DESIGNER BIOGRAPHIES

BUCCELLATI

Opening in Milan in 1919 and then expanding to Rome and Florence, Mario Buccellati’s work quickly gained acclaim amongst royalty. Four of his sons entered the business and continued the legacy. In 1951, Buccellati became the first Italian jewelry designer with a location on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Producing jewelry using a wide variety of precious materials, the firm is synonymous with class, elegance and fine craftsmanship.

BVLGARI

Hailing from Greece, Sotirios Bulgari traveled to Italy in 1880 carrying with him the silversmith art honed by his family since the Byzantine era. Opening in Naples and producing archeological revival jewelry, he soon developed a large enough following to require larger premises and additional locations. During the early twentieth century, Sotirios’s sons had a major impact on the character of Bulgari’s style. From the 1920’s to the 1960’s, the inspiration stemmed mainly from the latest French designs and included jewelry made in the Edwardian, Deco, and Reotro styles. By the 1970’s the focus again shifted to creating a unique style all their own and it is this desire that drives their work still today.

CARTIER

Founded in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier, this French house has remained at the forefront of fine jewelry generation after generation. Vastly expanding the reputation and reach of the firm were Louis-Francois’ grandsons who are responsible for establishing the name as a worldwide luxury icon. Creating extravagant works for the clients ranging from the French royals to Hollywood’s elite, Cartier is responsible for producing some of the most recognizable and sought after jewels known for their feminine style and timeless elegance.

DAVID WEBB

At the tender age of 16 David Webb traveled to New York City in 1941 to start his education in jewelry. Opening his own location in 1946 with business partner Nina Silberstein, he began to produce jewelry in the bold and bright style his name became synonymous with. Known predominantly for work such as the famous bracelets designed in playful animal motifs, the firm also produces classic jewels constructed with fabulous stones and delicate details.

HAMMERMAN BROS.

Founded in 1946 by three brothers, Hy, Ben, and Bernard, Hammerman Bros. was a manufacturing jeweler that offered fine quality jewelry to retailers across the country. Experiencing much success, they decided to expand to include watch production and boutique items, as well as diamond cutting. Following in their tradition of exquisitely fine jewelry, Hammerman Bros. diamonds are often valued around one million dollars. Hammerman Bros. is still family-owned and operated, and their jewelry is sold not only in the United States, but also in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

LALAoUNIS

Born in Athens in 1920, Ilias Lalaounis was the fourth generation in a family line of goldsmiths and watchmakers. With a passion for history, he began studying the art of ancient Greece, and it was during Greece’s post-war recovery years that he decided to breathe new life into Greek museum artifacts. He wanted to transform them into jewelry by reviving age old techniques while also introducing the use of modern technology. Lalaounis found his calling in high karat gold as he felt it to be the “most human material” and it was through this medium that he expressed his inexhaustible creativity and achieved international recognition.

PATEK PHILIPPE

Patek Philippe has been at the forefront of innovation in the science of timekeeping since the mid 1800’s. Collected by passionate watch lovers the world over, the company has produced some of the most complicated timepieces while maintaining a classic aesthetic and superb quality.

SEAMAN SCHEPPS

An immigrant’s son, who grew up in the tenements of New York’s Lower East Side, Seaman Schepps established his reputation by designing exclusive pieces mixing unique ideas, bold colors and sharp textures. After a brief stint in California, the Schepps family moved back to New York where Schepps opened his 6th Avenue salon. When the stock market crashed in 1929, Schepps, like many of his clients, lost everything. With a remodeled business plan and renewed vigor, he reopened his doors on Madison Avenue in 1934 where he served clients such as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Duchess of Windsor, and members of the Du Pont, Mellon and Rockefeller families. Although Schepps passed on in 1972, his namesake house continues to attract collectors looking for jewelry of splendor and singular style.

TONY DUQUETTE

Tony Duquette is an American design icon whose work spans seven decades and four continents. He began his career as a costume designer in Hollywood but soon became recognized by such arbiters of taste as Lady Elsie de Wolfe Mendl. Under Lady Mendl’s patronage, Duquette also created special furnishings and jewelry. After serving in the army during World War II, Duquette returned to the design world to enjoy so much continued success that he was the first American artist to be honored with a one man showing at the Louvre Museum in Paris. In the late 1970’s Duquette and his wife established the Anthony and Elizabeth Duquette Foundation for the Living Arts. He actively created great design until his death in 1999.

TIFFANY & Co.

The best known jeweler in the United States and perhaps the world, Tiffany & Company has, for much of its history, exhibited the best gems from around the world and work from some of the finest jewelry designers. The reputations of such luminaries as Schlumberger, Claflin, Peretti and Cummings were forged while working for this great house. Not limited to any one genre, Tiffany has produced an astounding array of jeweled art over its history and continues forward today with their global reach.

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS

Starting with a marriage between two families both intimately involved with the jewelry arts, this Parisian firm founded in 1898 has created a unique character all its own. Its exclusive pieces have been eagerly collected by royalty and celebrity alike. Credited with many innovations in construction and design, this master jeweler is also known for having the highest standards for their gems. Only using stones of the very best quality and rarity, a jewel by Van Cleef & Arpels is viewed first as art and then accessory.

VERDURA

The colorful persona of Fulco Santostefano della Cerda, Duke of Verdura, always comes through in the bold designs of his firm. Working with Coco Chanel in Paris early in his career, the Duke went on to establish his own salons in both New York and Paris. He won praise and followers for marrying the warm tones of yellow gold to stones chosen more for their brilliant colors than for their rarity. The firm lives on today under the Landrigan family who faithfully creates jewelry based on the incredible sketch work that the Duke left behind.