Silver Screen Gems

The Duchess, 2008
Keira Knightly, Ralph Fiennes,
Dominic Cooper & Hayley Atwell 

I'm a fanatic for gorgeous period films, especially ones that capture the era, authentically, through setting, costume and jewelry. I love to get lost in a film that takes me to a different time and place and mesmerizes me with its beauty & story. And, if it's based on true events, even better! My list is long, therefore this will be an on-going feature on Gems - a tour guide ;)   

So... as we head into fall with a chill in the air and longer nights, lets get started with two of my favorites.

Keira Knightly & Hayley Atwell in The Duchess -
sporting pretty day-wear for a walk in the park.

The Duchess, a true story based on the life of Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire. This rich drama tells the story of her somewhat turbulent marriage to her husband, the Duke of Devonshire, her children, loves, losses and public popularity as a fashion trend-setter and forward thinking woman of the late 18th century. There is no sugar coating in this film, which I love, about what life was like for her. Difficult circumstances and rules of that period make it an often times heart breaking journey - but there are moments of real joy, tenderness & love, too.

Keira Knightly as the Duchess of Devonshire in a ballroom scene from
The Duchess, with fabulous wig, costume & jewels!

One of my favorite things about this movie, however, is the magnificent costumes, wigs & jewelry! I don't know if I've ever seen a better representation of that period on film. Truly believable. I was very impressed with the jewelry, especially seeing things like the cut steel parure (suite of jewelry) worn by Keira Knightly, seen in the movie poster above (top). These types of jewels were all the rage at that time and worn by the royalty and aristocrats of Europe, even showing up in royal portraits, such as Catherine the Great of Russia. Worn as a diamond substitute, cut steel jewelry (faceted steel studs riveted to a steel backing) shimmered in the evening candlelight just as brightly as diamonds, and some might say carried a sense of power about them, being made from steel. 
Round out this film with great performances by the cast, beautiful scenery and an intelligent story, based on the book by Amanda Foreman, and you have a real winner.

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Bright Star, 2009
Abbie Cornish & Ben Whishaw

Another favorite of mine is Bright Star.
Based on the romance of poet John Keats & Fanny Brawne in the early 19th century. This small jewel of a film features the quiet yet passionate love between the pair. In a time of little money, illness & hardship, their love never falters. Set in Hampstead Village on the outskirts of London, the film, directed by Jane Campion (who remembers The Piano?), doesn't need jewelry to be an absolute gem - in fact, the rich colors of clothing & interiors and the painterly scenes of nature are more than enough to satisfy the senses. Add the beauty of Keats' poetry and their love letters to each other and you find yourself lost in their world.

Bright Star - lounging after the picnic

The other thing I love about this film is that Fanny is a strong woman who knows what she wants in life and was even known for her fashion-forward creations that she made herself and wore. I love the simple scenes of her sewing. There are many visually arresting scenes in this film that will move you, as will the story. As I said, it is a small jewel of a film.

                

                      Bright Star - a walk in the countryside

Bright Star - Fanny talking with her younger sister

I hope you enjoy these first two films in the Gems - a tour guide

favorite period films selection! Happy viewing!

Gilded New York - Exhibit

Michele Gordigiani, “Cornelia Ward Hall and Her Children,”
(Detail), 1880 - Museum of the City of New York

It's my second time visiting this gem of a show, which lets you glimpse into the lives of wealthy New Yorkers in the late 19th century. A time of opulence, staggering wealth, Fifth Avenue mansions, lavish parties & balls, designer gowns, the finest interiors and objet d'art - and exquisite jewelry. This ongoing exhibit  at the Museum of the City of New York, is a must see for New Yorkers and visitors alike. It is the inaugural installation for the Tiffany & Co. Foundation Gallery and in my opinion they hit it out of the park, Central Park, that is.

 Literally right across the street from Central Park and on Fifth Avenue, no less, the Museum of the City of New York is a beautiful, small museum housed in a Georgian-Revival building completed in 1932. Focusing on New York City's past, present & future, the shows here are always well curated, interesting and worth your time. The museums 22 minute film, Timescapes, gives you a whirlwind tour of the history of this great city - showing every 1/2 hour, it's a wonderful way to start your visit.

