[Jewelry making - Article 00021] - Re: [Orchid] Sterling silver definition

[Karen Goeller]

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    Hans, You ask.... 

>      (3)Rene Lalique was arguably among one of the finest designers/
>     goldsmiths in the previous century.BUT, does anyone know if the man
>     left any information as to his techniques or methods behind? Or did
>     they go to his grave? Cheers,Hans Meevis 

    I have to tell you that I am a great fan of Lalique and have
    hungrily devoured everything I can find about him (particularly his
    jewelry work).  I was thrilled to go to the "Lalique's jewels"
    exhibition at the Smithsonian a few years ago, and bought the
    exhibition catalog.  If you are a fan of Lalique's jewelry, it's a
    must -- the photos are exquisite, the articles are interesting and
    insightful. 

    Sigrid Barten, writing in the article "Materials and Techniques in
    the Jewelry of Rene Lalique" (an interesting article) says: 

    "The only known comments by Lalique himself on the techniques used
    in creating his jewelry are the notes which accompanied his working
    drawings. These instructions to his colleagues at the studio
    contained details of the thickness of the gold foil and of how it was
    to be worked, details of the precious and semiprecious stones and how
    to cut them, and of the type of pearls to be used  Here and there we
    find the name of a client, a date, or even the name of an
    outsidecraftsman.  The frequently quoted history of French 19th
    century jewelry by Henri Vever is useful as a secondary reference." 

    The drawings and notebooks Barten refers to were, in part, displayed
    at the exhibition and were at least as intriguing as the jewelry
    itself.  No work was produced from his studio without extensive
    preparatory drawings, leading up to a full-scale rendering, usually
    in color.  Notes are scribbled all over the papers as to how many to
    produce, what materials to use, whether to vary the motif, and
    sometimes commenting on the "rhythm" of the pattern.  I have NOT
    found a published "Lalique's Notebooks" -- if any of you have, please
    let me know! 

    The Exhibition catalog "The Jewels of Lalique" was published by
    Flammarion, Paris ( http://www.flammarion.com ), 1998.  It is likely
    still available through the Smithsonian Institution's bookstore in
    Washington, D.C. or directly from the publisher. 

Best,
Karen Goeller


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