Jewellery made by artists for their lovers

A piece of “artist’s jewellery,” like a painting or a piece of sculpture, is a work of art. Artists, painters, sculptors and their love stories…

Man Ray – Optic Topic, 1974 – Coll. Diane Venet

Bernard Venet

Ligne Indéterminée, 1985

At Christmas 1985 Bernard Venet offered Diane a silver bar that he had wrapped around two fingers, halfway between sculpture and jewellery which started her passion and interest on artist’s jewellery.

Alexander Calder

Untitled, circa 1940

In 1930, a 32-year old Alexander Calder presented his soon-to-be wife Louisa James with a small ring. He’d crafted the piece with the help of a Parisian jeweller, carefully hammering the gold into a delicate spiral. Calder would continue to gift his wife with handmade jewellery throughout their marriage: brooches inscribed with the date of an anniversary or birthday, statement necklaces hung with shards of colorful glass, and even buttons for a coat.

Pablo Picasso

Visage Rond 1972

Painter, sculptor, ceramist, Picasso created his first jewels for Dora Maar in 1936 (earthenware with painted or engraved gravel insets). In the 1960s, he collaborated with François Hugo in the design of approximately 30 pieces of gold jewellery, all signed and produced in very limited editions.

Salvador Dali

Montre petite cuillère, 1957

As all the great artists of the Twentieth Century, Dalí wanted to see his iconographic images in various mediums. Having always been fascinated by precious metals and rare jewels, Dalí created a body of work in jewellery and jeweled objects. During the late 1960’s, Dalí went on to create twelve pure gold objects assembled from his Dalí d’Or coin collection. They included magical mirrors, pendants with serpent motifs and emblems in honour of the sun. Each coin is inlaid with the effigy of the great Catalan artist, together with his wife and lifetime muse, Gala.

André Derain

Grande tête ronde, 1952

André Derain imagined the models of wildlife, Cretans to offer them to his wife. Derain also created a few small lead sculptures and a few masks that he requested to be cast in limited editions of 6 in gold.