Tales from the Appraiser’s Desk: Artists Jewelry

Not too long ago a piece came across my desk with a story that I just had to share. The piece belonged to a client, with whom I have been working for years cataloging her collection for estate purposes, but it was not like her other jewelry. It was a piece of artist jewelry, eye-catching and well made, but clearly more avant guard in aesthetics than her other jewelry.

She presented to me an over size cuff bracelet composed of copper and brass, purchased at a flea market. With a twinkle in her eye she told the story of a Summer day in New York, falling in love with the bracelet and how at the end of a long day of back and forth dealing the bracelet went home with her for $10. The bracelet was signed and she asked me to do some research on her purchase, for fun if nothing else. The bracelet was signed by Art Smith.

Art Smith (1917-1982) was an American modern jewelry designer. He worked in New York, the village to be specific, and was influenced by Alexander Calder as you can see by Mr. Smith’s Galaxy Necklace circa 1962. The Brooklyn Museum just closed a retrospective of his work, but the catalog, “From the Village to Vogue: The Modern Jewelry of Art Smith” is still available.

My client fully enjoys her bracelet, but it is nice to know she could have a sizable return on her investment. Happy hunting!

The Poetry of Paper Jewelry

Minh Thu Leroy is a friend, landscape architect by training and a thoughtful, insightful jewelry designer. Yes, the focus of her work is paper!

She began several years ago making creations from paper, which lead naturally to jewelry because it allowed her to play with space and volume. Minh Thu’s necklaces are all made from very durable laminated paper. The paper is used in all forms from the thinnest translucent discs of color, like the necklace shown here, to large elements of rolled paper that take on the appearance of a hard stone. The color of the paper is also an intricate feature ranging from the palest pinks to bold, vibrant juxtaposition of colors. Her work can be found on her website and  at several retail locations. Each necklace is a work of art!

“Poetry surrounds us everywhere, but putting it on paper, alas, not so easy as looking at it” -Vincent Van Gogh