Jewelry Design Art


 

Jewelry designers first developed their ideas on paper, thereby using material that was meant to be temporary. Because of that, we are fortunate to have any of these miniature art works remaining. They demonstrate the development from an original idea to the finished product, and lend insight into the creative process.

The art work and designs on paper shown below are from the DeRosa, Haskell and Barclay companies. The first rows show actual jewelry made from each design, and the other rows show jewelry that is similar or in the same style.
 

    BARCLAY brooch of green enameled leaves, red enameled ladybug and clear rhinestone pave pods, 3-5/8" by 3", Barclay by Rice-Weiner Alvin and Robert Rice, Louis Mark, circa 1950, Rhode Island. This brooch comes with the BARCLAY original design art work for this brooch. It is interesting to see that the original idea was for the pods to be green enamel, but in the finished brooch leaves are green instead. The process of jewelry design is documented here. To see more jewelry design art work, click HERE.   View   #X23718

 BARCLAY original art work for a fawn brooch.

  DeROSA bouquet of violets fur clip, 2-1/2 inches.    View   View   View   #d18705

   De Rosa original art work design for the clip shown at right... the note at the bottom reads "violets", and the clip was indeed done in violets instead of the forget-me-nots originally illustrated.  #140 

    DeROSA sterling cream and green enameled floral fur clip, 2-1/2".  View   #d23488

De Rosa #103

     The real but unsigned De Rosa brooch made from the design at left.   #d20435

       The De Rosa original art work design for the bird brooch shown at the right.  #174

DeROSA arrowroot floral clip.   View   #d21160  

   De Rosa Arrowroot design art work for the clip shown at left.  #146      

   BARCLAY art work for a brooch design.

   DeROSA sterling vermeil bow fur clip with red and clear rhinestones and artificial pearls.  View   #d23729

   BARCLAY art work for a brooch design.

   DeROSA sterling vermeil 3" bow fur clip.  View  #d21837 

  BARCLAY art work for a brooch design.

 FLOWER 3-1/3" brooch in gold tone with green enameled leaves and glass ball stamen.   View  #Y21843

 GOLD TONE leaf with silver tone accents and clear and red rhinestone flowers, a large 4" brooch.   View  #Y23339

 BARCLAY art work for a brooch, earrings and rings designs.

   BARCLAY art work for a brooch design.

  BARCLAY art work for a brooch, earrings and rings designs.

 UNSIGNED large purple and clear rhinestones brooch, 3-1/2".   View   #Y22107

De Rosa design for a fur clip.

De Rosa 2-1/8" fur clip with aqua rhinestone center.    View   View  #d19070

   CORO  green emerald-cut and clear rhinestones fur clip in gold tone, 2".   View   #C23602

   BARCLAY art work for a brooch design.

Clip marked only "sterling".
Courtesy of  Deborah Kosnett

   BARCLAY art work for a brooch design.

 CLEAR rhinestones 1-1/2" retro style pin set in silver tone. It also has a loop on the back so that it can be worn as a pendant.  View  #Y21751

   BARCLAY art work for a brooch design.

   BARCLAY art work for a brooch, earrings and rings designs.

     BARCLAY art work for a ring design.

De Rosa design for a fur clip.

De Rosa design for a fur clip.

BARCLAY art work for a ring design.

DE ROSA 2-1/3" fur clip with a large oval faceted red rhinestone center and clear rhinestone accents. This clip also came in another color, VIEW here.  View   #d19834  

   DEROSA retro purple rhinestone and artificial pearl brooch, 2" by 2-3/4".  View   #d23931

DeRosa design art work.
Marked in pencil "Done 3-13-44"   #230 

   RETRO aqua-blue rhinestone clip, 2-1/8".   View   View   #Y8143

Jewelry Advertising Art


 

Jewelry makers also used artists renderings of finished jewelry as advertisements in stores and magazines. The Miriam Haskell original watercolors shown here were hung in shops and distributed to buyers at department stores. Most of these are thought to have been painted by Larry Austin, an illustrator about whom little is known other than this work.