Art Deco jewelry from Tiffany & Co. is considered especially rare for a combination of stylistic, historical and internal production-related reasons. The appointment of Louis Comfort Tiffany as Art Director at Tiffany & Co. in 1902 ushered in an era of prolific jewelry design and production throughout the Art Nouveau period as preeminent tastemakers of the era’s fashions. After two successful decades at the helm, Louis Comfort resigned from his position in 1918, sending the house on a new trajectory throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Designs remained largely rooted in an American tradition of refined classicism and naturalistic design, but now involving the architectural and often two-colored designs of the Art Deco period. Tiffany & Co.’s output during this era was smaller than its European counterparts, often times as bespoke creations for private American clients.

1933 marked Louis Comfort’s passing and the shuttering of his jewelry workshop within Tiffany & Co. The remainder of the decade presented internal issues within Tiffany & Co.’s business in the wake of the Great Depression as sales decreased across the firm’s New York, London and Paris stores. Design attentions shifted to dinner sets and décor as metal could be more easily melted and reused under economic uncertainty, diminishing the already smaller supply of fine jewelry from the house at this time. Without an Art Director’s guiding hand, Tiffany & Co. modestly took on the geometric motifs and modern materials of the Art Deco period. As a result, fewer modern Tiffany & Co. jewels were produced, and even fewer still are available to eager collectors today.

This exquisite Tiffany & Co. Art Deco emerald and diamond bracelet (Lot 241) presents collectors with the exceptional opportunity to acquire a superb jewel from the era. The geometric interplay of crisp marquise-shaped diamonds and bulbous pyramidal cabochon emeralds encapsulates the architectural forms that defined the Art Deco movement. Its fluid drape and fine platinum filigree showcase the height of the period’s technical craftsmanship, making the bracelet as wearable today as it is an object of historic importance.