The 10 jewelry exhibitors at the New York fair displayed eye-catching pieces ranging from vintage to contemporary.
An extremely large crowd of well-dressed and well-heeled collectors crammed into the Park Avenue Armory in New York for the opening day of Salon Art + Design, which took place from November 9 to 13.
The annual collectible design and art fair featured some 50 exhibitors from multiple countries presenting vintage, modern and contemporary art and design objects in various categories. Among them, spread around
the exhibition hall, were 10 exhibitors presenting jewelry.
London-based jewelry dealers Didier and Martine Haspeslagh of Didier Ltd. were happy that for the first time, the jewelers were included on the main floor of the fair. Previously, they were scattered about the exterior rooms or, in Didier’s case, the corner of the entrance lobby.
The couple specializes in jewels by artists from the second half of the 20th century who are best known for their works in other artistic mediums, such as sculpture or painting. The Haspeslaghs acquire all their pieces from the secondary markets and are undoubtedly the leaders in this category niche. Amid their broad and diverse offerings, there was a specific focus on American artists and American craft jewelers.
One of the pieces they presented was the Fortune Teller brass watch pendant by Cindy Sherman. It recreates one of her best-known photographs, of Sherman herself as a fortune teller in costume with a crystal ball. Other pieces included a spiral brooch by renowned American sculptor Alexander Calder, and an Andy Warhol Times/5 watch bracelet containing five dials for different time zones, with each dial displaying a photograph of New York; it is one of 250 ever made.
The blackened-walled exhibition space of Silvia Furmanovich was popping with colorful jewels and decorative home-interior pieces using Japanese craft techniques, such as bamboo weaving, lacquerware and wood carving.
In another section were five jewelers from the Elevated Matters Gallery in Hudson, New York, which was founded by jewelry artist Chris Davies. His works are as influenced by high fashion as they are by traditional jewelry design and craftsmanship; they are textural and flowing, often draping across the body. Davies has developed a technique he calls “woven granulation,” weaving complex granulated designs that encase gemstones. Like most of his pieces, they have a fabric-like texture.
The other four jewelers in this group were Stella Flame, who presented pieces combining her design aesthetic with Turkish craftsmanship; Andy Lif, whose sculptural works in 18-karat gold often incorporate plique-à-jour, a vitreous enameling; Elizabeth Garvin, who specializes in metallurgy and creates distinctive geometric jewels; and fine jeweler Anthony Lent.
Meanwhile, estate dealer DK Farnum offered classic 20th-century jewels from big-name jewelry houses. One eye-catching piece in the center of the cabinet was a large snake necklace in 18-karat yellow gold with a detachable head that could be worn as a pendant. Another piece that stood out was a pair of Cartier star bombe earrings in 18-karat yellow gold and diamonds, dating from circa the 1950s.
Israeli jeweler Yvel’s exhibition space boasted big colorful gems, elaborate pearl jewels and sculptural pieces. These included the candy-colored Fantasia flower brooch made of pearls, tourmalines, gold and diamonds.
Also exhibiting was Rosior, a family-owned Portuguese jewelry brand founded in 1870. All of its finely crafted pieces are produced in house.
Main image: Silvia Furmanovich earrings with diamond, malachite, Temari string embroidered spheres and green stabilized wood. (Silvia Furmanovich)
Comments are closed.