Inspired by Marc Chagall Flying angel brooch pin. Gold, silver. Walter Schluep modernist jewelry art

Walter Schluep modernist jewelry art
Jewelry designer and sculptor, Walter Schluep was born in the Spanish city of Sant Feliu de Guixols in 1931 and lived in Montreal, Canada since the age of 22. Educated in Switzerland, Schluep began creating jewelry in the late 1950s, and worked until his death in 2016.

His unique style includes avant-garde, modernist and contemporary designs, museum quality wearable art and high quality craftsmanship. Highly sought after by collectors, Shulep’s jewelry art works have won many prestigious awards at jewelry exhibitions. Influenced by many modern artists, and in particular, Marc Chagall, he created a series of flying angel designs.

When creating his jewelry by hand, the designer traditionally used gold, silver and natural stones. Noteworthy, he also did not refuse to experiment with new materials. Thus, he was one of the first jewelers to mix plastic with silver and gold. He labeled his products with his name “Schluep”, or initials WS with a bird logo, and the purity of metal – gold or silver. Sometimes the maker’s mark includes the year of production and “LLP”.

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Beetle brooch. Carved Hematite, gold. Robert Wander WINC fine jewelry

Robert Wander WINC fine jewelry

A third-generation jeweler and New York native, Robert Wander (1942 – 2019) studied jewelry in Paris, where his family owned jewelry boutiques. That is why he labeled his first jewelry creations as “Wander France.” He later traveled the world, studying jewelry in other countries. Inspired by Greek and Roman motifs, he made jewelry at a very high level of craftsmanship.

In 1984, Robert Wander founded WINC Creations, Inc. with headquarters in New York, NY. It was a family business in partnership with his wife Deanna Haimoff was also a jewelry designer and owned a jewelry gallery in Hawaii.

Wander jewelry designs traditionally included the use of precious metals and stones – sapphires, tsavorites, aquamarines, opals, lapis lazuli, tourmalines, corals, etc. He created realistic images of animals, insects, lizards covered with precious stones, sets of earrings, necklaces and bracelets with Etruscan motifs.
A regular participant in jewelry art exhibitions, Wander has received many awards during his forty years in the jewelry business. He also collaborated with JCK magazine in the 1990s, patiently explaining how he created jewelry or the essence and nature of different precious stones.
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Pearl and sterling silver modernist mid-century brooch pin. Christian Schmidt modernist silver jewelry

Christian Schmidt modernist silver jewelry
The famous American modernist jeweler Christian F. Schmidt was born on August 28, 1928 in Minneapolis, MN, where he worked all his life until his death on April 22, 1974. Schmidt received an art and music education at the University of Minnesota, from which he graduated in 1956. He subsequently taught jewelry and design at this university and the Minneapolis School of Art (1956-1963). Although Schmidt lived only 45 years, he made significant contributions to the world of jewelry.
Drawing inspiration from the nature around him, Schmidt created unique works with organic forms, for which he received numerous awards at jewelry exhibitions. Noteworthy, later Schmidt himself was a member of the jury of national art exhibitions. He was also a sculptor and nature photographer, studying phenomena such as the transformation of a butterfly or the gill structure of a mushroom. The photographer’s observations helped Christian create, implement and refine his jewelry designs and the concept of his sculptures.
When creating jewelry, the master most often used sterling silver, as well as gold, cultured pearls and natural stones. The maker’s mark includes stylized “S” or “Christian Schmidt”
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Swirl design sterling silver brooch pin. Mildred Ball modernist mid-century jewelry

Mildred Ball modernist mid-century jewelry
Born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, Mildred Lee Ball (1902 – 1997) was educated at Columbia University. After she married William M. Ball (1928) she taught home economics and needlework at school and college for several years.
In the 1940s, she began creating her unique silver jewelry using enamel, wood and natural stones.
Successfully participating in national art exhibitions (1955, 1956, 1959), she became one of the founders of the Winston-Salem Arts and Crafts Association and the Piedmont Craftsmen, Inc. (1963).
The work of talented jewelry designer, exhibitor and silversmith Mildred Lee Ball has been featured in various books on mid-century modernist jewelry in the 1960s.
Today, modernist pieces signed Ball are rare and highly collectible.
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Sun brooch pendant of gold tone. 1990s. Loola Paris vintage costume jewelry

Loola Paris vintage costume jewelry
The history of the French costume jewelry designer “Loola Paris” spans less than two decades – from 1989 to 2008. Following the spirit of haute couture, Parisian jewelry designer Evelyne Sitbon produced high end fashion jewelry with modernist or abstract accents.
Handcrafting bracelets, necklaces, earrings and brooches, the designers used textured metal alloys, gold or silver plating, crystals and multicolor gripoix glass imitating natural stones.
Today, unique vintage pieces signed “Loola Paris” have become collector’s items.
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Floral design multicolored rhinestone silver tone brooch signed “Jewel Crest”. 6 cm. Donald Simpson vintage costume jewelry

Donald Simpson vintage costume jewelry
One of the major Australian jewelers of the late 1940s – early 1970s, Donald Simpson made a significant contribution to 20th century jewellery design. Noteworthy, he produced costume jewelry under three trademarks, which was reflected in the labeling of his products. Specifically, “Originals from Simpson Jewellery Pty Ltd STG”, “Another Original from Simpson” and “Jewel Crest”.
According to The Sidney Morning Herald, Simpson made a replica of the Waratah brooch which he gave to Queen Elizabeth II on her first visit to Australia in 1952.
The designer traditionally used high-quality materials such as silver, gold, rhodium, as well as Austrian crystals, cultured pearls and Aurora Borealis rhinestones. Created in an Art Deco style with classic floral motifs, his necklaces, brooches and earrings were sold in original silk-lined boxes. Today, every piece created by Sydney jewellery designer Donald Simpson is rare and highly collectible.
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Sterling silver brooch by Jo. 1950s. Signed Catanzaro vintage silver jewelry

Signed Catanzaro vintage silver jewelry (1959-1980)
Josephine “Jo” Catanzaro (1913–1988) and her younger sister Antoinette “Toni” Catanzaro (1914–2003) grew up in Buffalo, New York. In the mid-1950s, they took a jewelry making course and opened a jewelry shop in their native Buffalo. It was there that they created unique modernist sterling silver jewelry, branding it with their names “Jo Catanzaro”, or “Toni Catanzaro”. Noteworthy, the sisters received many awards while participating in national jewelry exhibitions. Today, jewelry created by the Catanzaro sisters has a high collectible value.
Notably, they also sold glass, ceramics, textiles, and wood items in their “House of Crafts” gallery created by other American and foreign craftsmen.
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