David Webb Vintage Amethyst Sapphire Earrings

These elegant, Signed David Webb Vintage Amethyst Sapphire Earrings, made in the 21st century, feature a pair of fluted symmetrical geometric forms one might find accenting an Art Deco skyscraper. The architectonic ear clips look constructed and hand-wrought, contrasting with two sparkling, pear-shaped amethysts. The purple gemstones effortlessly illuminate the gold-textured surfaces, each flanked by two vertical rows of round-brilliant-cut pink sapphires. From a jewelry designer whose notable collections include bright, colorful gems, heavily textured gold, and sleek Art Deco design, these collectible earrings check multiple important boxes from the David Webb oeuvre.

American jeweler David Webb (1925-1975) opened his eponymous shop in 1948, at the age of 23, in New York City. His designs reflect his love of New York society and architecture and his fascination with ancient cultures, among many other things. Webb was known as the Houdini of gold. He went on weekly trips to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. He studied gold objects from the Incas, Turkey, and Syria and Egyptian artifacts unearthed in the tombs of Tutankhamun and then refashioned them in his hand. He once said, "I had a tremendous feeling of art. I wanted to be an archaeologist, a ceramicist, or a jeweler. Jewelry won out."

Webb left a rich and diverse archive of jewelry designs, including more than 40,000 original drawings and sketches. Today the company creates designs in the spirit of his iconic jewelry motifs, like this beautiful pair of earrings. How the pink sapphires curve around the back of each abstract form to create three-dimensional pieces of sculpture shows the technical prowess of skilled artisans retained by his workshop, still above the original flagship Madison Avenue store.

From all angles, the earrings are beautifully wrought. The hammered 18K yellow gold adorns all planes, including those at right angles to one another. This surface treatment is also used in Webb's Ancient World collection. His Step Ring, with similar construction to these earrings, is inspired by the arts of ancient cultures worldwide, including Africa, Asia, and the Americas. These earrings exist in two architectural realms—Art Deco- and Incan-inspired, reimagined as modern jewels with David Webb's guiding hand.

Ear clip-on style. Approx. 34.07 grams overall weight; 18k yellow gold with hammered finish. Signed David Webb; circa 2000.

SKU :E1321
Category :EARRINGS
Metal :18KYG

David Webb

18K Yellow Gold

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