Gilded New York Salon - Tiffany & Co. Foundation Gallery

Stepping into the beautifully appointed Gilded New York gallery, complete with period furnishings, paintings, chandeliers and sconces, immediately puts you in the mindset of the Gilded Age. Even velvet flocked wallpaper adorns the walls! The narrow salon features four windows overlooking Central Park, from its third floor location, giving you the impression of being in someone's Fifth Avenue mansion. Perhaps one of the Vanderbilt's?

One of the jewelry cases with gilded, annular clock (in window sill) featuring the
Three Graces, probably French(1850-1875), and view looking over to Central Park

Tiffany & Co. brooch set with pearls, Burmese ruby, demantoid garnets,
pink sapphires & diamonds. G. Paulding Farnham, designer, c. 1900

The brooch above, by Tiffany & Co., was probably my favorite piece of jewelry in the show. My photo not doing it justice - this brooch was like looking at the most exquisite piece of candy you've ever seen. The subtle varying hues of pink and white pearls was delicious and that ruby - absolutely mouth watering!

Diamond and emerald brooch, probably French, c. 1890

Tiffany & Co. gold bangle set with amethyst, sinhalite, garnet,
aquamarine & pink tourmaline. G. Paulding Farnham, designer, c. 1895

You really see the Art Nouveau influence in this gem-set bangle with its organic feel and sensuous lines - and the whiplash curves of the tendrils in this spectacular brooch, below.

Marcus & Co., The Rehan Jewel, c. 1895-1905
Plique a jour enamel & gold. The jewel is named after
its owner, the celebrated New York actress, Ada Rehan ( 1859-1916)

Dreicer & Co. necklace of platinum, natural pearl & diamond, c. 1905

Can't you just see yourself wearing this fabulous necklace to the opera or the ball? But of course!

There were more jewels but as you can see, it was difficult to get a good photo of them through the glass, so we will move on to the other items on display. Accessories, costumes, silver and more!

Duvelleroy folding fan, Paris, c. 1900
Painted silk leaf, applied sequins, feather; carved and painted mother- of- pearl monture

Beautiful Duvelleroy fan box, below

Typical accessories of the day.
Lorgnette, gold & optical glass, probably American, c. 1900 -
Tiffany & Co. silver & sapphire cigarette case, c. 1895 - Gold, silver, diamond
& feather hair pin/ornament - Tiffany & Co. frog leather & diamond card case, c.1900 -
Flacon de poudre (scent bottle), gold, diamond, pink tourmaline or topaz,
crystal & silver, 1890-1910

Handbag handle with mermaids in silver and chrysoprase clasp, c. 1905
F. Walter Lawrence - designer Gustave Manz, silversmith
Love this!

And for the gentleman....

Ivory, gold & wood novelty cane with naked lady in concealed compartment -
Tiffany & Co. silver flask with seahorse design, 1882 - Silver and engraved
glass flask by Gorham Manufacturing Co., 1898 

Maison Worth, Paris - "Infanta Margarita after Velazquez",
fancy dress costume worn by Ms. Kate Brice to the
Bradley-Martin Ball, 1897

A wonderful slide show of great costumes worn by New York's elite
at the many balls and parties around town at the turn of the century.
This one picturing Lady Paget (Minnie Paran Stevens)
 as an Egyptian princess at the Vanderbilt Ball, 1883

Fan, opera glasses, hair comb, purses, very dainty evening shoes
and a pair of yellow, silk stockings

A selection of silver & silver gilt items along with Venetian glass,
earthenware and some Etruscan revival jewelry.

Etruscan revival jewelry - Necklace by Giacinto Melillo, Italy, late 1800's

I noticed that items I originally saw my first time visiting the show back in February had been changed out with other items. Perhaps the museum wants to continually rotate items in order to share their wonderful collection from that period. Or, perhaps, change items with the seasons? Either way, it's a great excuse to keep coming back to enjoy this intimate jewel of a show!

