The Museum Quality Jewels At The Winter Show

Simone Teakle’s Art Deco diamond double clip brooch, each clip of open scroll stylized shield form. Mounted in platinum ,with detachable brooch and clip frames, in fitted case signed "J Chaumet London" circa 1930. Simon Teakle

The Winter Show, which was moved from its longtime home at The Park Avenue Armory to four floors of flagship Barney’s Madison Avenue building at 660 Madison Avenue creates a feeling of a shoppable museum with its highly curated “rooms” and its rare, authentic antique and vintage jewelry, artwork, furniture and decorative pieces. The move is a result of the postponement of its previously scheduled January dates due to surges in COVID-19.

The show will be back in its original location in 2023 but for now the unused Barney’s building is a perfect venue, particularly for the jewelry.

Signed pieces from Castellani and Giuliano to Chaumet and Lalique and many other renowned houses are artfully displayed by the exhibitors whose treasures have been hand chosen for their rarity, originality, their ability to mesmerize and stop antique/vintage jewelry collectors and enthusiasts in their tracks, do double takes and be swept away back into the period in which these pieces were made. The type of jewels shown at this 10-day event are some of the best, most magical examples of the various eras in which the handwork, techniques and designs are precise and preserved in excellent condition

Here are some of the pieces we found to be extraordinary or wonderful representations of a certain period in time.

Les Enluminures’ Necklace with Cupid on a Chariot in gold, enamel, diamonds, sapphires, Auguste Perette , France (Paris), 1870–1880. Auguste Perette remains something of a mystery despite his evident skill as a jeweler. This pendant displays finely painted, concave Limoges-style enamel of Cupid, the son of the goddess of love Venus, symbolizing desire, attraction, and affection. Les Enluminures

Les Enluminures’ Posy Ring “Tis you alone must ease my moane”, England, 1600-1700 engraved posy ring, featuring an intricate lover’s knot and crowned heart clasped by two hands. In between are two flowers, a pansy (pensée in French which came to mean “think of me”) and an iris, both surrounded by myrtle twigs. R. Hanel Photography

A La Vieille Russie sugarloaf lapis lazuli ring with turquoise enamel geometric design and diamond set trefoil at the base. It is set in platinum with coral and diamonds. Possibly Austrian with French import marks, Circa 1920 A La Vieille Russie

A La Vieille Russie Pavé diamond yacht brooch with black enamel masts and cabochon moonstone salts and buff-cut sapphire waves set in platinum, U.S., circ 1920 A La Vieille Russie

Veronique Bamps’ Castellani’s demi-parure set in yellow gold with sapphires, diamonds and pearls, circa 1870. In its original box. Courtesy of Véronique Bamps

Veronique Bamps’ pendant in platinum set with diamonds and amethyst by Georges Fouquet, circa 1920. Courtesy of Veronique Bamps Monaco

James Robinson’s Italian 18K Gold and Micro Mosaic Pair of Earrings by Antonio Carli, circa 1875. James Robinson

James Robinson’s Victorian Period 18K Gold Reverse Intaglio Crystal "Goldfinch" Brooch. Made in England, circa 1885. James Robinson

Macklowe Gallery’s elegant, richly colored image was created in the mid-1890s by the jeweler and one of the most pre-eminent enamellists of the time, Paul Grandhomme, after a painting by one of the most notable symbolist artists Gustave Moreau. It is a polychrome Limoges enamel plaque, painted in a free hand, depicts a figural allegory of “Fable” and is a wearable work of art when suspended from a period chain. Macklowe Gallery

Macklowe Gallery’s Art Nouveau gold and platinum plaque-de-cou necklace by artist Henri Dubret is a gem-set and enamel masterpiece of polychrome butterflies, flowers, and foliage. A diamond blossom centering an oval-cut emerald sits amidst three spotted polychrome basse-taille enamel and diamond butterflies, all framed by orange and green sinuous vines with diamond highlights, a single pearl pendant, seemingly dripping from the plaque. Mounted on a broad velvet ribbon with a gold bar closure, this romantic jewel in enamel and gems is an exquisite work of Art Nouveau to wear. Macklowe Gallery

Kentshire’s Georgian pendeloque earrings, circa 1835 in sterling silver over 15k gold with old mine cut diamonds surrounding large antique pear-shaped diamonds. Kentshire

Kentshire’s Cartier Paris Belle Epoque pink guilloché enamel pendant watch with beaded white enamel borders and centering on a rose-cut diamond cluster suspended from a matching chain of alternating pink enamel batons and seed pearls, in 18k gold. Cartier, France. Movement stamped Cartier: case stamped 7922 with poinçon for E.U. and a man's profile, inscribed 3073. Kentshire

Windows Shopping:

Levi Higgs, the Head of Archives and Brand Heritage at David Webb, whose creativity extends to Instagram influencer and whose feed is filled with eye-arresting and storied antique and vintage jewelry posts was chosen to design the jewelry windows for the show. They are hypnotic, original and reflective of his vivid imagination and the nature of the pieces you will see inside. Here he talks about his concept for the displays and how they were realized. “In the vein of a cabinet of curiosities, I wanted to create windows that were filled with interesting variations and different specimens of the same object. Since the overarching theme for the larger windows was “rejuvenation” I was particularly drawn to the idea of eggs. I looked around my own personal collection and saw that I had quite a few; wooden eggs of many sizes, cut glass eggs, metal eggs, and even some actual eggs. Adding the treenware brought the display into the realm of Wunderkammer. As for the jewelry I selected, I wanted all pieces to build on the theme of eggs, and feature either birds, wings, feathers or be symbolic of flight in some way. A bit of hope and new life with a dash of visual interest. Many of my eggs and treenware were sourced from my favorite store upstate, Pidgin, in Oak Hill.”

Jewelry included in windows:

Macklowe Gallery: Georges Fouquet peacock cloak clasp in sterling silver and opal

James Robinson: two reverse painted rock crystal birds, one pendant and one brooch, swan micro mosaic, dove micro mosaic bracelet

Kentshire: Cartier falcon cuff

Didier Ltd: Giacometti gold bird pendant, Pierre Hugo gold bird necklace

Simon Teakle - Sterlé yellow and white diamond feather brooch

One Of Levi Higgs' Windows For The Winter Show Levi Higgs

One of Levi Higgs Windows for The Winter Show Levi Higgs