Marie Zimmermann created jewelry, silver, metalwork, and other objects in varying patinas and forms. Though her name is unknown to the average person, I consider her to be one of the great jewelry artists of the 20th century. She collected beautiful objects, including jade carvings and stones, and incorporated them into the jewelry and art pieces that she made in her Gramercy park studio.
This pair of Asian-inspired Art Deco bangle bracelets perfectly captures her unique style.… Read More
Last call to consign for our December Fine Jewelry sale.
Reserve an appointment with Director Victoria Bratberg and Gloria Lieberman, Founder of the Fine Jewelry Department for a consignment evaluation. Skinner presents four fine jewelry auctions annually and regularly realizes outstanding prices at auction.
Appointments: 10AM – 4PM
Location The Norwich Inn 325 Main Street Norwich, VT
Reservations 617-874-4313 ksimonetti@skinnerinc.com… Read More
This brooch by Alexander Calder is one of my favorite items in the September 10, 2013 Fine Jewelry auction at Skinner. Calder was known for his sense of design, and in this case the piece is handmade from brass with the slightest touch of silver. Calder rarely soldered his jewelry, instead joining pieces of metal with loops or sections of wire. The stem of this pin coils in a quirky, exaggerated fashion that is both playful and artful – it’s a beautiful piece that has never been on the market.… Read More
Join Gloria Lieberman and Victoria Bratberg for light refreshments and conversation at Victoria Greenhood Jewelry Design on Thursday, July 18th from 12:00 to 7:00PM. Complimentary, verbal evaluations will also be provided throughout the day.
Skinner experts will be traveling throughout New England this summer providing verbal appraisals of your objects of value.
Last week, Karen Keane and I met designer and fashion icon Zandra Rhodes for the first time at a lovely opening reception for the exhibit Zandra Rhodes: A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. If you haven’t seen it yet, stop by – the show is on display until December 1, 2012.
With her bright pink hair and bold, hand-painted garments, Zandra is impossible to ignore and has exerted her influence on the textile and clothing design world since the 1960s.… Read More
Joan Sonnabend opened her tiny gallery at the Plaza Hotel in New York in 1973. She started with a one hundred piece collection of “sculpture to wear.” Included among the pins, necklaces, bracelets, and rings were works by such artists as Man Ray, Pol Bury, Picasso, Arp, and Calder. After Sculpture to Wear opened, many artists sought out Sonnabend, hoping to create items for the gallery. She became friendly with many of them, and maintained these relationships for many years.
Eye miniatures, commonly known as “lover’s eyes” are miniature hand-painted human eyes set into jewelry. The tradition started with royalty, when the Prince of Wales and his mistress Maria Fitzherbert, exchanged miniature paintings of their own eyes in 1785. The fad spread through Europe around 1800; people gave eyes to lovers, family, or even friends.
We see many beautiful and unusual pieces of vintage jewelry every day in the Skinner Fine Jewelry department, but some pieces simply stand out above the rest. This holiday season, each of the Skinner jewelry appraisers picked out a favorite from the many wonderful pieces that will be sold in Boston on Tuesday, December 6th.
It’s hard to believe that summer is already over. In the midst of vacations and appraisal house calls, Skinner antiques & fine art experts found the time to write intriguing and informative blog posts. These are the top 5 most popular articles from June, July, and August. Read them for the first time or enjoy a re-read, then join the conversation by leaving a comment.