#herz belperron

[contremineur]

Gemstone and yellow gold ring by Herz-Belperron, previously owned by Barbara Allen de Kwiatkowski, sold for 37,500 USD in December 2020

With green and blue oval and circular-cut tourmalines, peridots, sapphires, emeralds and beryls

from here

[steliosagapitos]

~ "Attributed to Suzanne Belperron, from the time of the Herz-Belperron boutique on rue de chateaudun in Paris. Considering that Suzanne Belperron never signed her creations, this can only be a very strong presumption, the duchess being a great fan of her work. Rigid bracelets, necklace and earrings in blue chalcedony, sapphires and diamonds. For the bracelets, the circle is fluted, its upper part is set with 7 brilliants topped with cornflower chalcedony pearls topped with sapphire cabochons. For the necklace, it is composed of a double row of blue chalcedony beads mounted on a large flower engraved in the same stone, the center set with a bouquet of sapphire cabochons and an alignment of brilliants." ~

[gemville]

Bib Necklace Of Cabochon Sapphires and Round Brilliant Diamonds by Suzanne Belperron, Made by Groëné et Darde for Herz-Belperron, Circa 1940's

Photo: Belperron LLC/David Behl

Source: jewelryconnoisseur.net

[dailyhistoryposts]

Suzanne Belperron

An unrivalled artist, craftswoman, and member of the French Resistance against the Nazis, Suzanne Belperron was a French jewellery designer with a firm belief in her own value and her a firm stance in upholding her values.

[Belperron]

Born Madeleine Suzanne Marie Claire Vuillerme (1900-1983) in Saint-Claude, France, a town with a long tradition of stone-cutting, Belperron expressed an early interest and mastery in principles of design.

In 1919, she moved to Paris and began her professional career. Her work was famous, but as was standard at the time, she was not given credit. In 1932, she left the Maison Rene Boivin and began to work with Bernard Herz, a dealer of pearls and precious stones. Her beautiful, original works brought fame to the Maison Bernard Herz and to Belperron herself.

Her works were known for their brilliant colors and her ability to play with aesthetic influences. She was inspired by distant artistic cultures, nature, and the underwater world. She was active in the Art Deco movement, but her unique style softened the lines and pioneered the use of unique materials. She never signed her pieces, insisting that

"My style is my signature"

and her work was easily identifiable.

[Some of Belperron's work, a diamond and sapphire bangle]

Her work partner, Bernard Herz, was of Jewish origin. Belperron helped save him from the Gestapo and took over the Maison Bernard Herz in 1940 to save it, when the "Law on the status of Jews" legislation forbid him from owning to business. She never stopped working throughout the war, though she was under suspicion and the market for luxury goods was dropped, knowing the business and its workers relied on her.

On the 2nd of November, 1942, Belperron was arrested for, essentially, allowing a 'Jewish business' to survive. She swallowed the pages of Herz' address book as she was being transferred to the Gestapo. Herz was arrested the same day and sent to Auschwitz, from where he entrusted all his assets and the safety of his children, to Belperron, before dying. Belperron was released and joined the Resistance.

[Some of Belperron's work, a diamond tube link bracelet]

After the War, Belperron made a partnership with Herz' son, Jean Herz, which flourished for 30 years.

Her clientele included most of Europe's royalty and aristocrats, as well as some important dynasties abroad. She had friends from much of the fashion world, including Christian Dior and Diana Vreeland, but refused proposals for collaboration from names like Tiffany & Co.

In 1963, Belperron was elevated to the rank of Knight by the Légion d'Honneur.

[winterhill-aria]

Chalcedony, Sapphire and Diamond Brooch by Herz Belperron

[gemville]

A Smokey Quartz, Diamond and Platinum Cuff Bracelet by Suzanne Belperron, Herz-Belperron, Circa 1935