Raymond Yard Designer Spotlight

Jeweled Church & Tree Brooch by Raymond Yard. I first learned about Raymond Yard when I wrote about the Christie's auction, The Collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller. That sale featured the gorgeous engagement ring that David gave to his beautiful bride Peggy in 1940, which was made by Yard. By that time, it came as no surprise that David Rockefeller went to the designer for this most important jewel. Indeed, David's father, John D. Rockefeller, was the person who encouraged Raymond Yard to begin his own jewelry firm. Upon following his advice, Yard quickly became the Rockefeller's most important consultant for all things jewelry.  

Raymond Yard in the Early Years

Raymond Yard began his career at the age of 13. He started out as the doorboy for New York's Marcus & Co. He opened the doors for clients of the elite luxury jewelry store on 17th and Broadway in Manhattan for a number of years. Over the next decade, he progressively learned the various aspects of the jewelry business. In his final years at Marcus & Co., Yard became the company's most sought-after salesman. It was here that John D. Rockefeller found him and groomed him to become an entrepreneur. In 1922, upon the urging of his benefactor, Raymond Yard established his own jewelry firm in New York. The Rockefellers recommended him to their friends, and before long Yard counted as clients the Woolworths, the Du Ponts, the Vanderbilts, and more.  

Raymond Yard's Distinctive Style

In the beginning, Yard catered to his conservative American clientele, favoring large diamonds and gemstones mounted in platinum with gemstone accents. Given its 1920s and 1930s beginnings, the firm specialized in Art Deco style, taking the style to a whole new level with their exquisite geometric renderings and gorgeous diamonds, rubies, and blue sapphires. Eventually, Raymond Yard developed some more whimsical designs. His most iconic are his humanlike rabbits and his jeweled houses. The jeweled house above features what looks like a jade base (or sculpted emerald) for grass and platinum for the structure of the house and tree branches. The leaves and flowers on the tree are fashioned mainly of cabochon emeralds, rubies, and blue sapphires. The tree also features faceted diamonds. A carved ruby bush and carved emerald bush stand beside the platinum porch and blue sapphire door of what looks like a church. The church also features ruby windows and an emerald belfry, as well as diamond siding and a diamond-studded spire. Raymond Yard made many of these fun "house" brooches. Perhaps the most famous of his houses was his reproduction of Cee Zee Guest's Palm Beach home, Villa Artemis. His more whimsical personified rabbits feature clothing made out of calibre-cut gemstones, baroque pearls, sculpted rubies, and lots and lots of diamonds. His most famous rabbits are his butler rabbits, dressed in elaborate finery, carrying cocktail trays and towels, ready to serve the most prestigious of guests. He also fashioned bridal rabbits, fisher-bunnies, yachts-hares, and even British Royal Guards Bunnies.  

Raymond Yard Today

Raymond Yard retired from his company in 1958, with the Herald Tribune declaring his career "fabulous." {source} He ceded his position to his protege, Robert Gibson. Gibson retired in 1989, leaving the company in the capable hands of his son, Bob Gibson. Today, Raymond Yard continues to make jewelry based on the company's original designs. They continue to source the highest-quality gemstones and use time-honored jewelry-making techniques. These original designs are sold exclusively through Betteridge. Of course, collectors can always scour the web in search of auctions of Raymond Yard vintage pieces.