You can read more about this elegant & extravagant period of New York City's history, here, at the museums website. There is also a great book on the subject, featuring the items in the exhibit, done by the museum, called - Gilded New York: Design, Fashion and Society 

Untermyer Fountain - Three Dancing Maidens by German sculptor Walter Schott

After you've enjoyed your time at the museum, I highly suggest heading across the street and up a few blocks to the Central Park Conservatory Garden. The only formal garden in Central Park, it is like stepping back in time to the turn of the century, and across the pond to Europe. Divine!

*All photos in this post taken by Wendy E. Smith

NY Antique Jewelry & Watch Show 2014

Victorian Renaissance Revival cameo, Art Deco coral ring
 by Renee Boivin & antique diamond bow brooch.
All pieces from La Galerie Parisienne

I spent 4 hours of jewelry heaven at the New York Antique Jewelry & Watch Show yesterday. It can be an overwhelming event with over 100 dealers from all over the world showcasing their wares - but I tend to focus on a smaller group of people who deal primarily in Victorian & Georgian jewelry. Ok, some Art Nouveau, Edwardian & Art Deco too! I love it all!

A selection of Georgian jewelry from Lowther Antiques - featuring
18th c. Posy (Poesy) and Memorial rings, along with foil backed, gem-set
pendant & pins, a Giardinetti ring and beautiful amethyst necklace on left,
with exquisite cannetille work, c.1820-30

My first stop was to visit my favorite Georgian dealers from London - Pat Novissimo and daughter Virginia of Lowther Antiques. Dealing primarily in Georgian jewels, they also have some Victorian pieces and, to my delight, some rather early pieces, including a Momento Mori ring from the early 17th century and a very large mens ring (worn over the glove) from the Tudor period. Pat never ceases to amaze me with her experience and knowledge of jewelry - but more than that, she really loves the pieces she sells and will always have some interesting tidbit to share about the piece you are looking at. These ladies provide a welcoming atmosphere and a very enjoyable experience, not to mention one of the best selections of Georgian jewelry for sale. They exhibit at many shows each year (see their website for upcoming shows) or you can visit their shop on Portobello Road in London.

Left: a pair of turquoise, enamel & hair Momento Mori pins, 18th c.
Right: a selection of  Stuart Crystal pins, late 17th c.
Lowther Antiques

I ventured on and found a lovely booth with a great selection of Art Nouveau & Art Deco pieces. Many of the pieces by great French jewelers such as Suzanne Belperron, Rene Boivin, Fouquet, Templier & more. All making sense, as this booth belonged to La Galerie Parisienne, of Paris. Wonderful to see so many Boivin pieces!

Beautiful Art Deco pieces from La Galerie Parisienne

Art Nouveau opal, diamond & emerald pendant by Fouquet
La Galerie Parisienne

Further down the row I found my friends Julia & Roy Rover of Roy Rover Antiques & Fine Jewelry.

Always a delight to see them and and their amazing collection of jewelry from Georgian to the mid 20th century. Passionate, friendly & knowledgeable, they are a must stop at the jewelry shows! 

A selection of Victorian & Georgian jewelry at Roy Rover Antiques
(no website)

Antique necklace of bright green scarab beetles -
quite the rage during the popularity of all things
Egyptian after the archeological tomb digs during the
19th & early 20th century.
Roy Rover Antiques & Fine Jewelry

As I continued on, I found a delicious collection of Georgian & Victorian jewelry at Bell and Bird.

New to me, I was impressed with the caliber of their pieces and the friendliness of the proprietors, Rhianna & Cyrus Shennum, of Austin, Texas. There were so many beautiful pieces that I would love to own from here! Gorgeous bracelet sets and bangles from the 1800's, Spanish emerald and filigree earrings dating to the 1700's and lots of lovely memorial rings. 

