The Times
LUXX Magazine
27 Nov 2010
Luxury shopping boils
down to the quest for the best, Here the experts guide you to
the ultimate purchases,
from fine watches and
covetable gadgets to collectible Scotch and
luxe streetwear
The new collectibles
Base materials
WHY NON-PRECIOUS JEWELLERY IS SUDDENLY PRECIOUS
REPORT Maria Doulton PHOTOGRAPH Helen Mellor
Welcome to the brave new world of "art jewellery" and the quirky kingdom of jewels made out of humble,
run-of-the-mill materials, a place where the mundane becomes the extraordinary, where paper, acrylic and
aluminium are transformed into treasures. "These jewellers are not working in commercial workshops making
things to order," says Clare Philips, jewellery curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. "Instead,
they go out on a limb because their work is all about self-expression. We are used to thinking of Damien Hirst's work as art, yet still expect jewellery to be
pretty and manicured. These jewellers are working
with the same freedom as fine artists."
Rene Lalique, of the Art Nouveau movement, was
perhaps the first to elevate a base material to new
heights, but Dalf, Picasso and Cocteau also dabbled,
and helped encourage later names, such as Catherine
Noll, who worked in the late 20th century. Catherine
Denueve has talked of how Noll's jewels seduced her with their primitive yet sophisticated, African yet
modern shapes (pictured on the previous page). Noll
was commissioned by couture houses, such as Dior,
Nina Ricci and Chanel, and she collaborated with
Tiffany and Baccarat. Today, her pieces sell at Harry
Fane's London gallery for £1,000 to £10,000.
At the Adrian Sassoon gallery in London, Adam
Faxon's work fetches up to 19,000. His writhing,
wet-look acrylic forms look like they've been freshly
netted from an extraterrestrial rock pool. Joanna
Hardy, formerly head of jewellery at Sotheby's, bought a ring by Ines Schwotzer for a few hundred
pounds from Kath Libbert's gallery in Bradford. "It's a lace flower made like bobbin lace, but using
steel wire," she says. "I don't care if it is stainless
steel, as technically it is superb and looks great."
So how to choose between a cornflower ring
by Nora Fok and a Douglas Mason crushed Coca-
Cola ring? All the experts and gallery owners agree: "Buy what you love." As Philips says: "You have
to have an emotional reaction to the piece." Libbert
says her clients are interested in jewels that push the
boundaries. "We think of ourselves as an antidote to
the high street," she says. Harry Fane, Electrum and
Lesley Craze, all in London, as well as Libbert and
Adrian Sassoon, are all good places to start an
education, with knowledgeable staff to guide you.
And the best thing about these works of art?
If you tire of wearing them, you can always hang
them on the wall.
