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Linked to orientalist aesthetics, pearls were combined in refined ornaments for both women and men.
Exceptional pieces such as the six-row imperial necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels rub shoulders with Art Nouveau creations by Henri Vever. Baroque pearls with singular shapes are transformed into delicate petals in a Fleur d’Iris brooch by Georges Fou- quet.
The pearl frenzy continued after the First World War and, in 1925, the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts revived the pearl mania that was sweeping Paris.
The arrival of cultured pearls from Japan put an end to the triumph of the noble fine pearl.
The economic crisis of 1929, the precarious working conditions of fishermen and the Second World War, with the deportation of Jewish merchants from Rue Lafayette, only accelerated the decline of trade with the Gulf.
Cultured pearls began to be imported from Tahiti by Rosenthal merchants and were very popular with a younger clientele.However, fine pearls continued to be cultivated in protected fishing areas. Tiny quantities never stopped being imported. They adorn magnificent contemporary jewelry or complete family collections by joining the pearls set in antique jewelry.
The pure and precious little voluptuous mother-of-pearl ball has not finished turning heads...
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JEAN GABRIEL DOMERGUE
Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry travels the world to adorn women
The Renaissance of the French art of luxury January 1923 Paris © Alessandra Cenna