DAVID WEBB ENAMEL, RUBY AND DIAMOND ZEBRA BANGLE BRACELET
DAVID WEBB ENAMEL, RUBY AND DIAMOND ZEBRA BANGLE BRACELET
DAVID WEBB ENAMEL, RUBY AND DIAMOND ZEBRA BANGLE BRACELET
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Jewels as Art: Magnificent Jewels from a Private Collection
DAVID WEBB ENAMEL, RUBY AND DIAMOND ZEBRA BANGLE BRACELET

Details
DAVID WEBB ENAMEL, RUBY AND DIAMOND ZEBRA BANGLE BRACELET
Designed as a zebra, black and white enamel, oval ruby cabochons, round diamonds, 18k yellow gold and platinum, signed David Webb

Size/Dimensions: inner circumference 15.2 cm (6 in); inner diameter 5.0 cm (2 in)
Gross Weight: 136.1 grams
Literature
Cf. R. Peltason, The Art of David Webb: Jewelry and Culture, New York, Rizzoli, 2015, p. 54
Cf. R. Peltason, David Webb: The Quintessential American Jeweler, New York, Assouline, 2013, p. 134

Brought to you by

Rahul Kadakia
Rahul Kadakia International Head of Jewellery

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Lot Essay

Jewels as Art highlights key contemporary makers with bold and colorful jewels that showcase each firm’s most iconic traits. Intentionally curated, the contemporary jewels of this collection were not acquired on accident. Each piece was selected to tell a story of evolution and these jewels offer a distinguished place in the collection alongside their antique and early 20th century counterparts.

Three animal bracelets embody the creative genius of David Webb. David Webb jewels are widely known for their combinations of color and imaginative designs. Since the early 1960s, when Diana Vreeland was spotted with a zebra on her wrist and the Duke of Windsor surprised his wife with a twin frog bangle, the name David Webb has been synonymous with animal designs.

Today, the zebra is the company mascot (Lot 76). The first animal bracelet was made in 1957, and a procession of brightly colored monkeys, elephants, snakes and big cats followed. This collection not only features the iconic zebra, but also includes a giraffe and snake bangle (Lots 77 and 78), each reflecting an important intersection between high jewelry and playful whimsy.
When considering the use of color in jewelry, Bulgari leads the way with numerous color combinations in bold pieces of statement jewelry as seen in Lots 83 - 85. Focusing less on the intrinsic value of the gemstones used and more on the impact they created, ‘Celtaura’ jewels use diamonds to enhance and accent, allowing the colored gemstones and cultured pearls to take center stage. The cabochon nature of the gemstones also creates a variety of textures and play of light alongside the brilliant-cut diamonds adding allure and charm.

The noteworthy ‘Kilim’ bracelet (Lot 85) incorporates this unabashed use of color and texture to create virtually a piece of fabric that falls across the wrist. The geometric pattern of richly saturated emeralds, rubies and sapphires rests in a bed of cultured pearls, creating a stunning tapestry of color.

A stark contrast, the Hemmerle cuff (Lot 79) is designed as a smooth platinum hinged bracelet with two parallel engraved lines on either end. This contemporary jewel captures the best of minimalism and sleek sophistication.

The ‘Hedgehog’ earrings by JAR (Lot 86) also reveal how absence of color can leave a lasting impact. The round black diamonds create a smooth dome and backdrop for the white baguette-cut diamonds that are set reaching outward, as though they are breaking through their surface, offering a sense of movement and dimension.

These jewels by Webb, Bulgari, Hemmerle and JAR are the perfect finale for such an elevated collection with a clear throughline of the collector’s intentions – to build a assemblage of jewelry throughout the centuries, that can be worn as true works of art.

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