Selection of Victorian bangles, snake necklace with turquoise
and memorial rings - Bell and Bird

Torpedo style drop earrings, c. 1830, one of a pair of turquoise & gold
bracelets, c. 1830 and a pair of Spanish (Iberian Peninsula) emerald
and gold earrings - Bell and Bird

Antique diamond Maltese cross pendant, blue & white enamel ring with
Old Mine cut diamond center and a stunning, 18th c. chrysoberyl brooch.
Bell and Bird

I loved talking with these guys! Their passion and knowledge shining through with every piece. Always fun to talk with people who are as passionate about Georgian jewelry as I am! Thanks guys!

Finally, I happened to see some stunning pieces in a case, just as I was about to leave the show. Hunger  was setting in - but I had to take a closer look!  A small collection of Stuart Crystals caught my eye on the top shelf. I asked the lovely lady behind the counter if I could see them - she was surprised that I knew what they were! A lively conversation ensued between myself and the proprietor, Lenore Dailey, of Fremont, Michigan. Once again, someone who is passionate and knowledgeable about what they do!  I love it! She had some fine and early examples of Stuart Crystals, which were popular starting in the 17th century. The one pictured below (sorry bad photograph!) is a very rare one of King Charles I & his wife, Henrietta Marie. The actual piece is very small and measures app. 3/4 inch in diameter.

Stuart Crystal slide piece of King Charles I & Henrietta Marie.
Lenore Dailey Fine Antique Jewelry

What a thrill it was to see it and hold it. Such a piece of history! The loops on the back (just visible) allowed a piece of ribbon to be pulled through, ultimately being worn on the wrist or at the neck.  You also see these memorial tokens made into rings and pins, often times with a hair insert, elaborately designed with initials of the deceased done in gold wire thread and always topped with a piece of crystal, often faceted (see photo of Stuart Crystals from Lowther Antiques, above). These memorial pieces were worn by the family and friends of the deceased. In the case of the king, loyal followers would wear them.

There were many other great pieces at Lenore's booth but I didn't have time to see them all! She said she will be at the Pier Show in NYC this fall, so I will plan to see her there.

Lenore Dailey does many jewelry shows each year.  Check out her website for show dates and see her gorgeous collection of jewels! AntiqueJewelryUsa.com

What a day it was! As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed myself - but really loved chatting with the dealers and sharing our common passion for jewelry, design & history!

The New York Antique Jewelry & Watch Show is on through tomorrow, Mon. the 28th until 4pm. Click on the website for more information about the show and the dealers.

My Day At The Met

 Fra Filippo Lippi, (detail) mid 15th century
Portrait of a Woman with a Man at a Casement

To say that yesterday was one of the best days of my life, might be hard to quantify - as I've had a multitude of them so far :) However, to say that it was an exquisite day filled with beautiful art, gems & design that blew my socks off?  Oh yeah! Welcome to the Met....

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has always been one of my favorite places in NYC. In fact, if for some reason I'm having an off day - I will say to myself "When in doubt, go to the Met!" This enormous museum never fails to delight & astonish me, take me out of my own head space and drop me off at the doorway to the world. I have been there countless times and still manage to find something I've never seen before. Literally, you can travel the globe in one day, that is if you have comfortable shoes and say, 6 hours :). Yesterday my visit took me to Egypt, China, England, Spain, Byzantium, Italy, Greece, France, Germany & America.  It was probably many more countries than that - but those were ones that I focused on with the exhibits that I saw and museum wings that I walked through.

I started my journey in ancient Egypt where I wanted to see the beautiful jewelry of the Egyptian princess, Sithathoryunet. I first learned of the princess when I was at an all-day, ASJRA jewelry conference last fall and listened to a great talk by Egyptologist Rita Freed of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. I then, later, gave a short presentation on the princess and her jewelry to my colleagues at work. Needless to say, I was looking forward to seeing these pieces in person.
There are quite a few pieces of hers at the Met - here is her stunning pectoral pendant.

