a Boucheron necklace made of

diamonds mounted in gold and platinum.

platinum and diamonds, a triumph of suppleness, lightness and flexibility; and a Mauboussin clip brooch which could be

There were infinite variations on the floral theme, all

pinned to a low neckline to look like a ribbon or a garland. To

reflecting the whims of their owner, but also pieces inspired

these he opposed a ‘massive’ parure in agate and amethyst by

by insects, such as butterflies with moving wings, which

Suzanne Belperron. Nevertheless, the journalist could not

Suzanne Belperron was particularly fond of. These jewels are

help but admire the bracelet with a double ring of agate cut

not particularly reflective of her œuvre.

from a single block linked by a cabochon amethyst.

In an article entitled ‘Brooches and Bracelets, Glove Jewellery’, published by Vogue in March 1935, a journalist contrasted different fashions in jewellery. He compared the

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

supple style with the ‘rigid style’ of Suzanne Belperron. Given

blond agate leaves; the ensemble enhanced with red coral.

the right attention to detail and technical prowess, he noted,

(Collection Pierre Bergé & associés)

pieces of jewellery on a supple mount could be made to look

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

like a ruffled piece of fabric. The examples given were: a Cartier bracelet which looked like a ribbon wrapped around the wrist and then held with a knot made of two buckles

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

(Siegelson, New York)

Chapter 2 (pp60-131)

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Chapter 2 (pp60-131)

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Chapter II – ‘My Style is my Signature’

During a soirée organised at the Théâtre National de l’Opéra

at the time – Bakelite, Erinoid or rhodoid – or composed of fake

during the Colonial Exhibition of 1931, a show was put on with

pearls, imitation stones and coloured crystals. Coco Chanel and

tableaux vivants, bringing together the works of Jeanne Lanvin

Elsa Schiaparelli were two famous names associated with this

and the jewellery of Boucheron. By now, some famous couturiers

immediately successful new form of couture jewellery, which was

had become so convinced of the importance of jewellery in the

appreciated more for its decorative effect than for its intrinsic

art of fashion that they were tempted to create their own

commercial value. For their part, the jewellers appropriated

collections; these were referred to as ‘couture jewellery’. These

fashion accessories such as precious combs, belts, clutch bags

jewels were made of new plastic materials that were fashionable

and evening bags, and treated them as jewellery.

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

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Chapter 2 (pp60-131)

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Chapter 2 (pp60-131)

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White agate parure comprising a bracelet formed of nine rows of agate beads, a brooch in agate set with diamonds, a ring in agate decorated with a black pearl, and a pair of Feuille (leaf ) ear clips in agate and diamonds.

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Chapter 2 (pp60-131)

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Page 119

A pair of earrings identical to those worn by the model on the left-hand page (Private collection). See also items on pages 88, 117 and 140.

Parure comprising a fluted smoky quartz bracelet with diamond border; a Demi-marguerite (halfdaisy) clip with petals in smoky quartz, its heart pavĂŠ-set with brilliant-cut diamonds; yellow diamond ear clips; and a smoky quartz and brilliant-cut diamond ring. (Photo: Hoyningen-Huene) (Double page: American Vogue, May 1934. Archives Olivier Baroin)

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Chapter 3 (pp132-195)

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Page 140

Chapter III – The Stones and their Combinations

Top: A rock crystal bracelet, decorated with a square-cut emerald and diamonds. (Christie’s) Left: A fluted smoky quartz bracelet designed as ‘mandarin segments’, edged on each side by a line of diamonds mounted on platinum. Worn by a model photographed by Hoyningen-Huene, this bracelet was reproduced in French Vogue in November 1933. (Private collection) Right: Gouache, a study for an aquamarine, sapphire and yellow gold brooch and ring shown opposite.

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

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Chapter 3 (pp132-195)

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Chapter 4 (pp196-263)

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Chapter 4 (pp196-263)

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Chapter IV – Themes and Influences

A necklace of Indian inspiration composed of five rows of carved emerald beads, joined on each side by a gold motif punctuated by diamonds and surmounted by a cluster of emeralds, sapphires and rubies. The gold chain holding the piece is also enhanced by carved emerald beads. (La Galerie parisienne) Opposite: A necklace in yellow gold, composed of faceted sapphires and faceted and cabochon emeralds, intercalated with pear-shaped rubies. (Private collection)

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Chapter 5 (pp264-299)

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Chapter 5 (pp264-299)

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Chapter V – A Very Prestigious Clientele

The names of several Hollywood cinema stars, then at the pinnacle of their fame, appear throughout the pages of the appointment books: Pola Negri, Dolores del Río, Adèle Astaire (not her brother, who doesn’t appear in the archives). There has been much fanciful speculation about Suzanne Belperron’s clientele; as it happens, neither Doris Duke, Frank Sinatra nor Clark Gable, contrary to what has been written elsewhere, frequented the salons at 59, rue de Châteaudun. Suzanne Belperron notes, for example, in November 1938, the visit of Mrs Gary Cooper, who ordered a bracelet in sapphire, ruby and aquamarine, a ring of fine gold (design no. 3), and clip-on earrings of ruby and aquamarine; these pieces of jewellery were delivered to the Hôtel George V. At another appointment, orders were placed for a Cœur (heart) ring and a necklace of 22-carat gold.

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

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

Opposite, above: A pair of Toit (roof ) earrings mounted in white gold, platinum and diamonds. (La Galerie Parisienne) Opposite, bottom left: A pair of earrings mounted in white gold, platinum and calibré-cut sapphires. (Christie’s)

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DRAWINGS (pp312-317)

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

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DRAWINGS (pp312-317)

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Designs

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