The 20th Century's Most Influential Jewelry Designer: Suzanne Belperron

Posted in: Celebrity Jewelry, Designer Spotlights, Jewelry History

Duchess of Windsor's Blue Chalcedony Parure by Suzanne Belperron. Photo credit: Sotheby's Auction Press Photo, 1987. A double-strand of blue chalcedony beads hinges upon a flower clasp which features carved chalcedony petals trimmed in Old Euro-cut diamonds and a central cluster of cabochon sapphires.

Mere Ornament

Two cuffs, also carved from blue chalcedony, feature two curving bands and a row of blue chalcedony beads trimmed in diminutive Old Euro-cut diamonds and capped with tiny cabochon sapphires. A pair of ear clips carved from blue chalcedony in a leaf motif feature veins of Old Euro-cut diamonds with a cluster of collets set with sapphire cabochons and Old Euro-cut diamonds. Blue chalcedony, a silica-based combination of quartz and morganite, is an abundant semi-precious gemstone found on nearly every continent. Yet, in this astonishing parure, the "exalted" diamonds and sapphires become mere ornament upon the exquisitely carved agate.

A Discreet Visit

In 1935, Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, made a discreet visit to a small Paris apartment for a personalized consultation with renowned designer Suzanne Belperron. Madame Belperron made a quick study of Mrs. Simpson's features, locking in on the American's blue eyes. After taking precise measurements of the Duchess's neck, wrists, and jawline, Mme. Belperron sat and drew several preliminary sketches as the two discussed the commission. After the Duchess took her leave, the visionary designer lined her worktable and floor with gemstones, studying them from varying distances and angles. As her eyes came to rest upon the blue chalcedony, she knew she had found her stone. The diamonds and sapphires would round out the design perfectly. Now, time for the official sketches. Exquisite details in gouache were painted and repainted until the design matched her vision. These drafts were then sent to production for 3D visualization and calibration. Onto these life-sized models the placement of the stones was mapped out in India ink. Once the dimensions were perfected, the Groëne et Darde company crafted the pieces out of the chosen materials, leaving their distinctive mark somewhere discreet. Madame Belperron left nothing to chance. She governed every stage of production with the eye of a hawk, ensuring that every piece was made to perfection. Upon their completion, Mrs. Simpson returned for her "fitting", at which time Mme. Belperron ensured the pieces were made to order for the Duchess.

Her Own Interpretation

One woman made a mark on the jewelry industry that has endured for almost 100 years. During a time when men ruled the jewelry industry, Suzanne Belperron (née Vuillerme), at the young age of 21, through excellence and innovative design, earned a position as modelist-designer for the only Maison governed by another woman of distinction, Madame Jeanne Boivin. For over a decade, Mlle. Vuillerme worked to propel Maison Boivin into the future of modern jewelry design, replacing the rigid geometry of the Art Deco style with her own interpretation of the organic and sensuous forms of nature. By the time she established a new partnership with Bernard Herz in 1932, her signature style had already taken effect. Armed with her new creative freedom, she began to make even more daring choices. Hard stones became fluid forms, precious gems were embedded into rock crystal and chalcedony (something no one was doing), and design became more important than material value. She strove only for beauty, and in an age when value trumped artistry, this philosophy represented a challenge to the establishment. And women like Mrs. Simpson, trendsetters in their own rights, found in Mrs. Belperron's jewels a sense of permission.

A Shameless Break with Convention

It is nearly impossible to impress upon you the impact of her style, as it is a style that is so commonly duplicated that it hardly bears noting. However, in the beginning of it all, Mme. Belperron shamelessly thumbed her nose at convention. When it was popular to design with the geometry of Art Deco, with its overt worship of modern architecture, she threw out the rules and crafted flowing forms in motifs inspired by ethnic cultures and natural forms. At a time when value dictated design, she hailed color as king. She often embedded a minuscule diamond or sapphire cabochon into a richly colored, expertly sculpted agate, a rock a person could pick up on a walk along a riverbed. While Cartier, Tiffany, and Boucheron were mounting all their stones in platinum, Mme. Belperron was sculpting rings, brooches, and necklaces out of the most common hardstones--smoky quartz, chalcedony, and rock crystal. To raise the stakes even further, she daringly riveted the gemstones right into these common stones, as if these rocks were precious metals.

The Impact of Her Style

Indeed, under her masterful eye, these rocks did become precious sculptures. A photograph can only go so far to convince you. For a sensuous treat, watch this video, where the mesmerizing fluidity of Mme. Belperron's craft is better visualized. Today, Mme. Belperron's pieces continue to command attention, inspiring young designers and driving auction prices well above estimates {jewellery editor}. Fashion forward legends such as Karl Lagerfeld and Diana Vreeland have collected her pieces for years, and the geniuses behind the Verdura revival have now taken it upon themselves to thrust the name Belperron into the limelight in similar fashion {The National}. Since 1999, after acquiring a portion of her drawings and inventory books, Ward and Nico Landrigan have worked tirelessly to catalog, collect, and photograph as many of Mme. Belperron's jewels as possible. They continue to promise a volume dedicated to the impact of her style, a book which has yet to have a publication date {the national}, and they promise to release a line of recreations based on sketches the designer made long ago, this time signed with her name in order to distinguish them from her vintage originals. Meanwhile, in 2007, Olivier Baroin obtained her special-orders archives, which provide detailed records of 6,730 clients and 25,000 appointments {the national}. His book, coauthored by Sylvie Raulet, is to date the only published study of her life and work. Combined, these extensive records and their resultant books afford collectors authentication of selected pieces made by the woman whose signature, although she never signed her work, "is everywhere" {Luxury Now}. "My style is my signature," she boldly exclaimed. Bold and beautiful then, frustrating now to the many collectors who must wade through all the inspired-by pieces generated by today's up-and-coming designers. It is no wonder that she has been called "the inventor of jewelry as we know it" {Luxury Now}, "one of the most talented and influential female jeweler of the 20th century" {Jewellery Editor}, and an "aesthete and woman of honour, brilliant and discreet at all times" {Raulet}. by Angela Magnotti Andrews