Pectoral pendant belonging to Sithathoryunet
 - Egyptian, 12th Dynasty

 After I got my fill of the Egyptian wing I decided to go visit an old favorite of mine in the Robert Lehman Collection. This collection is a treasure trove with everything from Impressionist paintings to Renaissance jewelry & Majolica to a fabulous collection of Medieval art, Venetian glass, furniture from many periods, including a gorgeous Thomas Hope chandelier from 1802, and my favorite, a beautiful portrait of a princess in a blue satin dress by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. I love how she so elegantly shows the style of the 1850's in France and, of course, her jewelry :)

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1851-1853Joséphine-Eléonore-Marie-Pauline de Galard de Brassacede Béarn, princesse de Broglie 
Photo - Met Museum

She wears a mix of styles (not uncommon in that period) with a stack of rings on one finger, including a coiled snake, a loosely worn wrapped necklace of pearls with diamond clasp, on her wrist - a gold and diamond bracelet on the other wrist, pearl fringe earrings and to top it all off, a a bulla necklace, of the archeological revival style (possibly by the great Castellani). I love the cavalier nature of it all!

Next up are some wonderful Byzantine jewels I found!

Byzantine Gold Necklace with Cross

Pair of Jeweled Byzantine Bracelets - gold, silver, pearls, sapphires
amethysts, quartz & emerald plasma - 500-700 AD

Necklace with gold marriage medallion and hematite amulet
 and bracelet with bust of Roma - Byzantine

Byzantine Disc Brooches, set with gems & pearls - originally
used to fasten parts of a garment together
600 - 725AD

I then finally made my way to the Charles James: Beyond Fashion exhibit that everyone's been raving about. James, an essentially self-taught American designer, was known for his ball gowns and dressed some of the most famous starlets in Hollywood as well as many prominent socialites, such as Millicent Rogers.

Pretty stellar stuff with a room full of ball gowns from the 40's & 50's, each one on its own circular island, with a state of the art digital display set into the island with images of the dress being de-constructed, showing the architectural nature of how his gowns were made. Also information on historical styles and trends that James incorporated in his designs. The exhibit was split into two spaces, one on the main floor and the other in the newly renovated Costume Institute on the lower level of the museum. Here they had some of his earlier dresses from the late 1930's, which were my favorites, and other garments such as cocktail dresses and magnificent coats. All in all, a really fascinating, learning exhibit with great quotes by the designer printed on the glass walls. Loved it!

"Forget all you know and learn something new everyday"  -Charles James

Charles James - Butterfly Ball Gown, 1955
Photo - Met Museum

Charles James - Evening Dress, 1948
Photo - Met Museum

Charles James - Ball Gowns, 1948 / Photograph by Cecil Beaton
Photo - Met Museum

"I have sometimes spent twelve hours working on one seam; utterly entranced and not hungry or tired till finally it had as if of its own will found the precise place where it should be placed." 

-Charles James

Last but not least, by any means, I wended my way to the Medieval European art gallery. Pretty exhausted by this time but knew my visit wouldn't be complete without seeing a couple of amazing portraits - ones that I'm very familiar with.

Hans Memling
Portrait of Maria Portinari, 1470

Detail of Memling painting above

Let's face it - Medieval art (portraiture, primarily) is one of my absolute favorites. Might sound kind of crazy but I fell in love with it many years ago when I was on an extended trip around Europe. The rich, intense colors, the flatness of the poses - yet the incredible, photographic-like clarity of the interiors and surroundings. Velvet and silk robes that you feel you can literally touch - exquisite! Something about these portraits brings me alive and makes me feel like I'm a part of that history. Who knows, maybe I was ;) Plus, the jewelry is always so beautifully detailed and prominent - what's not to love? !

Fra Filippo Lippi, mid 15th century
Portrait of a Woman with a Man at a Casement
(unfortunately my photo doesn't do this one justice!)

So, an incredible day at the Met!  I saw much more than is talked about here but these were definitely the highlights! I finished my long & lovely day with a glass of Pinot Bianco and some olives at the Great Hall Balcony Bar, where live classical music was being performed.

Heavenly, is the word I would use :)