Kieselstein-Cord Jewelry Artist

Crown Heart Brooch, 18K Gold, 1987 by Barry Kieselstein-Cord. Photo ©2018 EraGem Jewelry.   Barry Kieselstein-Cord began carving when he was 8 years old. He made giant totem poles, one of which was stolen. The rage and grief he felt stayed with him, but along with it grew a seed for the future.  

The Artist-Designer's Beginnings

"I decided to be an artist...I announced it to anyone who would listen," Kieselstein-Cord says. {1} Between the ages of 8 and 14, Barry produced large-scale carvings and effigies inspired by his passion for North American Indian art. During this time, he also buried different objects and metal pieces in the ground. Later, he dug them up to note any color and patina changes. Between ages 14 and 22, Kieselstein-Cord turned his attention to painting and metalwork. "From the early moments I can recall fascination with all past cultures and an intense attraction to art and architecture." {2} This fascination only expanded as he continued his education. He went on to study sculpture at Parsons School of Design and the American Craft Institute in New York. Soon after college, Barry pursued his first career as an art director in the advertising business. Then he took a course in jewelry and found his more enduring passion. The sculptural quality of silver captivated him, and he forged ahead. Adding his marketing talents to his artistic expression, he started his jewelry design business in 1972. Subsequently, in 1973, Georg Jensen brought Kieselstein-Cord's designs to the public.  

Kieselstein-Cord's Crown Heart Motif (1987)

Kieselstein-Cord told WWD that he set out to "build an American powerhouse luxury company based on incomparable quality produced in my own vertical organization...I created products that intersected and cross pollinated. I've been advocating a lifestyle approach to brand building since the day I opened my firm's doors." {3} As a result of his superior strategy, by 2009 Kieselstein-Cord had produced more than 25,000 unique and often whimsical designs. His most iconic motifs include the crocodile (circa 1985), Pompeii (1986), and Borgia (1980). Another of these iconic motifs, in fact one of his most prolific, the Crown Heart debuted in 1987. The solid gold cleft heart, topped with an ornate sculpted crown, appeared in myriad styles. Kieselstein-Cord also designed Crown Heart earrings, pendants, and finger rings. Sometimes he added a dose of glitz and glitter, paving the heart and  crown in diamonds, rubies, and/or blue sapphires. In contrast, sometimes just the band of the crown featured a line of diamonds. Still others were fashioned in his signature matte 18k green (of course) gold. We would love to help you add this triplet Crown Heart brooch to your collection today! (See below for more details.)  

Shades of Green

The color green holds sentimental meaning for the artist. "It's the color of growing things - it's organic and understated," he told Nancy Wolfson. {4} Green was his family's color. The color seemed especially important to his father, who always chose green cars. Consequently, despite Kieselstein-Cord's understated approach to marketing, the one telling feature of his design firm was the green door.  He prefers the willow-green shade of celadon green, as well as dollar-bill green. {5} In tribute to his family's color, many of Kieselstein-Cord leather jewelry boxes are dark teal green. Some are dark slate brown on the outside with a lush green velvet interior. A striking contrast, indeed.  

Singular Designs

In the '80s and '90s, Kieselstein-Cord found his stride. His singular designs, with their unique aesthetic and exquisite craftsmanship, captured the imagination of the world's most important trendsetters. Men and women of note, including Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Sir Elton John, Madonna, and Sharon Stone, became collectors. Over time, his cult following turned into what the New York Times called a "Legion." {6} His clientele expanded to include Bob Pittman (one-time CEO of MTV), Steven Spielberg, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jay-Z, Giorgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld, Wayne Gretzky, Barack Obama, and even Vladimir Putin. {7} Years ago he expanded beyond jewelry to design belt buckles, handbags, bronze sculptures, eyewear, and tabletop accessories. He also designed lamps, furniture, scarves, ties, and even helicopters. {8 & 9} Kieselstein-Cord is an icon, and his exemplary jewels are collected as art. Some of the world's most prestigious museums, including the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, acquired a number of the jewelry artist's pieces for their permanent collections. Today, Kieselstein-Cord manufactures new jewels in a joint venture with KUCK Jewellery in Düsseldorf, Germany. In what KUCK calls their "opening act of the Artist Collections," Kieselstein-Cord agreed to republish one of his most successful iconic collections, the crocodile. The crocodile, arguably one of Kieselstein-Cord's favorite of his collections, was released in the mid-to-late 1980s. It came out around the same time as his Crown Heart collection.  

Join the Kieselstein-Cord Legion

We invite you to join Kieselstein-Cord's legion of followers by purchasing this stunning Crown Heart Brooch. Crafted in rich 18K gold, this triple Crown Heart pin features three cleft hearts topped with sculpted royal crowns. The brooch is exquisitely crafted and has a nice weight to it. Each crown bears the marks: "(C) KIESELSTEIN CORD 18K 1987." This piece has a delectable quality that can only be appreciated in person. Call today to schedule a visit to our Bellevue Showroom.  

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Barry Kieselstein-Cord Bio. www.kieselestein-cord.com/bio.htm, 2009. Accessed July 31, 2018. 2. Ibid. 3. Strugatz, Rachel. "Barry Kieselstein-Cord Retrospective Bows in N.Y." WWD Online, October 15, 2012. Accessed July 31, 2018. 4. Wolfson, Nancy. "Jewelry Designer Barry Kieselstein-Cord is Far From a Household Name, Which is Just the Way He Likes It." Cigar Aficionado, March/April 1999. Accessed July 31, 2018. https://www.cigaraficionado.com/articles/smoking-in-style-7343. 5. Ibid. 6. Kieselstein-Cord Bio Online. Copyright 2009. Accessed July 31, 2018. www.kieseltsein-cord.com/bio.htm. 7. Ibid. 8. Strugatz, 2012. 9. Wolfson, 1999.