David Webb - Fall 2013

David Webb Salon, Madison Ave, NYC

It's been a busy fall with all kinds of fun and informative jewelry events, private workshop tours, talks & conferences.  Just getting the chance now to catch up and share! Follow my next several posts to see what I've been up to :)





September 2013  
David Webb - A private workshop tour followed by a slideshow & talk by Ruth Peltason, author of the newly released  David Webb - The Quintessential American Jeweler.

Webb Book Cover

An event that was hosted by the American Society of Jewelry Historians (ASJH), of which I'm a member. 

-Arriving at the petite jewelry salon was like walking into an exotic jewel box.  Nothing really visible from the street, making the inner domain feel like a privileged secret, only accessible with the right password.  Greeted and checked in, I perused my environment pleased with the rich jewel tones, the sumptuous shapes, the sheer size of some of these exquisite pieces.  There is no shyness evident in these designs - rather, a pure abandonment of what’s possible.  Immediately Liz Taylor comes to mind, that bold, undeniable beauty.  An era of jet-setting style that was carried off so well in the 60’s & 70’s - St. Tropez, Paris, New York.  Many of Webb's designs we see today in production are from those times past.  Apparently, a plethora of designs that were only made once or never are being produced again, or for the first time, Mark Emanual, co-owner of the firm, told us that evening. The designer’s love of color, enamel work, carved stones, ancient civilizations and the animal kingdom - make his work unlike anyone else in the jewelry world.  It's said that Webb made weekly pilgrimages to the Met, where he was inspired by the gold work of ancient civilizations. So much so that he created his own mixture of alloys, re-creating the rich colors of the past. 

Webb Earrings, image courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman

"I believe the things I make have museum quality and, hopefully, will last as long as the originals that inspired them."          David Webb

After taking in the gorgeous jewelry on the main floor salon, I was taken upstairs in a stylish elevator to the second floor where wine & snacks awaited.  Handed a glass of white wine, I headed for the entrance to the jewelry workshop where we were given a private tour of the inner workings of the Webb flagship store.  Here we watched bench jewelers working on pieces of jewelry in different stages of production.  Each jeweler working on one piece at a time, from start to finish - averaging app. 50 hours per piece.  This workshop, the only one in the world, provides all of the company's production of about 400 pieces per year.  One jeweler, who has proudly been with the company for 48 years, was polishing the inside of a wide gold bangle, telling us that it was his suggestion back in the 1970's that all pieces should look as good on the inside as they do on the outside - an idea that has been implemented ever since.  Fascinating to see the pieces actually being made in this pristine environment.  And after understanding how few pieces were made each year, I immediately had a greater appreciation for the exquisite jewelry and this company.  It also made me really want to own a piece for myself!

David Webb Coral, Diamond, Enamel & Gold Ring

A great talk followed by Ruth Peltason, a lively speaker with all kinds of interesting tidbits about how the book came into being and the journey along the way.  Her book, the first all encompassing book on Webb, is filled with wonderful photos, history, quotes and anecdotes about the designer, who passed away in 1975.  A book I would highly recommend. She has written several books on jewelry, including Living Jewels. She also worked with Elizabeth Taylor on Elizabeth Taylor - My Love Affair With Jewelry.

 I will sum up with a quote from his company.

"By his untimely death in 1975 he had established an incredible legacy."

For more information, go to David Webb