The Fée’s Joaillier

JQ International Trends in Fine Jewellery
November/December 2007

By Diana S. Zimmerman, Special Features Correspondent

“Who is such a master as to dare to replicate my likeness?
Who is so skillful as to capture the essence of the Fée?
Such talent is rare, indeed, but I have seen it with my own
eyes in the great artists and joailliers of the humans.”
– Queen Kandide in Kandide and the Secret of the Mists

Each gem glistens brighter. Each pearl evokes an enchanted glow. Each illusive glimmer of wondrous gold beckons us to explore the mysterious world of the Fée, for it is in the enigmatic realm of the Faery that artistry reigns supreme and all things beautiful are born.

Not a country, not a culture, nor a time has existed without its faery lore. Called by many names, fée, fey, fata, toverfee, faery, or simply fairy, their existence to this day remains controversial. The late musician/composer, John Lennon once said, “I believe in everything until it’s disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it’s in your mind. Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.”

Poets have written about them; artists have painted them; and children claim to see them. Shakespeare, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Johann Heinrich Füssli, and J.M. Barrie, as well as modern-day artists such as Brian Froud and Maxine Gadd have all immortalized them in their own way. And so have the greatest jewelers of our times. Tiffany, Cartier, and Lalique all have fashioned faeries.

During the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, Faeries were not only fashionable, but a fashion statement. With puritanical values sweeping Europe and America, faery art—paintings, sculpture, silverware, and jewellery—became a highly sought after form of socially respectable “pornography.” To show a lady without clothes was, of course, completely unacceptable. But if you add butterfly or bee wings along with the sheerest of fabric across her perfectly formed bosom, then nature’s elemental beings suddenly became not only acceptable, but quite en vogue.

Entire jewellery collections featured these fanciful ladies in magnificent works of gold and
precious gems. Carved in onyx or shell, delicate faery cameo pins were also very popular
during the Victorian era. Psyche was a common theme, as were faeries resting on flowers or dancing in the breeze.

Today, the beauty and mystique of faeries is resonating louder than ever before. Disney is investing $150 million in promoting Tinkerbell, one of the most famous fairies of our times, and not just in toys and accessories, but in 18K gold jewellery as well (Disney by Victoria Casal, www.pranagioia.com). Faery conclaves such as FaeryCon™ and FaeryWorld™ have doubled and tripled in attendance over the past few years. On Amazon.com, the word “fairy” brings up over 137,000 entries, while on eBay, more than 17,800 fairy items are for sale, including a wide range of jewellery.

Van Cleef & Arpels
Of all the modern tributes to the Fée, perhaps none rivals Van Cleef & Arpel’s Midsummer Nights Dream collection. Exquisitely crafted, it features a Puck fairy clip in 18K white gold and diamonds; the delicate Caresse d’Eole diamond fairy seated on a magical disc of rubies; and the Ondine fairy peering into a 129.61- carat aquamarine “pool” that is surrounded by yellow, pink, and white diamond flowers, as well as tsavorite lily pads.

The collection also features pavé diamond flower pins and unusual center stone rings, along with a unique timepiece. Appropriately called “Lady Arpels Féerie,” it is crafted in 18K white gold. The wand and wings of the diamond fairy on the face indicate the hours and minutes as they magically tick by. For a fantasy lover’s treat, visit their website and explore the entire Midsummer Nights Dream collection

Masriera
During the Art Nouveau period, the Spanish company, Masriera (founded in 1839 in Barcelona, Spain) began producing beautiful faery jewellery (masriera.com). The enamel they use is, to this day, specially made by secret formulas known only to the artisans—
and, of course, to the Fée.

All of Masriera’s jewellery is treated as an individual work of art and no two pieces are ever alike in color. Oriol Oliveras, managing director of Bagués Masriera, explains: “The color palettes of the fairies’ wings are nearly infinite. Not only does the number of colors vary, but their combinations as well.”

Crafting the jewellery is a lengthy, multilayered process. Produced in 18K gold, the framework is removed from the form into which molten gold is poured. Once hardened, powdered glass is painted in the openings according to the colors indicated
in Masriera’s original drawings from the early 1900s. The entire process can take from eight to thirteen firings, depending upon the design’s complexity. Another practice that makes this jewellery unique is the finishing process. Pieces are plated in 24K gold to
give them a glistening opulence. The addition of diamonds, sapphires, and pearls transforms the piece into art that would make even the most discerning Fée proud.

Nouveau 1910
The exacting art of plique-à-jour enameling is at the heart of another master of the Fée, Nouveau 1910, also of Barcelona, Spain (nouveau1910.com). Literally translated, plique-à-jour means “light of day,” a most appropriate name for this beautiful and difficult
enameling technique that resembles stained glass. Josep Arquer founded the company in 1910 and was heavily influenced by the cultural movement which had spread throughout Europe at that time. Called Modernism in Spain, it was also known as Art Nouveau in France, and Jugendstil in Germany.

Arquer’s plique-à-jour enameling technique, where layer upon layer is meticulously applied over 18K yellow gold, is done today in much the same way as when he founded the company. The rich colors and delicate shading of the faeries would be impossible
to achieve any other way.

The enamel in the Nouveau 1910 process contains a special glass to which metallic oxides are added. These oxides, such as cobalt for blue and iron oxide for red, form the colors. To achieve its brilliance and durability, each piece is baked more than 20
times at temperatures over 1000°C. Multi-colored wings are then set with diamonds, pearls and other precious gems.

Roberto Bravo
Another brand that has captured the magic of the fée is Turkeybased, Roberto Bravo (robertobravo.com). Its Feya Collection, which includes a highly imaginative line of floral rings and pendants, features enchanting faeries. Their delicate lace-like wings
look as though they were spun by the fée themselves. Accented with pavé diamonds, enamel, and other precious stones, Roberto Bravo’s Faeries evoke a sense of regal mystery.

International Creativity
Continuing their international appeal, fairies have been interpreted by Italian brand Nomination (nomination.com), which has recently introduced a set of unique faery pendants, earrings, and charms. Brazilians also love their fairies. Among that country’s
brands presenting lines of these delicate winged ladies is Rio de Janeiro-based brand, Ganish (ganish.com.br), which offers 18K gold earrings, pendants, and pins with a faery motif, and Brasiliabased Julieta Pedrosa, who creates sterling faery motifs.

Peter Koslowski traveled the world before settling in Bangkok, Thailand, where he formed the Peter Stone Company (peterstone.com). Among his jewellery art pieces are fairies in recycled sterling silver that can be custom-ordered in gold. Also
crafting in sterling silver is Pennsylvania artist, Jo Ann Palmer (silverwolfprod.com), who embellishes her whimsical creations with faceted gemstones and briolettes.

Japanese designer, Rachi Sumihiro, creates modern faery brooches in the Art Nouveau style. Using delicately carved gemstones as wings, USA designer Bob Rothman has created a line of faeries with tourmaline or quartz wings. In jewellery-related collections,
Tiffany’s sterling silver tooth fairy box by Paloma Picasso is a perennial favorite.

It is no wonder that the attraction is so universal. What magical being captures more of our childhood dreams than the Faery?

JQ Editor’s note: Diana S. Zimmerman is recognized as a leading expert on faery lore, literature, and art. She also has one of the world’s largest collections of Fairy Art, with pieces dating back to the 1700s. Book One of her fantasy adventure trilogy, Kandide and the Secret of the Mists (Greenleaf Book Group) from which the quote at the top of this article is taken, will be in bookstores and on Amazon.com beginning March 4, 2008 (http://www.kandide.com).

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